| SpecificIssue | Element | Comments | Possible Solutions from Toolbox |
| Water Balance Needed | Water Quantity, Instream Flows | The Plan must estimate the amount of surface and ground water in the river basin, how much is being used, and the total amount of water represented by water rights. This will let us know how much water is available in the basin. | Level 2 Assessment |
| Water Rights: investigation, validation, issuance | Water Quantity | This information is being compiled by the Department of Ecology and will let us know how much water is represented by existing water rights, and perhaps how much of that water is actually being used. | - |
| Flooding Issues | Water Quantity | Problem for Centralia, middle Chehalis River Basin, and Grays Harbor. The spread of water onto a river's floodplain reduces peak runoff and stores water for a longer period of time, recharging the river during lower flows. | Water storage, limit floodplain development |
| Exempt Wells | Water Quantity | The increase in exempt wells means that more and more water is being taken from sources that feed rivers and streams. When combined with development that paves over land to prevent water from entering back into the ground, this results in reduction of the amount of water available for fish and people in our rivers. | Possible Ecology database of exempt wells, with overlays of land use. Future development must be done carefully. |
| Conservation | Water Quantity | Hatcheries, businesses, and residential water users can use less water. Currently, water laws discourage this. | - |
| Re-use | Water Quantity | The use of "recycled" water is increasing. It is being used to water athletic fields, parks and crops, make newsprint and concrete, dye carpets, hose down landfills and fill cooling towers. Water re-use saves drinking water. | - |
| Recharge | Water Quantity | Puts water back into the ground, where people and streams can use it (pavement prevents this). | - |
| Land Use | All four elements | Existing and future laws must be followed for there to be enough water in the future. May need to recommend changes to land use regulations. | - |
| Landscaping | All four elements | Native plants help preserve the water we have and keep it clean. They provide habitat for fish and wildlife. | Plant and protect native vegetation. |
| Water Storage | Water Quantity, Instream Flows | By storing water in reservoirs or wetlands (natural, restored and constructed) during times when it is abundant, we may be able to supply water for people and fish when it is most scarce. | - |
| Hydraulic Continuity | Water Quantity, Instream Flows | This is where water in the ground connects to water in streams or rivers. By trickling to the surface, groundwater feeds the river or stream. When groundwater is withdrawn, it can cause low stream flows (especially in the summer). | - |
| Availability | Water Quantity | Is there enough clean water for our desired current and future use? This crucial question is being addressed by the Chehalis Basin Watershed Plan. | - |
| Stormwater | W. Quantity, W. Quality | When storms hit, the rain recharges groundwater and surface water, making more water available. On pavement or where trees are cut, surface runoff increases in quantity and is more rapid, leading to erosion. | - |
| Tidal Influence / Saltwater Intrusion | Water Quality, Habitat | Saltwater intruding into freshwater systems can assist salmon in smolting, although when too much groundwater is pumped out of the aquifer, saltwater may be pulled into people's wells.. | - |
| Gaging | Instream Flows | Measuring devices on tributaries of the Chehalis help us know how much water exists on the surface at any given time. This helps us know how much water exists overall. | - |
| Temperature | Water Quality, Habitat | A high water temperature harms the health of fish and other life in the rivers because it reduces the ability of water to hold oxygen. Some fish cannot survive above certain temperatures. | - |
| Point sources | Water Quality, Habitat | Large plants, factories, mills, etc. can emit pollution that can damage sections of land (and groundwater) or waters, and may directly harm fish. | - |
| Non-point sources | Water Quality, Habitat | Harder to control, these are smaller sources of pollution that can add up to cause damage, for example from storm drains, cars (oil/grease), sewage, pesticides, fertilizers, and dirt and silt. | - |
| NPDES (national pollutant discharge elimination system) permits | Water Quality, Habitat | Permits are required in order to dump certain substances into water bodies. Many of these permits have expired and many dumpers don't have permits, both of these are bad for the quality of our water. | Making permits current can help lessen impacts to water quality. |
| TMDL (total maximum daily load) | Water Quality, Habitat | Total amount of pollution (of different types) that a given water body can handle and still be healthy for fish and people (after treatment). Need criteria for what is a valid TMDL, + must consider differing scientific opinion. | - |
| Peak Flows | Water Quality | - | - |
| Toxics | Water Quality, Habitat | Several "hot spots" may be affecting water quality. | - |
| Sediments | Water Quality, Habitat | Dirt, silt, and other particulates that get washed into streams harm water quality (when water is cloudy it cannot hold as much oxygen and gets warmer) and habitat. | - |
| Riparian damage | Water Quality, Habitat | Certain kinds of vegetation along stream banks helps keep pollution and sediments out of the river, provides shade to keep the water cooler, and ensures that the banks won't erode into the river. When this vegetation is lost, or when the stream banks are eroded or cut or moved, habitat is harmed. | Washington Forest Practices, fencing to keep livestock out of riparian areas. |
| Channel Incision | Habitat | When streambeds get lowered (due to high flows or channel modifications), the stream can get separated from the floodplain and its habitat. | - |
| Barriers to Fish Passage | Habitat | When culverts, roads or other barriers keep fish from swimming upstream, they cannot reproduce. Under-sized culverts and bridges also keep sediments and wood from moving through the stream to keep habitat healthy. | - |
| Bank Armoring | Habitat | When bulkheads or other hard surfaces are installed on the banks of water bodies, it allows pollution to run off straight into the water and prevents shade from cooling the temperature. Bank armoring also doesn't allow the river's natural processes to occur, which results in additional downstream impacts. It also increases erosion. | - |
| Stream Restoration | Habitat | Several groups are working to improve fish habitat in the Chehalis Basin along tributaries and the main river. A list of ongoing stream restoration projects is being compiled by the US Army Corps of Engineers. | - |
| Target Flows | Instream Flows | Sufficient water must be in streams to supply people and habitat for fish. Target flows need to be established and met. NOTE: the WA Dept. of Ecology has a different definition for this term. | - |
| Base Flows | Instream Flows | These are the lowest flows in any river or stream, usually in August or September. | - |
| Instream Flow Incremental Methodology | Instream Flows | Called IFIM, this complicated tool is used by the Department of Ecology to measure how much water is ideal for fish at different points in a stream or river at different times of year. | - |
| Regulatory vs. Voluntary Approach | General / Process | Voluntary actions are preferred to rules and regulations. Agreements between local governments, businesses, etc. needed. | Voluntary agreements |
| Measuring Success | General / Process | How will we know if the Watershed Plan is working? | Monitoring |
| Cost-Benefit Analysis | General / Process | To figure out if a project is worthwhile, the costs and benefits need to be discussed if not specifically studied
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| Implemen-tation | General / Process | The Plan won't do anyone any good if the projects and agreements in it are not put into action. | Commitments from local governments |
| Changes in Laws or Regulations | General / Process | The watershed Plan can request changes in existing laws. Also, new water-related laws will affect the watershed Plan and agreements in it. It would help to agree beforehand how to handle such changes. | Agreed-upon process for addressing new laws |
| Updates to Plan | General / Process | As new information becomes available and conditions change in the Chehalis Basin, the watershed Plan will need to be updated. | Agreed-upon process for keeping Plan current |
| Existing Laws Regulations & Rules | General / Process | Many Federal, State, Regional and Local laws, regulations and rules impact water in the Chehalis Basin. These need to be fully identified and catalogued in their effects on the Basin, so we know what we are dealing with. This must be followed by an educational process. | Study needed to identify these |
| Ongoing Studies & Projects | General / Process | Numerous studies and projects related to water are occurring in the Chehalis Basin. It would help to identify and track these, so there is no duplication of effort and all the information can be utilized in the water resources plan. | - |
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