SOUND STEWARDS
February 2022
Go with the flow - Free the Deschutes!
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Message from our Executive Director
Paige Anderson
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Hello everyone! Here at DERT, we are settling into the new year and taking action on our many goals for 2022. If y’all are anything like me, you are proclaiming that 2022 will finally be “your year” after the last two draining pandemic years. And I’m here to tell you that yes, we can make the most of this new, cautious world we are living in– and this is exactly what DERT is planning to do. This year, we have picked up our Community Forum series. While this may not be the popular in-person forum of the “before” times, we look forward to coming together as a group on Zoom the last Tuesday of each month. In a few days, on Tuesday the 22nd, you’ll hear directly from our dedicated staff and Board members. For the kickoff of our 2022 Community Forum series, we will be guiding conversations about how to get involved in activities at DERT, and where we are on involvement in various ventures: the EIS process, nutrient pollution, our WaterKeeper affiliation, the Deschutes Watershed Council, and the South Sound Healthy Watersheds Program. Most importantly, we want to hear from you during this forum– please attend with your questions and comments.
I’m also happy to announce that we are expanding our staff: DERT is searching for an estuary enthusiast and environmental advocate to join the team as an Outreach Coordinator.
Thank you for being here– as a newsletter reader, volunteer, donor, or community partner. Whatever role you play with us, know that you are so appreciated. Please continue your involvement with DERT, because it’s only getting more exciting from here.
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Virtual COMMUNITY FORUM
Next Tuesday, February 22nd @ 6 PM
Members of our Board of Directors and staff will share DERT’s vision for 2022, including information on our Deschutes Watershed Council initiative, the Puget Sound Nutrients General Permit issued by Department of Ecology, an update on the Environmental Impact Statement for the Deschutes Estuary, and an overview of our plans for the second year of the South Sound Healthy Watershed Program. Follow the registration link below. We will send a Zoom link the day before the forum to those who registered. Please join us!
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DERT is hiring an
Outreach Coordinator!
The Outreach Coordinator of the Deschutes Estuary Restoration Team serves as the point person for outreach, education, and event coordination for DERT. Responsibilities and duties revolve around the maintenance of the South Sound Healthy Watershed Program. Outreach coordinator is responsible for working alongside the Executive Director to deliver communications that convey the value and restoration opportunities for the beautiful Deschutes Watershed and the 7 lower inlets of the Salish Sea through regional and local partnerships and networking, as well as the creation of digital and collateral media. This position has endless opportunities to serve your community and make an impact through meaningful work as part of a dynamic team.
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Guest Article
Septic System Care
By Jennifer Johnson, Thurston County Public Health
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Septic system care begins with you!
Many Thurston County residents have an on-site septic system in their backyard that treats the wastewater from toilets, dishwashers, laundry, showers, tubs and more. The nearly 53,000 septic systems in Thurston County treat about 12,000,000 gallons of sewage every day! Like any mechanical system, septic systems need regular inspections and maintenance to protect the household’s investment and our community’s shared water resources.
Local septic systems help to replenish Thurston County’s groundwater, our local, healthy, clean, source for drinking water. Failing septic systems can leak untreated sewage into groundwater, contaminating our shared drinking water and failures can also result in surfacing sewage on the ground. This kind of failure impacts kids and pets that may encounter the sewage and can affect the health of an entire community by carrying raw sewage into our lakes, rivers, streams and Puget Sound. Failing systems can lead to outbreaks of disease, shellfish harvesting downgrades, beach closures, contaminated drinking water wells, low dissolved oxygen levels in marine waters that harm fish and wildlife, and algae blooms.
Regular maintenance has many benefits, the first one making sure that households have a functioning system to handle their sewage! Regular maintenance means having septic systems inspected every 1-3 years and getting on a regular pumping schedule. Most households need to have their tanks pumped every 3-5 years and an inspection will help decide when you need to pump. Regular inspections can also find small, inexpensive problems while they are still small, saving time and money in the long-run.
If you have a septic system:
Simply saving water in the home can help extend the life of your septic system. Quick showers, water-saving appliances, and spacing out water use throughout the week will make sure there isn’t too much water to treat at one time. Avoid flushing solids like cigarettes, tampons, baby wipes, and grease into the system, and avoid the use of garbage disposals. It’s also important to avoid driving or parking a vehicle on the septic tank and drainfield areas to prevent pipes from breaking and soil from compacting. Avoid any septic tank additives, they don’t replace the need to pump your tank and may be expensive and do more harm than good. Choose safer cleaning products and avoid bleach because hazardous products can kill off the bacteria that breaks down the waste. The most important thing to do is schedule annual inspections and get the tank pumped as needed.
Contact Thurston County Public Health for more information on ways to prolong the life of your septic system at (360) 867-2577 or see our publications online at www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/ehoss
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Puget Sound Nutrient Source Reduction Project
Next Nutrient Forum Meeting: Wednesday, February 23rd, 1:30 - 3:30PM
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As a Waterkeeper organization, we are committed to monitoring and reducing pollution in Puget Sound, which includes excess nutrients from wastewater. DERT is actively involved in conversations regarding nutrients, and we think you should be too!
The Puget Sound Nutrient Source Reduction Project is a collaborative effort with Puget Sound communities and stakeholders to address human sources of nutrients. This work focuses on using the latest science to find the right solutions for regional investments to control nutrients from point and non-point sources. The project objective is to improve Puget Sound water quality to support salmon and orca recovery and increase resiliency to climate impacts.
The Puget Sound Nutrient Forum was formed in 2017 as a large public advisory group for the project to discuss, learn, and provide input on how to reduce human sources of nutrients entering Puget Sound. The Forum meets regulary.
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Puget Sound Nutrient Reduction Project
The Puget Sound Nutrient Source Reduction Project is a collaborative effort with Puget Sound communities, Tribes, and stakeholders to address human sources of nutrients. We meet regularly with the Nutrient Forum to discuss and use the latest...
Read more
ecology.wa.gov
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Office of Chehalis Basin to Hold Virtual Forum on Skookumchuck Dam
As a subscriber to DERT's newsletter, we know you are informed about the 5th Ave Dam in Olympia. But did you know there are numerous other dams in the region that impact habitat, fish, wildlife, and tribes? One of these is the Skookumchuck Dam in our neighboring watershed, the Chehalis Basin.
A virtual public forum regarding the Skookumchuck Dam will be held by the Office of Chehalis Basin from 6 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9. The Skookumchuck Dam’s effect on flooding, fish and water rights in the Skookumchuck River watershed will be discussed.
The Office of Chehalis Basin is early in the process finding ways the dam can be improved with local communities, environmental restoration groups and dam owner TransAlta.
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We are very excited for our next kayak patrol taking place on Saturday, March 5th! Join us as we welcome back Aimee Christy from Pacific Shellfish Institute, who will lead volunteers in collecting water quality data and samples for plankton analysis.
Every week, PSI biologists dip their net into Budd Inlet to track plankton communities and screen for harmful algal blooms, or HABs. HABs are blooms of phytoplankton that cause harm to people, animals, or local water quality. This data will be submitted to NOAA’s SoundToxins program, a phytoplankton monitoring network designed to provide early warning of HABs in an effort to protect human health and economic losses to fisheries.
The dates for our other kayak patrols can be found below. Click on the flyer for more information. Be aware that patrols may occasionally be cancelled due to inclement weather.
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PUGET SOUND ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS |
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Deschutes restoration project in Tumwater reveals...
The Deschutes River, which snakes its way north through Lewis and Thurston counties and out to Puget Sound through Budd Inlet, is fragile. Over the years, cities have used its banks more and more for recreation, with trails, parks, homes and more ...
Read more
www.theolympian.com
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Outdated sewage treatment is suffocating fish in Puget...
Inadequately treated human waste from 79 treatment plants is a growing cause of a breakdown in the Puget Sound ecosystem causing unnatural explosions of jellyfish and smelly algae. Technology exists to properly treat the sewage. It's employed at...
Read more
www.invw.org
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Fixing septic systems is key to protecting Puget Sound...
Keeping shellfish safe to eat will get harder without increasing repair and inspection of septic systems that can contaminate shellfish beds.
Read more
crosscut.com
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Pollution Reporting Resources |
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As a community dedicated to protecting the Deschutes watershed and South Puget Sound, we must all keep an eye out for pollutant sources when out and about. We have added a new page to our website that lists contacts for reporting pollution.
Read more
deschutesestuary.org
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2021 was a really big year for DERT! We became an affiliate of Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, launched the South Sound Healthy Watershed Program, led an effort to form the Deschutes Watershed Council, and spent many long hours participating in the EIS process and spreading the word to our community members.
Your donation ensures that we are able to build upon these accomplishments and sustain them into the future. Any donation that you can offer will be deeply appreciated. Thank you!
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Thank you for reading!
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Past newsletters can be accessed HERE.
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Thank you to our supporters!
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