[ Photo: Scott Craig, USFWS]
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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service news release
| [ Photo: Scott Craig, USFWS]
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The southwestern Washington / Columbia River population of coastal cutthroat trout does not need Endangered Species Act protection, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In a decision released today, the agency said that newly gathered and reanalyzed data on the species' abundance, and recently enacted protections for the fish and its habitat, combine to make it unnecessary to list this population.
"The system worked," said Anne Badgley, director of the Fish and Wildlife Service's six-state Pacific Region. "We are grateful to our partners at the federal, state and local levels in Oregon and Washington who have worked to conserve this native fish. We encourage everyone involved in cutthroat conservation to continue to address the needs of this population segment."
While numbers of trout in some parts of this population segment are lower than historic levels, recent changes in land management regulations have reduced threats to this population. The latest information shows that overall populations in a large portion of the southwestern Washington/Columbia River area are relatively robust, and the offspring of freshwater populations are likely able to become anadromous (sea- run). This information led scientists to conclude that coastal cutthroat trout in this population segment are not likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future, the definition of a threatened species. "After this population was proposed for listing, we gathered more data on it and discovered that while there still are concerns, the fish are doing better than we thought," Badgley said. "The withdrawal of the proposal to list coastal cutthroat trout does not mean we think there are no threats to the species, or that we are no longer concerned about its long-term status."
This population of coastal cutthroat extends from the tributaries of Grays Harbor, Washington, south to the mouth of the Columbia River and east to The Dalles Dam. The area includes metropolitan Portland south to Willamette Falls. The Northwest is home to six populations of coastal cutthroat trout, which is one of the 10 formally described subspecies of cutthroat trout.
The Service's decision that this population of coastal cutthroat trout does not meet the definition of a threatened species at this time is largely based on five specific factors: New data on populations of coastal cutthroat trout in southwestern Washington, which are comparable to populations in other areas that were not considered warranted for listing; New information and analysis of anadromous population size and trends in the Columbia River; New data and analyses which do not support suspected declines of adult populations in the Grays Harbor tributaries; New information supporting the potential production of anadromous offspring by resident cutthroat trout populations living above barriers such as dams or waterfalls; Habitat Conservation Plans and significant changes in Washington State Forest Practices Regulations, which reduce the threat of cutthroat habitat decline on forest lands. The Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service jointly published a proposal to list this coastal cutthroat trout population as threatened on April 5, 1999. Since then the Fish and Wildlife Service assumed sole responsibility for this species because it spends most of its life cycle in fresh water. The original proposal was based on suspected declines in anadromous cutthroat abundance, habitat loss and effects of hatchery-reared coastal cutthroat trout on wild cutthroat.
This news release and others can be viewed on the Service's Pacific Regional home page on the Internet at http://www.r1.fws.gov.
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By Annie Phillips, Department of Ecology
In honor of the 30th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, 2002 has been declared the Year of Clean Water. Volunteer monitors, agency staff, and members of the public are invited to join the celebration by participating in National Water Monitoring Day, scheduled to commemorate the very day û October 18, 1972 û on which the Act was signed into law by Richard Nixon..
This fall, volunteer and government monitors will take to the waters on or about October 18 to sample a core set of water quality parameters including temperature, pH, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen. Side by side monitoring between volunteers and professionals is strongly encouraged. All protocols, equipment, and monitoring methods are welcome. Even classrooms and citizens who have never tested their water before will be able participate with a simple and inexpensive Year of Clean Water kit. Data and photos will be available almost immediately via the Web.
National Water Monitoring Day will also feature water festivals, educational events, and widespread press coverage. The event is designed to educate the public about water quality issues and the role of monitoring and volunteers; encourage and strengthen partnerships between volunteer monitors and government monitoring agencies; provide a snapshot of water quality 30 years after the passage of the Clean Water Act; and celebrate the accomplishments of the Act while identifying work that still needs to be done.
Planning is being spearheaded by America's Clean Water Foundation and a steering committee representing government agencies and volunteer monitoring organizations. Updates on National Water Monitoring Day, including information on preregistration and ordering the special monitoring kit, will be posted at www.yearofcleanwater.org.
Participants will need to register their monitoring location before September 30 by clicking on the "Register Site" link on the National Water Monitoring Day page (Select National Events/National Water Monitoring Day on the Year of Clean Water Web site) at www.yearofcleanwater.org. Participants will use this same link to enter their data after completing their testing in October. Data will be available on the website and will be used to issue a report summarizing the event and its findings, and celebrating the role and accomplishments of the participants. This anniversary presents an excellent opportunity to:
Annie Phillips
Watch over Washington
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By Nancy Ness, Grays Harbor Noxious Weed Board
Some call them wild bamboo, others call them ditchweeds or fleeceflowers - call 'em what you want, they're still weeds - even if they say they're knot.
Three different knotweeds, Japanese, giant and Himalayan, are all members of the buckwheat family, and all have similar growing habits, aggressive riparian invaders.
[ Photo: Whatcom County Weed Board (L) Giant (C) Japanese (R) Himalayan] |
Japanese knotweed is the most prevalent here in southwestern Washington. It was brought to the U.S. in the late 1800s. Japanese knotweed invades riparian areas along streams and rivers in addition to ditches and ravines. Pieces of root moved by people, equipment and water are the ways this plant spreads. New plants can sprout from fragments as small as one inch. It can be found along almost every waterway along the Chehalis River, and those of you regularly go boating in the river are probably becoming quite familiar with Japanese knotweed..
All three of these knotweeds are tall (8 - 10 feet) and grow in shrubby colonies. The reddish stems are segmented and closely resemble bamboo. Flowering occurs in late summer with drooping clusters of pretty white flowers. They die back after frost and leave tall bare red stalks in place all winter. Leaves are large and somewhat heart-shaped.
All three of these knotweeds are very difficult to control, once they become established. Digging out roots is generally not recommended, and usually just spreads them even further. Repeated cutting and removal of all plant parts, in addition to chemical control (please follow all label directions) are the best methods currently available. Starving the extensive root system by cutting several times during the growing season is recommended near open water. Any plant parts left to float in the water are very likely to resprout whereever they find land.
These weeds will continue to invade and spread along our roads and waterways unless we can increase awareness and work together to reduce the spread. New infestations should be tackled immediately, earth-moving equipment should be cleaned of plant parts before moving offsite, and all cut parts of these plants should be burned or bagged for disposal.
[Photo: Dr. Tim Miller, WSU] |
Your local County Noxious Weed Control Board is here to help you identify and recommend control measures for weeds. For more information on Japanese knotweed and other weeds, please visit the following Web sites:
For additional information, contact:
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Department of Ecology News Release - June 25, 2002
The Department of Ecology (Ecology) has awarded grants worth up to $100,000 each to 10 watershed-planning groups across the state to help them make stream-flow recommendations for rivers and creeks in their watersheds. The recommendations will be an important first step toward determining how much water is needed within a specific basin to protect fish as future water-right decisions go forward. It is likely that to achieve targeted flows, the state and other entities will have to purchase, lease or receive donations of existing water rights for some/many streams in the state. In Western Washington, local watershed planning groups representing the Deschutes, Elwha- Dungeness, Lower and Upper Chehalis, Lower Skagit and Nooksack basins have been awarded stream-flow grants. In Eastern Washington, grants were awarded to planning units for the Hangman, Kettle River, Little Spokane, Moses Coulee and Foster Creek, and Walla Walla watersheds.
A single watershed planning group represents both the Lower and Upper Chehalis basins and another unit covers both the Moses Coulee and Foster Creek watersheds, which are separate but contiguous basins.
Planning groups generally comprise representatives from local governments, tribes and other interests. Those receiving stream-flow grants will use the money to research and gather new information about their watersheds and use the data to develop stream-flow recommendations, which will be forwarded to Ecology for final review.
Another 19 watershed-planning units have told Ecology they also intend to apply for stream-flow grants, which were authorized by the 2001 state legislature. The agency is still evaluating some of applications and has yet to receive others.
"It's hard to believe that the Evergreen State could have water-supply problems, but it's true," said Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons. "It's vitally important that we work together to determine how much water is needed to keep our creeks and rivers healthy for fish and still have enough for farms, communities and other uses."
Fitzsimmons said he expects it will take at least a year for the 10 planning units currently beginning stream-flow work to complete their recommendations, none of which can directly affect previously issued water rights within a basin.
By the end of the summer, local watershed planning efforts will be under way in 44 of Washington's 62 watershed basins to develop plans for managing water supplies to support human and environmental needs.
In watersheds where planning units have decided not to work on stream flows, Ecology will make its own flow recommendations. However, whether a stream-flow recommendation comes from Ecology or from a local watershed-planning unit, final stream flows must be set by Ecology through the state rule-making process.
Contact: Curt Hart, public information manager, 360-407-7139; pager, 360-455-2073. Watershed planning Web site: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/watershed/index.html
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See if you can tell myths from facts about water
1. What is the #1 environmental concern of Americans?
2. What type of pollution poses the greatest threat to rivers and streams?
3. How often does the government test bottled water for safety and purity?
4. A watershed is:
5. What is the main source of motor oil contamination in our rivers, lakes and bays?
Answers later on
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By Lee Napier, Grays Harbor County, Chehalis Basin Partnership Coordinator and Chris Page, Triangle Associates, Inc.
Since our elected state officials enacted legislation to allow local processes to develop that could manage the water resources and recover salmon through cooperative processes, many stakeholders within the Chehalis River Basin (Basin) tested the waters by joining forces. The preceding summarizes the efforts that Grays Harbor County coordinates in the Basin on behalf of the Chehalis Basin Partnership (Partnership).
The Basin stretches from Grays Harbor up past Oakville and Grand Mound to include land beyond Centralia and Napavine. The Basin is bound on the west by the Pacific Ocean, on the east by the Deschutes River Basin in Thurston County, on the north by the Olympic Mountains in Jefferson County, and on the south by the Willapa Hills and the Cowlitz River Basin.
At the end of 1999, Grays Harbor County undertook the role as the Lead Agency for Watershed Planning and the Lead Entity for Salmon Recovery in the Basin. The decision to undertake the colossal task was not taken lightly. After reviewing the intent of the legislation, which included statements that the processes must include opportunities for local citizens to provide input and be engaged in the selection of projects, Grays Harbor County accepted the role. According to County Commissioner Bob Beerbower, "Water resource planning in the Chehalis Basin is a great way for folks to learn about issues that affect them every day, and it provides an opportunity for the citizenry to provide valuable input into the decision making process."
Funding for this process is available through a Washington State law passed in 1998 known as the Watershed Planning Act (Chapter 90.82 RCW). Under this law, the planning group -- the Partnership in this case -- must agree in Phase I (Initiating Planning and Getting Organized) on the elements that will be considered in a Watershed Management 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 û although 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.
An inter-local agreement was developed to form and govern the proceedings of the Partnership. The partners to this original agreement include: Grays Harbor County, Lewis County, Mason County, Thurston County, Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis, City of Aberdeen, City of Centralia, City of Chehalis, City of Napavine, City of Ocean Shores, City of Pe Ell, Port of Centralia, Department of Ecology, Boistfort Valley Water Company, and Grays Harbor Water District #2. Since its formation, many other stakeholders, both public and private, have joined forces with the Partnership.
The law requires that each county with land in the river basin participate, along with the largest city or town, and the largest water provider. The law also requires that all tribes with reservation land within the study area be asked to participate in the process. In the Chehalis Basin, both of the tribes with reservation land, the Quinault Tribe and the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis, agreed to participate. 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, focusing on water quantity, water quality, and fish habitat. The Partnership has adopted the mission/goal statement of developing "a water management plan that will eventually result in effective, economical and equitable management of the water in the Chehalis Basin to sustain viable and healthy communities and habitat conditions necessary for native fish."
The Partnership is currently moving from Phase 2 (Process of Conducting Technical Assessments) to Phase 3 (Watershed Management Plan) of the above process, having reached consensus on technical studies to fill data gaps and on an outline for the Watershed Management Plan, which must be completed by October 2003. It will be a difficult job to balance all the needs of water users throughout the large Basin, a reason 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.
Funding for this process is available through a Washington State law passed in 1998 known as the Salmon Recovery Act (Chapter 77.85 RCW). A major premise in the 1998 Salmon Recovery Act was to retain responsibility for managing Washington's natural resources rather than abdicate those responsibilities to the federal government. Thus, in the Salmon Recovery Act, the Legislature created what has become known as the Lead Entity Program in the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WFDW). For the Basin, Grays Harbor County accepted the role as Lead Entity. Lead Entities are organizations that function to solicit, develop, prioritize, and submit habitat protection and restoration projects for funding to the Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB). Lead Entity boundaries typically coincide with complete or partial Water Resource Inventory Areas (WRIAs), WRIA's 22 and 23 in the case of the Chehalis. They consist of a coordinator (Lee Napier for Grays Harbor county), a committee of local technical personnel (Technical Advisory Group or TAG), and a committee of local citizens (the Partnership). The TAG assisted in the development of the Salmon and Steelhead Habitat Limiting Factors Analysis for the Chehalis Basin, the Chehalis Basin Plan for Habitat Restoration, and the identification and prioritization of projects. The Partnership citizen committee is responsible for developing the final prioritized project list. The Lead Entity submits the list of prioritized projects to the Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB) for funding consideration.
Project development for the SRFB Fourth Round Grant Cycle is already underway in the Basin. For more information regarding project development and/or funding opportunities, please contact Lee Napier at 1.800.230.1638.
All citizens are encouraged to get involved in one or both of the processes. Your participation does make a difference. "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has" (Margaret Mead).
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By Amy Sailer, Americorps Volunteer
In May, the Chehalis Basin Education Consortium (CBEC) held an "Assessment Retreat," during which eight active CBEC teachers discussed their watershed education accomplishments and their expectations for the program next year. With funding from the Russell Family Foundation grant, CBEC will include South Mason County schools in its 2002 û 2003 program. These funds will also be used to host a Sustainability Seminar on Thursdays and Friday, September 19th and 20th, at Sawyer Hall in Lacey.
We are already looking forward to the 2002 û 2003 school year. A tentative schedule has been put together:
September 14, 2002
Chemical Water Quality Monitoring, EPA Streamwallk, Macroinvertabrate Monitoring Refresher Training Location: Schafer State Park, Satsop.
September 19 and 20, 2002
Sustainability Seminar
Location: Sawyer Hall, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Lacey
September 30 October 11, 2002
Fall Water Quality Monitoring
February 26, 2003
Winter Teachers' Meeting
Location: TBA
March 17 March 28, 2003
Spring Water Quality Monitoring
April 17, 2003
Student Congress
Location: Grays Harbor College
May 14, 2003
Teachers' Retreat
Location: TBA
If you have any questions, or would like to participate in the program, contact Tom Hulst, Assistant Superintendent, ESD113, (360) 586-2966 or Amy Sailer, Americorps, (360) 586-3538.
The Chehalis River Council gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Chehalis Basin Partnership (June issue) and the Chehalis Basin Education Consortium. We also thank our main supporter, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Chehalis Fisheries Restoration Program.
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By Rio Lara-Bellon, Extension Indian Reservation Program Coordinator
As a part of the Chehalis Tribe's Earth Day observance, the Extension Indian Reservation Program (EIRP) located on the Chehalis Indian Reservation decided to demonstrate the beauty, viability and ease of landscaping with native plants.
[Erika Guttman helps Tammy Klatush prepare roots for planting.] |
Three key programs worked together as a team to create the Chehalis Tribe Waterwise Garden û the Chehalis Tribe's Natural Resource Department, the Native Plants Salvage Project (Thurston County Cooperative Extension) and EIRP. Rio Lara-Bellon, EIRP Coordinator, worked with the Tribe to identify an appropriate garden site and also identified and coordinated the necessary garden resources for the project (tools, equipment, etc.) while team members from the Native Plants project, Erika Guttman and Rodney Thurman, identified a majority of the plants for the garden and planned the actual garden lay-out. Staff members from the Natural Resource department provided some garden items and physical labor. Community members and various program staff members turned out for the Earth Day event and participated in the planting of the garden. Team member Andrea Taylor documented the progression of the event by taking the photographs every step of the way.
[Jolene Klatush & children Tammy & Gordon Klatush, Lennea Magnus, Rod Thurman] |
The Waterwise Garden is located along the entrance to the Chehalis Tribe Health Clinic where patients and clients are now greeted by this natural beauty of red flowering currants, vine maples, snowberries interspersed with strawberries, lavender and kinnickinnick. Be sure to look for the garden next time you come by to visit or attend meeting on the Chehalis Indian Reservation.
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By Louis Sims, May 2001
Louis Sims wrote this poem while camping on the "shadowy" St. Joe river in Idaho. It was published in Halcyon Days and is reprinted with permission from the author.
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1. "c." Drinking water quality, according to a 1998 nationwide survey.
2. Just 22% of Americans choose "b," understanding that runoff from farm fields, roads and parking lots is our leading water quality problem — not direct discharges from factories or municipal trash dumps.
3. "a." Never. While 25% of Americans drink bottled water because they lack faith in the purity of tap water, most people don't realize that bottled water is not tested by outside agencies for safety or purity.
4. "b & c." Groups that work to protect rivers, lakes and streams often organize themselves according to watersheds. Watersheds are also called basins, especially in the Western U.S.
5. "a." While 30 years ago, most oil pollution came from factories and refineries, today's leading source of oil spills are individuals who dump engine oil down storm drains or on the ground. We dump an estimated 17 million gallons—more than the Valdez oil spill—into our watersheds each day.
Source: The National Report Card on Environmental Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors, by the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation and Roper Starch Worldwide. www.rivernetwork.org
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