Possible Tire Reef Removal at Les Davis dive site!!!!!

Scoping Work for Tire Removal at Les Davis Marine Park - ...

The link above was posted on December 2, 2014. The local government is looking into pulling up the tire reef next to the Les Davis Pier. They claim that the tires that have been there for decades are now leaching lead and petroleum into the Puget Sound.

That tire reef is as close as most divers want to get to the fishing pier, and having it there has potentially saved thousands of lives. There have been some that thought they knew better and crossed that reef to the pier. Some of them have paid with their lives.

If the reef is pulled up, I would suggest that an anchored float and line setup be installed similar to the one at Alki cove 2 (the water taxi dock).

Will this project, which will cost millions, be feasible?
Is pulling up a safety feature the right thing to do?
How many lives will be lost after its removal and prior to the installation of a new barrier?
Will the families of those divers sue the city for removing that barrier?


These are just some of my thoughts. What does everyone else think?

Tim

---------- Post added December 5th, 2014 at 01:04 AM ----------

Here is a copy of what was posted on the site.

Scoping Work for Tire Removal

Posted on 12/02/2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 2, 2014


MEDIA CONTACTS
Gwen Schuler, Media and Communications, gschuler@cityoftacoma.org,(253) 591-5160
Stacy Ellifritt, Media and Communications, stacy.ellifritt@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-5152


Scoping Work for Tire Removal at Les Davis Marine Park to Begin in December


Working jointly with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and the Nisqually Tribe, the City of Tacoma is taking proactive steps to ensure the continued health of life in Tacoma’s waterways.


In December, a professional dive team from the Nisqually Tribe will conduct an underwater survey to determine what it would take to remove a tire buffer at Les Davis Marine Park, located on Ruston Way in Tacoma.The tire buffer was implemented years ago to ward divers away from the fishing pier, and could pose environmental risks to the area.


“According to the Department of Natural Resources, as tires sit stationary underwater, they could begin to leach contaminants such as petroleum and lead,” said Assistant Division Manager Jennifer Hines from the City of Tacoma’s Public Works Department. “These toxicants have a negative effect on both plant and animal species in the surrounding tidal areas.”
The underwater survey is estimated to be completed by the end of December, and the team will then work together to develop a plan for permanent removal of the tire buffer. Additional updates will be available once the removal plan and project timeline have been drafted.


Divers are asked to stay at least 100 yards from the fishing pier at all times.


“This effort is in keeping with the City’s on going commitment to ensure that the waterway remains the asset it has become,” said Hines. “In 2006, the City and its partners completed a $105 million remediation of the Thea Foss Waterway. This work was performed in coordination with an aggressive revitalization of the waterfront corridor. With millions of dollars invested and a legacy on the line, it is imperative that the City of Tacoma do what it can to avoid recontamination of the waterway, especially now that it has emerged as a tremendous economic and environmental asset to the community.”

I believe the DNR is trying to work on getting all the tire reefs out of the sound. They may or may not be an environmental hazard, but they don't support much life.

I don't know how many people end up close to the fishing pier. I know that, given where the entry point is, it's a LONG swim to the forbidden area, and I have never seen the tire reef myself on any of my dives. I've had to turn back well before we got that far, because I was at turn pressure.

An anchor and float warning system is not that expensive -- the one at Cove 2 was done primarily with funds from Randy Williams, I believe, and a lot of volunteer labor.

TSandM

I hit the tire reef almost every time I dive there, even with classes of open water students. For some reference, the reef sits around the middle of the parking lot at Les Davis. From the stairs to the reef is only about 300ft or so. I usually hit it between 15-20min into a dive, and I don't swim fast with a bum leg and one leg kicking.

I'm sure there would be lots of volunteer support for installing a new barrier system, and I would be one of them. The part that I have no experience with is getting approval for the installation. I'm sure there will be quite a few organizations that will stick there fingers in and require some sort of approval. That red tape could take years to cut through for the non-experienced.

The type of barrier will also need to be talked about. I'm partial to the float and line system like Alki, but I know others who want to install a rock reef like the ones at Saltwater State Park. I am not partial to the rock reef for a few reasons.

First is cost. How many tons of rock will be needed? Hauled? Dumped properly?etc...

Second is more fish. A natural rock reef WILL create a habitat for more fish which in turn WILL cause more people to fish that side which WILL cause more snags and fishing line in the water that can entrap and kill us.

Third is Gertie. Laying down a rock reef will cover up the portion of Galloping Gertie that is there. That historical bridge is the reason most divers go to the site. It's not just a dive site, marine park, or fishing pier it is a part of Tacoma's history.

Okay, that is enough of my ranting for now.

Tim