Letter from the Executive Director |
Greetings!
As the summer progresses, we at CELP are keeping an eye on our water resources. Our rivers and drinking aquifers are in trouble.
Parts of Washington have been experiencing drought since this spring. Now a drought emergency has been declared for the entire state, with the exception of Seattle, Everett, and Tacoma metropolitan areas. Streamflows are low and many rivers' water temperatures are putting fish at risk. Salmon in the Columbia River are being threatened by high water temperatures. The Spokane River dropped way below its average flow for this time of year and below its legally protected summer instream flow level. Use your water wisely and help reduce water consumption to keep water in the aquifer and river.
Drought conditions have also made this fire season more difficult and intense. A state of emergency was declared due to high fire risk the beginning of July and fires have spread across the Pacific Northwest. Warmer and drier weather is predicted through the end of September. Our waters need our help. Support CELP at celp.org to help us protect, preserve, and restore our waters.
We are happy to be back in the office on a hybrid model working with our new team in person. We are enjoying working together. Our new Staff Attorney, Maggie hit the ground running with the Spokane River PCB case. Hillary, our Outreach Coordinator has also been off to a great start participating in groups and coalitions on water issues across the state.
CELP was saddened to learn Jan Sharar passed away. Jan was a strong water advocate and will be greatly missed. Our sincerest condolences go out to her loved ones.
In this issue you will find an introduction of CELP's new Staff Attorney, an update on the Spokane River PCB case, information on the emergency drought and CELP's statement, water conservation tips, a story on drought in the West, a tribute to Jan Sharar, water and fish news, Celebrate Water information and tickets, and a save the date for the 8th One River, Ethics Matter conference.
Sincerely,
Trish Rolfe
Executive Director
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New Staff Attorney
Spokane River PCB
Drought Emergency
Water Conservation
Drought Story
Tribute to Jan Sharar
Water & Fish News
Celebrate Water
One River, Ethics Matter
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Sept. 9th
Ivar's Salmon House
Nov. 17th -18th
Virtual
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Help ensure clean and flowing waters in Washington State by making a gift to CELP! |
Check out Water Stories. These heartfelt, personal celebrations of water together, highlight the vital importance of healthy amounts of clean, flowing water in our communities.
"Water and the flow of a river slow the world down for me, allowing me to focus on what’s a hand and quiet the world around me."- Josh Mills
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Introducing Maggie Franquemont |
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We are excited to introduce CELP's new Staff Attorney, Maggie Franquemont.
Maggie has been passionate about water conservation since she was a small child growing up on Colorado’s Front Range. She took a circuitous path to Washington through Montana, Wyoming, and Oregon earning her B.S. in Land Rehabilitation from Montana State University, working for Yellowstone and Mount Rainier National Parks, and earning her J.D. from University of Oregon along the way. Maggie has focused her legal career on Environmental & Natural Resource Law as well as Ocean & Coastal Law. She is passionate about everything water and is thrilled to be working with CELP to protect Washington’s water resources. She is an avid skier, paddler, and rock climber and also spends time backpacking, painting, and sewing. Her favorite river in Washington is whichever one she is headed to next, and her favorite dinosaur is the Stegosaurus.
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News release July 6, 2021
Federal judge asked to compel cleanup of cancer-causing chemicals in Spokane River
Lawsuit filed 10 years ago has not moved government to protect river, community
Spokane – River advocates are asking a federal judge to rule on their 10-year-old lawsuit to compel the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue a cleanup plan for one of Washington State’s most polluted rivers. The Spokane River is heavily polluted with PCBs. The lawsuit began in July 2011, when river advocates notified EPA of their intent to sue on behalf of the river unless EPA complied with federal law. In 2015, a federal judge ordered EPA to come up with a schedule for a cleanup plan. EPA has yet to write a cleanup plan for the Spokane River.
“The days of using the Spokane River as a chemical dump are over,” said Tom Soeldner of the Spokane River Team. “Year after year we waited patiently. Now we are asking the federal courts to stop polluters from flushing PCBs into the River.”
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Inlander
By Samantha Wohlfeil
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Wednesday, July 14th, a drought emergency was declared. The only areas excluded from the drought emergency are Seattle, Tacoma, and Everett metropolitan areas. These areas were excluded because the reservoirs they rely on are expected to have enough water for residential and commercial use through the summer while maintaining adequate water levels.
A formal drought declaration authorizes Ecology to take certain measures for the purpose of providing emergency drought relief:
- Expedite processing for emergency drought permits
- Process temporary transfers of water rights
- Provide funding assistance for public entities
- Hold public education workshops
CELP’s Statement on Drought Emergency
We all rely on our water resources, and we need to be doing more to protect them. Conservation on an individual level is great and there are many things you can do to reduce your water use and be water wise. But it is not enough.
Water conservation needs to occur on a larger scale to protect our rivers. The Washington Department of Ecology has the authority to require conservation. When emergency water permits are granted due to drought emergencies, they should include conservation and water use efficiency requirements. We all need to work to protect our water resources and adapt to our conditions, especially during drought. Now is the time to come together and have conversations about how we are going to protect our waters for us all.
Regardless of whether Seattle, Tacoma, and Everett metropolitan areas are the exception to the drought emergency, we should all incorporate water conservation into our individual, family, and business practices. Our waters are in trouble putting our salmon, wildlife, communities, farms, economy, and way of life in danger. We need to work towards increasing conservation efforts in our cities, regions, and state.
CELP is working on outreach around water and drought issues and partnering with others to increase conservation efforts and education. We will continue working to incorporate conservation and water use efficiency requirements into water policies, management, and legislation.
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There are many things you can do to practice water conservation. Please use your water wisely. Our rivers and salmon need any water we can conserve.
Outdoors
- Water only when needed. Look at the grass, feel the soil, or use a soil moisture meter to determine when to water.
- Do not over-water. Water needs vary greatly by season, grass species and amount of shade, so keeping the same settings year-round will result in over-watering.
- Water lawns early in the morning during the hotter summer months.
- To avoid excessive evaporation, use a sprinkler that produces large drops of water, rather than a fine mist. Sprinklers that send droplets out on a low angle also help control evaporation.
- Plant native plants and use low-water landscaping to use less water
- Use woodchips instead of grass- or as mulch to help keep plants cooler
Bathroom
- Test toilets for leaks. Add a few drops of food coloring or a dye tablet to the water in the tank, but do not flush the toilet. Watch to see if the coloring appears in the bowl with a few minutes. If it does, the toilet has a silent leak that needs to be repaired.
- Do not let the water run when washing hands. Water should be turned off while washing and scrubbing and be turned on again to rinse.
- Install a low-flow shower head that limits the flow from the shower to less than 3 gallons per minute.
- Turn off water when you brush your teeth
Kitchen
- Keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator. Running water from the tap until it is cool is wasteful.
- Scrape the dishes clean instead of rinsing them before washing. There is no need to rinse unless they are heavily soiled.
- Never run the dishwasher without a full load. This practice will save water, energy, detergent and money.
Laundry
- Wash only a full load when using an automatic washing machine (32-59 gallons are required per load).
- Whenever possible, use the lowest water-level setting for light or partial loads.
- Use cold water as often as possible to save energy and to conserve the hot water for uses that cold water cannot serve. (This is also better for clothing made of today’s synthetic fabrics.)
You can also talk to your neighbors, friends, city officials, representatives, and legislators about the importance of water conservation. Water conservation helps protect our rivers and water resources and in turn our wildlife and communities.
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A Drought So Dire That a Utah Town Pulled the Plug on Growth
Groundwater and streams vital to both farmers and cities are drying up in the West, challenging the future of development. Some of the last homes currently being built in Oakley, Utah. The town has cut off new development because it doesn't have...
Read more
www.nytimes.com
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More needs to be done on a larger scale to prepare for drought and conserve water. Implementing water efficiency and conservation requirements would be a good starting point. Water is a finite resource and our waters are in trouble. We can look at California, Colorado, Utah, and other areas as a warning to be better prepared and protect our water resources. Our state needs to be taking more action. Water issues are urgent. |
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Jan Sharar, 70, passed away unexpectedly in Ellensburg last week. Jan was an instrumental figure in the 2011 Supreme Court Kittitas Decision which is the current foundation for addressing rural sprawl and protecting water resources in the state. Jan’s background as a Land Use Planner and her willingness to be a whistleblower in a rural area is a testament to her bravery. Jan was a co-founder of the Kittitas County Conservation Coalition. KCCC, formed in 2006, brought together a wide variety of citizens concerned about wild growth in the mid-2000s. Together with Futurewise, KCCC worked tirelessly to implement GMA protections in Kittitas County. In 2007, Jan helped co-found Aqua Permanente, a water watch-dog group active in the Kittitas Decision and beyond. Jan was one of those rare people that could focus on the details yet never lose sight of the overall picture. Jan was kind, fun and dedicated. She will be missed.
Jan was a CELP supporter for over a decade. She was a fierce advocate for protecting our water resources and had a great impact. We will miss her greatly.
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FIRE SEASON
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Closure alert: Due to extreme fire danger, all recreation and public access to DNR-managed lands in eastern Washington will be temporarily closed starting July 23, 2021, and lasting until fire conditions improve. Learn more.
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July 6th a state of emergency was declared due to growing risk of wildfires and included a state-wide prohibition on most outdoor and agricultural burning. Read more.
- Wildfire Mapping
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Latinos are twice as likely to live in areas most threatened by wildfires relative to the overall U.S. population. Read more
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DAMS
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Sauk-Suiattle sue Seattle City Light. Read more.
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Upper Skagit Indian Tribe asks for study to remove Gorge Dam. Read more.
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FERC approves 32 studies for Skagit dam relicensing. Read more.
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Hot Water Report for Snake River and Columbia River. Read more.
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CLIMATE CHANGE
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The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is preparing the most comprehensive assessment on the state of global heating since 2013. Read more.
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Is climate change happening faster than expected? A climate scientist explains. Read more.
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Every year we host Celebrate Waters to honor a local water hero, celebrate successes for our waters, and raise funds to continue our important work protecting, preserving, and restoring Washington’s water resources.
We are thrilled to once again host Celebrate Water at Ivar's Salmon House in Seattle on September 9th. We cannot wait to gather with you in person. We will present the Ralph W. Johnson Water Hero Award for exemplary service on behalf of Washington’s waters and people to retired tribal attorneys, Sharon Haensly and Kimberly Ordon, to honor their careers protecting natural resources and tribal interests. We will also be hosting a pre-reception Continuing Legal Education (CLE) workshop on water issues.
Read more about our honorees and event here.
When: Thursday, September 9th, 2021
Pre-Reception CLE: 4:00 pm- 5:00 pm
Reception: 5:30 pm- 7:30 pm
Tickets
Reception & CLE: $80
Reception Only: $55
CLE Only: $35
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Thank you to our sponsors! You help make our event and our work protecting waters possible. |
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Law Office of M. Patrick Williams
Rachael & John Osborn
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8th Annual One River, Ethics Matter Conference |
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The 8th annual One River Ethics Matter conference will focus on the Indigenous-led work of kł cp̓əlk̓ stim̓ – restoring ntytyix (salmon) to the Okanagan and Upper Columbia rivers.
Hosted by the Okanagan Nation Alliance and The University of British Columbia's Okanagan campus.
When: November 17-18, 2021
Where: Virtual on Zoom
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85 S Washington St #301,
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 829-8299
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Thanks for taking the time to read Washington Water Watch! With your help, CELP has accomplished many victories, yet more work remains to be done. You can support our work by making a donation online here, or mailing a check to: 85 S. Washington St #301 Seattle, WA 98104.
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