PHILOMATH — The Marys River was overflowing its banks Wednesday due to heavy rain, but, ironically, for most of the year, the topic of discussion about the waterway wasn’t flooding.

It was whether the Marys had enough water.

The river is Philomath’s main water source, and there was heated rhetoric in 2005 about whether the city had enough liquid for proposed annexations and even approved developments.

At several City Council meetings, the city and engineers made assurances that there will be plenty of H2O to go around, while members of the Marys River Watershed Council and other residents said the river’s water is over-allocated and already too low during the hot summer months.

Expect the debate to continue in 2006, because the sides are about as far apart as the banks of the Willamette River, and perhaps have as much middle ground.

“It became a political issue. I guess I would characterize it as opinion versus fact,” said Randy Kugler, Philomath city manager.

“The city is fully prepared, capable and able to provide water to its citizens in the foreseeable future, and there are no qualifications on that statement. In the next 25 to 30 years, there is no question that we will be able to accommodate growth,” he added.

Sandra Coveny, coordinator of the Marys River Watershed Council, said the there is not enough water in the “creek” for all the uses for which it is needed.

“It’s not that there’s not enough water for growth. There’s not enough water for everything we want to do. We have to decide. Do we want the residential growth, do we want the industrial growth, do we want to take care of the other species that are here,” she added.

Watershed council members criticized the city’s water master plan as inadequate, and say a more comprehensive study needs to be done.

“The city was asked to partner in a watershed study. They seem to be unwilling to proceed with one, unfortunately,” said Philomath resident May Dasch, who attends Marys River Watershed Council meetings.

Anne Fairbrother of Philomath First, a political action group, said water availability played a role in why voters denied two annexation requests on the November ballot, including the proposed Lowther annexation, which alone could have brought 660 new homes to town.

Kugler wondered if Philomath was being singled out regarding water availability, when Corvallis uses much more of the water from the Marys River.

“The largest municipal user of the watershed certainly is not the city of Philomath. Why we’ve been thrust into the role of saving the Marys River is beyond me,” Kugler said.

The city still is trying to transfer the draw location on a 1 cubic-foot per second 1952 water right it owns on the Marys River just outside the city.

Regardless, Philomath plans to use that water, even if a pipeline must be built, Kugler said.

The city also has another 1 cfs water right it can use, 3.7 cfs in junior water rights and 1 cfs in lower-quality water for several months from its 11th Street well.

Kyle Odegard covers public safety, Philomath and rural Benton County. He can be contacted at kyle.odegard@lee.net or 758-9523.

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