by Brook Beeler, communications

As the state suffered a historic “snowpack drought” last year, winter temperatures were 4.7 degrees warmer than normal and streamflows dropped to unheard lows across the state. The Spokane River was low, but it wasn’t the lowest the region had seen.

Why?

The Spokane is a complex river system and its flow is influenced by a variety of factors

Seasonal weather, groundwater use, and operation of hydropower facilities all play out on the river.

The red line shows water flowing from Lake Coeur d’ Alenethrough the Post Falls dam. In July Avista locked in the flowat 500 cfs as a minimum required in the 2009 FERC license.The green line shows Spokane River flows just below downtown Spokane.

Something was different during last year’s drought. Flows were higher out of Lake Coeur d’ Alene through the Post Falls dam operated by Avista.

Since 2009, Avista is required to maintain a minimum flow of 500 cubic feet per second at the Post Falls dam under a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license. That’s 200 cubic feet per second higher than historical low. flows.

Due to drought conditions, the minimum flow was locked into place starting in July

Because the flow coming out of Post Falls dam remained constant until mid-October, scientists were able to “see” the hydrologic connection between groundwater pumping and Spokane River flows for the first time in 100 years of data collection.

Aquifer levels (pink) began to increase in late August and Spokane River flows (blue) began to increase shortly after in September as seasonal groundwater pumping (red) decreases. Flow from the Post Falls dam remains constant.

In the hottest, driest part of summer data shows that Spokane River flows hovered right around 700 cubic feet per second.

By comparing river flow and groundwater pumping data, scientists could see river flows increase as seasonal groundwater pumping decreased.

Despite record low snowpack in the watershed, flows in the Spokane River were low, but not at their all-time low because the FERC license worked.

Flows in the river were below our recently adopted rule to protect the Spokane River. But it is important to note that instream flow rules do not add water to the river — they are a regulatory threshold to determine whether there is water available for new uses.

For more drought related information from around the state check out our 2015 drought response.

By Stephanie Malham, Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction

If you're boating in marine waters, you can play an important role in protecting water quality in Washington. It starts with changing the paint on the bottom of your boat. Copper, a common ingredient in many of these paints, is highly toxic to salmon and aquatic life.

Back in 2007, a study found high levels of copper in Washington marinas – most of it coming from antifouling paints. That led the Legislature to pass a law phasing out the use of copper-based bottom paints beginning in 2018.

Under the law:

• Jan. 1, 2018 – Sale of new recreational vessels with copper antifouling paint banned

• Jan. 1, 2020 – Sale and application of antifouling paint containing more than 0.5% copper for recreational vessels banned

Similar regulations are being considered in other states and countries.

Copper is especially harmful to young salmon. Salmon fisheries are a major source of sustenance and recreation in Washington. The Department of Fish and Wildlife reports that fishing accounts for $2.5 billion of revenue every year, and supports over 28,000 jobs in the state. Fishing and boating also support local communities depending on recreational tourism.

Antifouling paints are not new. For many years, tributyltin-based paints were the standard. When concerns arose about the environmental effects of tributyltin, copper became the preferred alternative. Now we're finding copper is also harmful to aquatic life.

Ecology and Northwest Green Chemistry are partnering together to find safer alternatives for copper boat paints. Our goal is to find effective products that won't turn out to be another regrettable substitution – a replacement of toxic chemical with chemical of equal or greater toxicity – like copper was for tributyltin.

Many alternatives to copper-based paints are already on the market. Northwest Green Chemistry is working with boaters to develop a scorecard of paints and costs to help boaters select coatings.

You can get ahead of the copper phase out and help protect aquatic life by switching to a non-biocide boat paint now. When you clean your boat, use safer cleaning products and don't clean your boat while it's in the water.

To learn about other ways you can help, visit Ecology's clean and green boating page.

Lack of snow, record temps, low flows, no rain made for a statewide water shortage

By Joye Redfield-Wilder, communications manager, Central Regional Office

While 2016 is shaping up to be a more normal “water year,” Ecology’s water managers are taking stock of last year’s drought in a report just posted, and gleaning some important lessons learned.

We’re also looking to the future, considering impacts drought and climate have on surface and groundwater resources and learning some surprising things.

 
What a difference a year makes!
 
If you recall last spring, on March 13, Gov. Jay Inslee declared that drought conditions were likely to cause hardships on the Olympic Peninsula, along the eastern Cascade slopes of Central Washington and in the Walla Walla watershed.
 

By May, conditions deteriorated so much a statewide drought was declared. Winter temperatures were 4.7 degrees warmer than normal! There were no late spring snowstorms in the Olympic, Cascade and Blue mountain ranges. There was little snow melt to feed rivers and streams throughout the year.

 
The state was suffering a “snowpack drought.”
 
During the long hot summer, rainfalls tapered off to nothing and streamflows dropped to unheard of lows across the state, intensifying what would become a very unusual drought year. Even in October temperatures were above normal in 2015.
 
Emergency drought response in 2015 included calls for conservation in major cities like Everett, Seattle and Tacoma and real shortages of water for cities like Forks, usually one of the wettest places in the United States.
 
Farmers fallowed crops, leasing their water to other farmers or to the state so streamflows remained viable for endangered salmon. Others tightened up their systems, switching from sprinklers to drip, or turning to pumping water from wells authorized only under declared drought conditions.
 

Much has changed in the decade since the last declared drought of 2005. Many in Eastern Washington have honed their ability to respond during drought, while for others it was the first time they’d faced hardships and water curtailments.

 
More than 800 irrigators were ordered to shut off their water, many before the end of July and some with among the oldest water rights in the state – dating back to the 1870s in tributaries like the Teanaway River in the Yakima Basin. Crop losses were suffered, and fish die-offs occurred due to low water and high temperatures.
 
Some $6.7 million in drought funds were disbursed to every corner of the state. Funds helped shore up drinking water supplies in the city of Moxee, Clallam, Skagit, Stevens and Spokane counties. They supported fish passage and health, and bought water to boost streamflows. Drought response promoted residential conservation, and supported agricultural efficiencies and drought well emergency pumping and mitigation.

Farmers who got permission to use water from emergency drought wells were required to pay 50 percent of the costs to offset impacts expected from additional groundwater pumping. The number of requests to use emergency drought wells dropped significantly from previous droughts.

As part of our review of the 2015 drought, we're evaluating the impacts of the drought on surface water and groundwater supplies, and what that means in the long run.

While an initial story map report shows that the 2015 snow drought had little obvious, widespread impact on aquifers,  that doesn’t mean the state’s aquifers are in good shape. To quote the report,

“…there is reason to be concerned about the sustainability of groundwater levels/storage on the east side of the mountains. Particularly in the greater Yakima and Columbia Basins, where substantial on-going declines in groundwater levels/storage have occurred in recent decades. Consequently, the spring 2015 water levels for a significant number of wells in these basins were already either below normal or at the lowest levels ever measured – even before the full brunt of the drought was felt.”

Declining groundwater trends from 1968 to 2009 are documented throughout the Columbia River Basin in the US Geological Survey report Groundwater Status and Trends for the Columbia Plateau Regional Aquifer System, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.


This spring, we plan to collect additional groundwater level data to assess how wells recovered over the winter months. This will add to our knowledge, and help determine whether we’re using this important resource responsibly, or if we’re over-pumping groundwater aquifers.

For now, the problem may be more a result of water use than a changing climate. Even in non-drought years, water levels decline in many wells due to seasonal pumping.

Climate change may lead to more winters with dismal snowpack and warmer summers. Even if we don’t see an immediate impact on groundwater, we know that water levels may drop even more rapidly if we aren’t careful and use groundwater in a sustainable way.
 
Based on the sharp and steady declines of the state’s aquifers, we’re looking to develop strategies to respond to projected groundwater shortfalls. All to protect a resource that’s crucial to hundreds of communities and Washington’s economic vitality now and in the future.

So stay tuned.

Long-term groundwater trends are showing the state aquifers are in steady decline, especially in Eastern Washington



Why limits were set

With research in front of them, the state Legislature was compelled to protect water supplies, public health, the economy, and much more.

BEACH Program Update


On March 11, 2016 Jefferson County Public Health issued a "No Contact" health advisory for Port Ludlow Bay.  The public is advised to avoid any contact with the water in Port Ludlow Bay.  The closure is due to an obstructed storm water culvert which diverted storm water and treated sewage sludge to the beach.   The problem was corrected and the closure will be lifted when bacteria results show water is clean.


Contact with fecal contaminated waters can result in gastroenteritis, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections, and other illnesses. Children and the elderly may be more vulnerable to waterborne illnesses.

Stay updated about water quality at your beaches by keeping up with us on our blog Fecal Matters, on Facebook, or join our listserv.

Debby Sargeant is the BEACH Program Manager and is available at 360-407-6139 or debby.sargeant@ecy.wa.gov for questions.

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BEACH Program Update


On March 10, 2016 Kitsap Public Health District issued a no-contact advisory for Liberty Bay beaches near Poulsbo. The no contact advisory was issued due to sewage system overflows. The public is advised to avoid contact with the water in these areas.   

Contact with fecal contaminated waters can result in gastroenteritis, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections and other illnesses. Children and the elderly may be more vulnerable to waterborne illnesses.

Stay updated about water quality at your beaches by keeping up with us on Facebook, checking beach status on Coastal Atlas, or joining our listserv. Debby Sargeant is the BEACH Program Manager and is available at dsar461@ecy.wa.gov for questions.

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BEACH Program Update


On March 10, 2016 Seattle-King County Public Health issued a no water contact advisory for Cormorant Cove Park beach in King County. The no contact advisory was issued due to a broken side sewer line.  It will be repaired on March 11.  The public is advised to avoid contact with the water in this area until water sample results show bacteria levels are not harmful.  

Contact with fecal contaminated waters can result in gastroenteritis, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections and other illnesses. Children and the elderly may be more vulnerable to waterborne illnesses.

Stay updated about water quality at your beaches by keeping up with us on Facebook, checking beach status on Coastal Atlas, or joining our listserv. Debby Sargeant is the BEACH Program Manager and is available at dsar461@ecy.wa.gov for questions.

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