Tire Reef Removal?

General banter about diving and why we love it.
Post Reply
User avatar
dwashbur
I've Got Gills
Posts: 2849
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2008 9:33 pm

Tire Reef Removal?

Post by dwashbur »

Saw this on another board. Anybody got more info?

http://www.cityoftacoma.org/cms/One.asp ... geId=72013
Dave

"Clearly, you weren't listening to what I'm about to say."
--
Check out my Internet show:
http://www.irvingszoo.com
User avatar
Dusty2
I've Got Gills
Posts: 6388
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2007 9:04 pm

Re: Tire Reef Removal?

Post by Dusty2 »

I hadn't heard anything about it but it's a good idea. However they will need to put in a barrier line similar to the one in cove 2 to prevent divers from wandering into the fishing area which is a safety hazard and causes stress between the two communities.
User avatar
Jeff Pack
I've Got Gills
Posts: 3086
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2011 8:51 am

Re: Tire Reef Removal?

Post by Jeff Pack »

Some of us heard about this through unofficial channels, but this seems to confirm it.

Although dnr's continued assault on our best diving areas is very concerning. One tiny tire reef compared to the surface water runoff pollution, makes one wonder why tax dollars are spent on such a low impact issue. Coupled with the assault on pilings only in our diving areas, just really makes one wonder.
=============================================

- I got a good squirt in my mouth
- I would imagine that there would be a large amount of involuntary gagging
- I don't know about you but I'm not into swallowing it

CCR discussion on Caustic Cocktails.
User avatar
CaptnJack
I've Got Gills
Posts: 7776
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2006 2:29 pm

Re: Tire Reef Removal?

Post by CaptnJack »

Tires are shitty habitat, good riddance IMO
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
User avatar
Dusty2
I've Got Gills
Posts: 6388
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2007 9:04 pm

Re: Tire Reef Removal?

Post by Dusty2 »

Capt. Tires are indeed shitty habitat but I would at least like to see a genuine effort to generate new habitat instead of this pillage and burn doctrine.

Jeff my take on this is the DNR is simply picking the easiest targets with the least cost and the biggest PR impact. There is no real reason or rhyme to their efforts except the "oh look we are doing something" Most of the projects I have seen so far are "pick a target that will cost little and be unlikely to cause much public resistance. Tires are no big deal. Pretty much everyone agrees that they have few if any redeeming qualities. The thing that really bothers is the piling removal efforts. I am pretty sure a comprehensive study of the old pilings they are targeting would show that disturbing the sediment under and around these actually does more harm than good if you look at the overall impact on the environment and not just one single element.
User avatar
ljjames
I've Got Gills
Posts: 2725
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2007 9:46 pm

Re: Tire Reef Removal?

Post by ljjames »

The reason that fishing reefs are put in is because there is money to be gained from fishermen AKA licenses, etc...

If SCUBA divers want more bargaining power when it comes to putting in new habitat in areas where it didn't exist 100 years ago (I don't consider things like tires habitat), then we need to figure out a way to stop being straight consumers of the underwater world.
----
"I survived the Brittandrea Dorikulla, where's my T-shirt!"
User avatar
Jeff Pack
I've Got Gills
Posts: 3086
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2011 8:51 am

Re: Tire Reef Removal?

Post by Jeff Pack »

My tax dollars didn't magically appear in dnr's pocket. As a taxpayer, you have a voice.
=============================================

- I got a good squirt in my mouth
- I would imagine that there would be a large amount of involuntary gagging
- I don't know about you but I'm not into swallowing it

CCR discussion on Caustic Cocktails.
User avatar
Jeremy
I've Got Gills
Posts: 1547
Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2011 3:25 pm

Re: Tire Reef Removal?

Post by Jeremy »

ljjames wrote:The reason that fishing reefs are put in is because there is money to be gained from fishermen AKA licenses, etc...

If SCUBA divers want more bargaining power when it comes to putting in new habitat in areas where it didn't exist 100 years ago (I don't consider things like tires habitat), then we need to figure out a way to stop being straight consumers of the underwater world.
Such a good point about being straight consumers Laura...and so difficult to fix. Increasing awareness of the underwear world as you have done is one approach though challenging to follow.
User avatar
ljjames
I've Got Gills
Posts: 2725
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2007 9:46 pm

Re: Tire Reef Removal?

Post by ljjames »

Jeff Pack wrote:My tax dollars didn't magically appear in dnr's pocket. As a taxpayer, you have a voice.
The way I read it, DNR has nothing to do with this specific removal other than the fact that it put out a report saying 'tires are bad' and agree with the removal, and in fact want removal of all nasty tires in Puget Sound. They did not close their eyes and put their finger on a map and say 'pull that out'. This is City of Tacoma. And before folks get all up in arms about why should the city be mucking about in a land management issue, if you look at the use of that area, and the work the city has done to make the dive site accessible I would applaud them as opposed to vilify.

“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.”

If, as a scuba diver you want to get involved in the discussion surrounding tire reefs, it might not hurt to consider WSA. They are addressing the tire reef removal and the desire for rock reefs to be put in as remediation for dive site loss. People (some divers I know) love to say "WSA is ineffectual", and to that I would say if you want it to be an organization that campaigns for your interests, then step up and join, get involved, help drive the cart instead of just complaining what direction the horses are going.

From a quick perusal of their meeting notes and end of year wrap up letter, they seem to be spearheading the campaign for exactly what you all are asking for.

All that said, What we are discussing here is a barrier so that divers don't go get hooked by fishermen, in theory divers are not supposed to be there anyway. So a nice simple cement road barrier would do fine, no?

We need to separate the wants and desires here. People want more habitat (rocky reefs) to dive on. A rocky reef costs a ton of money that gets $$ return if its put out for fishing. By lumping in "I want rocky reef with I want to keep divers and fishermen separate" you can see how it immediately becomes a very muddy argument that you probably won't win.
----
"I survived the Brittandrea Dorikulla, where's my T-shirt!"
User avatar
CaptnJack
I've Got Gills
Posts: 7776
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2006 2:29 pm

Re: Tire Reef Removal?

Post by CaptnJack »

Jeff Pack wrote:My tax dollars didn't magically appear in dnr's pocket. As a taxpayer, you have a voice.
DNR is funded by tree harvests and geoducks. And you don't live in Tacoma if I'm not mistaken. The state general sales tax fund is almost entirely consumed by social services and law enforcement + prisons. And we have a couple billion dollar shortfall in school funding in this state. So exactly what money do you think you have thrown at this issue?

Putting in rocky habitat where there were previously tires and pilings: a) costs money b) has the barrier of being "unnatural" and c) requires a constituency. A bunch of (cheap) whinny divers on the internet who barely even support the last remaining commercial charters in Puget Sound is not a political constituency.
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
User avatar
Rooinater
Dive-aholic
Posts: 212
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2010 9:13 am

Re: Tire Reef Removal?

Post by Rooinater »

As long as they mark it somehow so divers don't go in the wrong area, it's not a big deal, or loss at that site. A barrier of sorts signifying the end of the diving area is all that is needed. There is hardly any life on those tires, few people go that far, or even see the other tires stacks that parallel the fishing pier out deeper. They'll have a hell of a time removing some of them, it's hard to see the "line of tires" in bad viz in a few spots, because some of them are buried under cement rubble...
Post Reply