Department of Ecology News Release - Sept. 10, 2001
OLYMPIA - The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) has added another 22 waterways to the list of lakes, rivers and marine waters that will be cleaned up beginning this year.
With the additions, there are now 125 water cleanup efforts under way in Washington. Washington state has nearly 700 waterways with pollution problems such as high temperatures, excessive bacteria, too little oxygen, and contamination from pesticides or other substances.
According to the federal Clean Water Act, Ecology is responsible for developing water cleanup plans for all of the polluted waterways. Then, communities, industries and citizens are responsible for putting those plans into action by stopping and preventing water pollution.
"Some of the problems we'll be tackling may be solved by planting shade trees to lower water temperatures, but other problems such as pesticide and metals will involve a great deal of scientific analysis and public involvement," said Megan White, who manages Ecology's water quality program.
This spring, the public reviewed the list of waterways that Ecology proposed to clean up. Nearly 50 people commented, including several people who are concerned about arsenic and mercury in waterways.
The waterways that will be added to the list this year include the Columbia River; Lake Chelan/Roses Lake, Wenatchee River basin and Mission Creek in Chelan County; Green River in King County; Sinclair and Dyes inlets in Kitsap County; Willapa River in Pacific County; and Lake Whatcom Watershed and Whatcom Creek in Whatcom County. Also, Henderson Inlet, Nisqually and Upper Chehalis rivers, Nisqually Reach, and Woodland, Woodard, Dobbs, Libby and McAllister/Ohop creeks in Thurston County. And finally, Mill Creek and the Walla Walla and Touchet rivers in Walla Walla County.
Information about the water quality problems experienced in each waterway is available on the Internet at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/303d/.
Ecology will take additional samples of the following water bodies to determine the level of pollutants and whether cleanup plans are needed:
Columbia River along Clark and Klickitat counties; Cowlitz River in Cowlitz County; Green River and Kelsey, May and Springbrook (Mill) creeks in King County; Chambers Creek in Pierce County; and Dyes/ Sinclair Inlets, Port Washington Narrows, Eagle Harbor, and Port Orchard, Agate and Rich passages in Kitsap County. Also, White (Stuck) and Puyallup rivers in Pierce County; Skykomish and Snohomish rivers in Snohomish County; Spokane River in Spokane County; Lake Roosevelt in Stevens County; Lower Columbia River in Wahkiakum County; Georgia Straight and Bellingham Bay in Whatcom County; Palouse River in Whitman County; Lower Yakima in Yakima and Benton counties and Naches rivers in Yakima County.
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