Besides parenting, of course.
By Brian Peck US Fish and Wildlife Service
Growing up, I remember ads coming on TV depicting a person, who always looked a little out of place, pumping a well handle until water started flowing and everyone started to cheer and dance. As the ad faded, the slogan, "Peace Corps: The toughest job that you'll ever love" came on. At the time I didn't give it much thought and never imagined that one day I would be that person portrayed on TV. The slogan is very appropriate.
Between 1992 and 1996 I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Gabon, Africa. In this article I will mention some of my experiences from 1992 to 1994, when I taught farmers aquaculture techniques, raising Tilapia nilotica (which are now farmed extensively in the US and that you can buy in most supermarkets). I taught skills ranging from pond site selection, pond construction, fish stocking, feeding, and harvesting. There was no electricity or gas powered machines. None of the farmers had wheelbarrows, and only a few had old, worn shovels. They did it through inspiration, persistence, and personal sacrifice.
Every day presented new challenges for me. Learning to effectively communicate in French and the local tribal language. Being a minority. Tropical diseases. And then some days offered up extremely satisfying rewards, a sense of profound accomplishment amongst these challenges. The overwhelming smile on a farmers face when he's just harvested more fish than he could have caught from the river in a year. These were the days worth endlessly working for. These rewards didn't just happen, as in a game of chance. You had to want them, work hard for them, as in life.
Of the many lessons that the Gabonese people had taught me through everyday living, and of what values their culture considers important, I feel the most influential was that of personal sacrifice. And of just how rewarding it can be.
I think that anyone familiar with the Chehalis Basin, and of the complex issues surrounding salmon protection and recovery there, would agree that it is a tough job ahead. The question is: will we be able to love that job, be able to make personal sacrifices for the benefit of the common resource; or will individuals be divided, self-interested, leading to a "tragedy of the commons." If people living within the Chehalis Basin, living off it's resources, can make some personal sacrifices, come to a compromised consensus, learn to love the tough job ahead, then I think that we can be successful.
Knowledge does not come directly from living but is derived from living through, listening to, and learning from life changing experiences; and that knowledge gained can be applied anywhere, in any future situation.
My name is Brian Peck and I am the coordinator for the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Chehalis Fisheries Restoration Program. You can contact me at 360-753-8084 or brian_peck@fws.gov
Back to top or back to home page
This fall the Chehalis River Council (CRC) will embark on an expanded, scientifically based volunteer monitoring program. Volunteers will be trained to use state-of-the art equipment to measure water quality. The program will integrate traditional water quality monitoring with biologic monitoring of benthic macroinvertebrates (aquatic insects, crustaceans, etc.), and will be funded by a grant from the Department of Ecology (DOE).
In 1999 CRC established a volunteer monitoring program that focused on simple methods that could be used by residents along the river. Many of our volunteers wanted to take this a step further, by collecting data that could be used by scientists and regulatory agencies. Our volunteers felt this would be more rewarding, and would help fill the many data gaps that under-funded state programs are unable to measure. Last February we submitted a grant application to the Department of Ecology to pay for the scientific instruments, lab fees, training, and supplies that will be needed to do this level of monitoring. We are now on DOE''s draft offer list for Clean Water Act Section 319 funds, and expect to receive the grant money this fall.
This new program will be an exciting opportunity for people to learn the latest water quality testing methods. Calibrated instruments will be used to measure flow velocities, dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, and conductivity. Water samples will be sent to DOE-approved labs to measure fecal coliform and identify benthic macroinvertebrates.
Volunteers will work in teams to monitor four sites in the Upper Chehalis watershed.
Benthic Macroinvertebrate monitoring will be an important (and fascinating) part of the program. These critters live full-time in the river, and each has their own unique ability to tolerate pollution. Some species like stoneflies and mayflies need very clean, well- oxygenated water. If we find a diverse population of these bugs we can be reasonably sure that the river is healthy. On the other hand, if we find only a few snails and bizarre aquatic worms we would suspect serious pollution problems. This information can tell scientists where to focus their more detailed water quality assessments, and can pick up problems that traditional water quality testing might miss.
Our work will be tied into monitoring that is being done at schools throughout the Chehalis basin. Students at schools from Pe Ell to Aberdeen are working together through the Chehalis Basin Educational Consortium to collect data and learn about our unique watershed. Some of our sites will be located near student-monitoring sites, and we plan to exchange information and give demonstrations to these classroom programs.
This fall we will begin to buy the equipment, develop quality assurance/quality control procedures, and recruit volunteers. We hope to begin our first round of rainy-season monitoring this winter, followed by a round of summer/low-flow monitoring. If you are interested, please contact Rob Schanz at (360) 291-3725 or by e-mail at rwschanz@localaccess.com. You don't need any special background in science, just plenty of energy, commitment, and scientific curiosity.
Back to top or back to home page
by Chris Page, Triangle Associates
The Chehalis Basin Partnership ("the Partnership") has begun a watershed planning effort that could result in long-term effects on the Chehalis River Basin surface and ground water resources as well as on the water quality and habitat of the rivers, streams, lakes, harbor and estuary of the region. This process presents an exciting opportunity for local citizens to have a voice in how their water resources are managed. The River basin stretches from Grays Harbor up past Oakville and Grand Mound to include land beyond Centralia and Napavine.
There is a three-phase process for developing a Watershed Plan: 1. Organize by inviting all the parties who care about water resources to participate;
2. Assess of existing information & conduct studies for areas where there is missing data; and
3. With public input and involvement, put together a plan for the River Basin.
The Partnership is currently in Phase 2 of the above process, poised to agree on an outline for the Watershed Management Plan that will be written in Phase 3. Once the outline is adopted (at the Partnership meeting on September 28, 2001) studies to fill in gaps in existing information will be undertaken as soon as possible in order to begin writing the Plan, which must be completed by October 2003.
Funding for the process is available through a Washington State law passed in 1998 known as the Watershed Planning Act. Under this law, the planning group - the Partnership in this case - must agree in Phase 1 on the elements that will be considered in the Plan. The planning group is required to assess water quantity, and has the option of including water quality, habitat of endangered or threatened fish, and instream flow levels. Of these, the Partnership decided to study and make recommendations on water quality and habitat along with water quantity - though study of instream flow levels is being done for some tributaries of the Chehalis River (Skookumchuck, Black, Satsop, Hoquiam, Humptulips, and Upper Chehalis Rivers). The information from these studies will help determine if the existing minimum flow levels, set in 1976, limit fish production or are higher than they need to be.
This water resources planning process is based on the consensus method of decision making, which requires every member of the planning group to give consent to each decision. The law requires that each county with land in the river basin participate, along with the largest city or town, largest water provider, and all tribes with reservation land within the river basin. These entities are called the "Initiating Governments" and they invite all other interested parties to participate.
The goal is to meet the needs of the Chehalis Basin by balancing the needs of humans and the needs of the environment, including fish. The Partnership is considering adopting the mission/goal statement of developing "a water management plan that will eventually result in effective and equitable management of the water in the Chehalis Basin to sustain habitat conditions necessary for native fish and to sustain healthy communities."
It will be a hard job to balance all the needs of water users throughout the large area of the Basin, and citizen involvement is necessary to ensure that the Plan reflects the needs of all affected communities. The Chehalis Basin Partnership welcomes interested citizens to attend its meetings, which are generally held at 9 AM the fourth Friday of each month at the Lucky Eagle Casino in Oakville. Contact Rob Schanz, chair of the Partnership's Citizen Advisory Committee, at 360-291-3725 or Lee Napier, at 360-249-4222 for more information.
Back to top or back to home page
By Jerry Gorsline and other WEC staff
For over twenty years, the Washington Environmental Council (WEC) has been working to limit the impacts of growth. If anything, our challenges are getting greater every year. The Puget Sound region is predicted to grow by another one million people by 2020, and other areas including Clark County and some traditionally rural areas are growing fast as well. Research clearly shows that traditional development practices have significant, negative impacts on traffic congestion and general quality of life, but they also affect watershed hydrology û nature's water cycle.
In the natural forested environment almost half the rainfall returns to the atmosphere without ever touching the forest floor. Much of the rest naturally seeps into the ground and is stored as groundwater. The water that does reach the stream does so slowly through the ground and not on top of the soil.
As we face the challenges of future growth, we should create new development patterns that will maintain and restore the natural water cycle. An example of a positive vision for our future is a practice called "low impact development." This method leaves a significantly smaller footprint on the natural landscape than traditional development.
The act of cutting down trees and replacing them with paved roads, parking lots and rooftops significantly increases the amount of water that simply runs over the surface of the ground and into stream and disrupts natural water cycle. This increased water in streams can also come from hard grassy surfaces like lawns, play fields, and from graveled roads. All these sources of water flowing into streams are called "stormwater," and are a fundamental threat to freshwater habitat.
Research has clearly demonstrated that, by the time impervious areas in a watershed exceed 10% and forest cover is reduced to less than 65%, stream conditions become severely degraded. Peak stream flows in urbanized watersheds have been known to increase as much as five-fold over natural conditions.
All this runoff also means that much less water seeps into the ground, so there is less groundwater to recharge aquifers and augment stream flows during dry months. These effects contribute to the decline in populations of salmon and other fish. They can also result in costly stormwater retention and treatment facilities, aquifer levels too low to supply affordable drinking water, and increased flooding.
Any science-based development strategy must adopt limits for impervious surfaces and retention of trees as a fundamental requirement for protection of our rivers, lakes and streams.
Low impact development (LID) is an integrated, ecologically friendly approach to land development and stormwater management designed to reduce impacts on watershed hydrology and aquatic resources. LID emphasizes alternative land development techniques that conserve natural vegetation and soils (minimize impervious surfaces, enrich soil to improve infiltration, cluster houses and provide community green spaces).
WEC has been involved in working to promote some of these concepts at the state level. Through the State Stormwater Policy Advisory Committee, WEC worked with others to elevate the concepts of low and zero impact development in addressing stormwater impacts. Additionally, we made substantive formal comments to the Department of Ecology on their proposed Stormwater Manual.
Where development does take place, we need to change bad runoff to good runoff. The only way to do this is to put the water back into the ground, while protecting the quality of existing groundwater resources. Rather than collecting and conveying stormwater off site-through pipes and other conveyance systems, native vegetation, landscaping and small-scale hydrologic controls capture, treat and infiltrate the stormwater. Alternatives to asphalt and concrete roads, driveways and parking areas are also used to infiltrate stormwater and improve groundwater recharge.
Permeable pavements and vegetated rooftops are two methods to accomplish this goal.
Vegetated rooftops have been used extensively in Germany for more than 25 years, and results show up to 50% reduction in annual runoff. Together these measures not only help maintain site hydrology and reduce runoff, they can also reduce overall development costs, make communities more attractive, and help ensure that our summer stream flows and drinking water supplies are replenished.
In highly urbanized areas, existing development must be retrofitted for improved stormwater control. In areas that are not yet highly urbanized, we can prevent harm instead of correcting mistakes after the fact.
An example of this is taking place in our state's capitol, where the City of Olympia has adopted interim measures to provide short-term protection for the Green Cove Creek Basin. The basin is one of the last watersheds in the city that still has a low level of impervious surface, good forest cover, intact wetlands, good riparian and in-stream conditions, good water quality, and supports coho and chum salmon.
The protection measures will reduce the number of house lots allowed in new subdivisions and increase stormwater management requirements in this area. Meanwhile, the City is moving forward with amending its Comprehensive Plan to modify zoning and development practices to significantly reduce future development in this sub-basin with high quality resources.
Applying the type of forward-thinking policies the City of Olympia is implementing can greatly reduce the impacts of our growing population. Only by re-thinking and re- designing our development practices can we hope to protect our remaining natural heritage.
Back to top or back to home page
This article is contributed by the Chehalis River Basin Land Trust, adapted from an article by "The Leave a Legacy of Western Washington Campaign" and used with permission.
On every street, in every town, we are surrounded by you. You touch every one of our lives, and we are likely to know you intimately. You are a uniquely American character, born of bake sales and barn raisings, Conestoga wagons and crowded tenements, communes and car pools. You are the philanthropists next door, people committed to sharing a little or a lot, to make the world better. You don't drive Mercedes or own portfolios full of Microsoft or Berkshire Hathaway. "You" are you and your grandmother, your babysitter and your basketball buddy. You are philanthropists because you give to charity and, if your household income is less than $75K/year, you give a higher percent of your income than any other income group.
Thank heavens for your generosity!
Your gifts add up and are significant, and there is another important way you can help the charities you cherish continue their good work û by making a gift to them in your will. By making a charitable bequest or other gift in your estate plan, you can help community organizations continue their good work after you are gone. The Leave a Legacy campaign urges you to get started on an admittedly uncomfortable task û making a will. Sixty percent of us die without a will or estate plan. In the absence of a will or other legally recognized arrangement, courts must intervene with state directed solutions, a one-size-fits-all solution that is a poor substitute for proper and thoughtful planning that considers the best interests of you and your family.
Leave a Legacy is part of a country-wide, three year public awareness campaign, encouraging every woman and man to look out for his/her family by making a will, and to make a difference for the next generation, by naming charities in their wills and estate plans. The Leave a Legacy of Western Washington Campaign, sponsored by the Washington Planned Giving Council, emphasizes the power of individuals to "make a will and make a difference" in the future.
One woman aims to change the world now, AND after she is gone, with her donations.
"Everyone can be a philanthropist," urges Kayla Weiner. "More people should realize that you don't have to be rich to make a gift that helps." Dr. Weiner has worked as a farmer, a public school teacher, a waitress and is now a psychotherapist in private practice. She describes herself as a lifelong "progressive social activist," who commits at least 10% of her income to several foundations and organizations. "A person can give even one percent of his/her income and still be a philanthropist. It isn't about how much you give but that you do give to make the world a better place, now AND in the future," Kayla states.
She searched for an intelligent, meaningful way to compose her will and to keep things simple yet thorough. "Too many people don't bother to get a will, but they need to do this!" advises Ms. Weiner. "Think about what is important to you, where your money can do the most good."
You can make a positive difference in the future for the people and for the environment in the Chehalis River Basin. Make a will. Make a difference. Leave a Legacy!
For more information contact the Leave a Legacy Campaign at http://leavelegacy.org or by calling 1-800-682-0090.
Back to top or back to home page
At its August 18 Annual Meeting, the Chehalis River Council (CRC) awarded its annual Watershed Citizen award to Dave Palmer, founder and outgoing chairman of the CRC. The award recognizes Dave's outstanding contributions to the cause of protecting natural resources in the Chehalis Basin.
Dave played a key role in developing the Chehalis River Basin Action Plan of 1992, which was first water management plan for this basin adopted by the Washington legislature. When funds were not provided for implementation, Dave formed a citizens' organization to work toward clean water goals established in the plan.
Under Dave's leadership, the CRC developed a newsletter, Drops of Water, that reaches many basin homes as a newspaper insert. He also created and currently still maintains a CRC water resources website. He opened a water resources library in Oakville and led the CRC in sponsoring many public meetings on issues such as flooding in the basin.
With the Watershed Citizen Award, the CRC recognizes the life-time contributions of Dave Palmer and commits to fulfilling his legacy.
A CRC Volunteer of the Year award was presented to Paul Holm, Gate, for his assistance with financial matters and supportive attendance at board meetings.
The CRC Annual meeting, hosted by Janet Strong near McCleary, also featured a presentation by Brian Peck, new coordinator of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Chehalis Fisheries Restoration Program. Brian shared some of his experiences as an employee of the Bureau of Reclamation in the Klamath basin and with the Peace Corps in Gabon, Africa. He applied lessons learned from the Gabonese people to challenges faced by citizens of the Chehalis Basin. (See article on page one of this issue of Drops of Water.)
In other business, CRC members re-elected two trustees, Brady Engvall of Westport and Karen Knutsen of Onalaska, to three-year terms. Other trustees are Margaret Rader, chair, Rob Schanz, secretary, Janet Strong, and Lew Patton.
Back to top or back to home page
A watershed is the area of land where all of the water that is under it or drains off of it goes into the same place. John Wesley Powell, scientist geographer, put it best when he said that a watershed is:
"that area of land, a bounded hydrologic system, within which all living things are inextricably linked by their common water course and where, as humans settled, simple logic demanded that they become part of a community."
Watersheds come in all shapes and sizes. They cross county, state, and national boundaries. No matter where you are, you're in a watershed!
From the EPA's Watershed Information Network, http://www.epa.gov/win/
Back to top or back to home page
by Janet Strong
Back to top or back to home page
By Margaret Rader Chehalis River Council Chair
In August, the Chehalis River Council learned that U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is providing a Chehalis Fisheries Restoration Program grant to publish three issues of Drops of Water in 2001 and six issues in 2002, with the possibility of three more issues in 2003. Preparing this grant application permitted us to clearly state our objectives for this newsletter. We are sharing these objectives with our readers so that you can see what we hope to accomplish with Drops of Water. We would welcome comments about how we can do better at achieving our goals.
The objectives for Drops of Water fit perfectly with the goals of the CFRP to recover Chehalis Basin fisheries by increasing public awareness of the values of habitat restora tion and fisheries in the Chehalis Basin. We published many articles about projects funded by the Chehalis Fisheries Restoration program and other initiatives to protect fish and other wildlife in our Basin. Articles, many contributed by Mike Kelly of USFWS, raised our awareness of fish life cycle needs.
In addition, Drops of Water is designed to instill watershed awareness in Basin residents. Drops of Water is the only communications medium that covers water news from a basin wide perspective. Our goal is for residents to develop awareness that we are all connected by the water that flows through our region, and what happens upstream affects those who live downstream and visa versa. By publishing articles from all parts of the Basin, we hope to make residents aware that water crosses all political jurisdictional boundaries. For example, Drops of Water has published a number of articles contributed by the Chehalis Basin Partnership (CBP), a group of cities, counties, agencies, citizens and stakeholders charged with developing a plan for managing water resources in the basin. In the coming year, Drops of Water is available to become an important part of the communications strategy of the CBP in watershed planning.
A long-standing objective of Drops of Water is to educate residents regarding non-point source pollution. Working closely with the Department of Ecology, DOW has published many articles on the importance of private citizens in working toward a reduction in non-point source pollution. Since efforts to reduce non-point source pollution are largely voluntary and depend on actions by individuals, education is particularly important to achieving reductions. Articles about TMDL implementation will play an increasingly important role in DOW.
Outreach to younger residents is an important part of increasing water awareness and stewardship. DOW carries a youth activities column written by a middle-school student. We are particularly proud of working with the Chehalis Basin Education Consortium to publish an issue devoted to writings by young people in several area schools who were involved in water monitoring projects. A goal for 2001/2 is to include more articles on the many programs that involve students in the basin.A major objective of DOW is to provide a forum for the many groups working in the basin on water issues. Several non-profit groups such as the Chehalis River Basin Land Trust and the Grays Harbor Audubon Society have taken the opportunity to get their message across in DOW. State and federal agencies have also used DOW to publicize their programs. Conservation and noxious weed districts have contributed articles.
A goal for the future is to increase the awareness of potential contributors that DOW is available for their outreach efforts. Many individuals may not know that articles can always be submitted and are printed on a space-available basis. If a group wants reserved space, they must provide financial support, but for individuals and groups who agree that publication depends on available space, there is no charge.
DOW is unique. We appreciate the support of USFWS in the past and look forward to working with them in the future to increase watershed awareness and stewardship in the Chehalis Basin. .
Back to top or back to home page or back to Whats New