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The 1997 Washington State Legislature opened a new filing period for the Water Right Claims Registry. When Governor Locke signed the bill into law, he expressed his hope that opening the new filing period would help clear up the "murky past" of water right claims and put an end to the confusion of who should file.
This checklist will help you evaluate whether you should file a water right claim during the 1997 opening of the Claims Registry (September 1, 1997 to June 30, 1998).
If you currently have a water right permit, a water right certificate, or previously filed statement of claim, you do not need to file a claim now. If you don't know whether your property has any of these water right documents associated with it, ask the Department of Ecology to help you find out.
Is your water use exempt from the groundwater permit requirements? An example of this would be using ground water for domestic purposes not exceeding 5,000 gallons of water a day, and irrigation of non-commercial lawn and garden not exceeding one-half acres of land. If you are exempt from the ground water permit requirement, you are not eligible to file a claim now.
If your water use is the subject of a general adjudication of water rights during this time period, you are not eligible to file a claim now. An example of this would be surface waters of the Yakima River Basin. If you are not sure, please contact one of Ecology's offices for a list of areas currently subject to an adjudication.
If you use ground water on property which lies within the Odessa Ground Water Management Subarea, you are not eligible to file a claim now. The Odessa Subarea is located in eastern Washington, in portions of Grant, Adams, Lincoln, and Franklin counties.
If your water is provided by a water company, district, ditch company, or other utility, that organization must hold the water right document on your behalf. If you are in doubt, call your provider and ask them to evaluate the need to file a claim.
If you are using water and do not have a water right document (question #1), did first use of surface water on your property occur before June 7, 1917? First use of water does not necessarily mean use by you, but rather, the first time water was ever applied to this property. If so, you may be eligible to file a claim now. If you use surface water on land which borders a water source, and the land was removed from federal ownership before 1917, and use of water on that property began before 1932, you may be eligible to file a claim now.
If you are using water and do not have a water right document (question #1), did first use of ground water on your property occur before June 7, 1945? First use of water does not necessarily mean use by you, but rather, the first time water was ever applied to this property. If so, you may be eligible to file a claim now.
Call 1-800-468-0261 to obtain forms for filing a claim, or to request information about previously filed claims or existing water right permits and certificates. You may also write or visit:
Water Resources Program
Southwest Regional Office
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Find out if you live in a flood-prone area. If you don't know, contact local town/city/county officials to find out.
If YES, then do everything on this check list.
If NO or if you've already done the check list, then help relatives, friends, neighbors and other people do the checklist.
Here Are Some Other Things You Can Do to Minimize Flood Damage to Your Home:
Turn off all electric circuits at the fuse panel, gas and propane service at the meter or main entry, and water at the main valve, then LEAVE immediately.
Drive the safest (not necessarily the shortest) predetermined or ordered route to high ground or shelter.
Stay away from power lines and electrical wires and report downed power lines to local officials or law enforcement.
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Our coastal lands, estuaries and wetlands are under continued assault - from rapidly increasing population pressures, pollution, oil and chemical spills, and rapidly accelerating development.
A major factor contributing to the decline of coastal ecosystems is the sheer increase of our population. At present over one-third of the U.S. population resides within the narrow zone of coastal counties, supporting densities four times the national average. By the year 2010, as much as 75% of our population may live within 50 miles of a coast.
Between 1970 and 1989 the narrow zone occupied by coastal counties absorbed about 47% of the permitted construction of new housing units and about 40% of the permitted commercial and industrial developments.
"Everything flows down hill" certainly applies to coastal watersheds and estuaries. About 80% of all coastal pollution comes from terrestrial sources in the adjoining watersheds. increasing numbers of waterfront homes, marinas, shopping centers, industrial developments, and intensive agricultural activities, destroy important habitats and produce vast volumes of sediments, unmetabolized nutrients and noxious chemicals that flow downstream into coastal waterways, estuaries, coastal bays and fringing wetlands. Each year over 7 billion pounds of toxic and noxious substances are released into the environment polluting our land, air and waters. Most of these releases flow into coastal areas severely impairing 35% of the Nation's estuaries and coastlines and threatening another 10% with imminent impairment.
The terrestrial habitats adjoining coastal watersheds and estuaries are also being directly destroyed by expanding developments. In fact, according to the National Academy of Sciences, inadequately managed growth and development remain the principal causes of water qualitydegradation and endangerment of fish and wildlife in the coastal zone.
These are the enormous challenges we face in protecting and restoring our coastal areas.
from: Meeting Our Coastal Challenges - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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Nearly 500 million acres of forested lands are managed for the production of timber in the United States. Although only a very small percentage of this land is harvested each year, forestry activities can cause significant water quality problems if improperly managed. The latest National Water Quality Inventory reports that forestry activities contribute to approximately 9 percent of the water quality problems in surveyed rivers and streams.
Sources of NPS pollution associated with forestry activities include removal of streamside vegetation, road construction and use, timber harvesting, and mechanical preparation for the planting of trees. Road construction and road use are the primary sources of NPS pollution on forested lands, contributing up to 90 percent of the total sediment from forestry operations. Harvesting trees in the area beside a stream can affect water quality by reducing the streambank shading that regulates water temperature and by removing vegetation that stabilizes the streambanks. These changes can harm aquatic life by limiting sources of food, shade, and shelter.
To limit water quality impacts caused by forestry, public and private forest managers have developed and followed site-specific forest management plans.
Following properly designed preharvest plans can result in logging activities that are both profitable and highly protective of water quality. Such plans address the full range of forestry activities that can cause NPS pollution. They clearly identify the area to be harvested; locate special areas of protection, such as wetlands and streamside vegetation; plan for the proper timing of forestry activities; describe management measures for road layout, design, construction, and maintenance, as well as for harvesting methods and forest regeneration.
Public meetings held under the authority of federal and state laws provide citizens with a good opportunity to review and comment on the development of forest management plans.
Careful selection of equipment and methods for transporting logs from the harvest area to areas where logs are gathered can significantly reduce the amount of soil disturbed and delivered to water bodies. Stream channels should be protected from logging debris at all times during harvesting operations.
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by Robert Goo
So what can you do to help protect surface and ground waters from so-called nonpoint-source pollution? You can start at home. Begin by taking a close look at practices around your house that might be contributing to polluted runoff: You may need to make some changes. The following are some specific tips to act on--dos and don'ts to help you become part of the solution rather than part of the problem of nonpoint-source pollution.
Participate in clean-up activities in your neighborhood.
Write or call your elected representatives to inform them about your concerns and encourage legislation to protect water resources.
Get involved in local planning and zoning decisions and encourage your local officials to develop erosion and sediment control ordinances.
Promote environmental education. Help educate people in your community about ways in which they can help protect water quality. Get your community groups involved.
For more information on how you can help, contact your
State Water Quality Coordinator or Local Cooperative Extension Officer, or the CRC. (one in a series, taken from an EPA Journal article, November/December 1991,EPA-22K-1005) (Goo is an Environmental Protection Specialist in EPA's Nonpoint-Source Control Branch.)
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Salmon and trout get all the press. When was the last time you heard a news story about a dace, or a stickleback? Salmon have tremendous commercial, recreational and cultural significance, and they are beautiful and awe inspiring. But did you know that an Olympic mudminnow can breath atmospheric oxygen? That's pretty awe inspiring...well, at least I think so. Nonetheless, here's a long overdue story about some of the "other fishes" of the Chehalis River Basin.
Lampreys are eel-like fishes with a round sucking mouth called an oral disk. People often call them "eels", though they are not truly eels. There are three lamprey that may occur in the Chehalis. The Western Brook Lamprey, is small (up to 6 inches/15 centimeters), and lives its entire life in freshwater. The juveniles (called "ammocoetes") feed by filtering algae and other matter from the water. The adults do not feed. The adults only live a few months, and die shortly after spawning.
Adult Pacific Lamprey are much larger (up to 30 inches/76 cm), and more toothy. They feed by latching on to large fish, rasping a hole in the body and sucking out the blood and juices. The ammocoetes are filter feeders, and live in freshwater for up to six years. They are anadromous, which means they live as adults in the sea, and return to freshwater to spawn. They die shortly after spawning too.
River Lamprey are not as well known, but probably occur in the Chehalis. They have a life history similar to the pacific lamprey.
Sturgeons are large fish that have been around for millions of years. They have a downward protruding sucker mouth, and eat bottom dwelling animals, and some fish. They are anadromous. The White Sturgeon is the largest freshwater fish in North America. They can reach 20 feet in length, weigh 1800 pounds, and live 100 years! Caviar is made from sturgeon eggs. They are a popular sport fish on the lower Chehalis River. These Chehalis sturgeon are mostly visitors from the Columbia River.
Green Sturgeon are also found in the Chehalis, though they are not as common as the white sturgeon. They have a longer snout, and are smaller than the white sturgeon. Their maximum size is about 7 feet (2.1 meters).
The Olympic Mudminnow is a fish to be proud of. It lives only in western Washington and is rarely found outside of the Olympic Peninsula and the Chehalis Basin. It lives in thick vegetation in backwater areas. If you are willing to muck around a bit, you can find them where you might not expect a fish to be. Their ability to breath atmospheric oxygen allows them to live in oxygen-poor water where fish that might eat them can't even go. Mudminnows are not actually minnows at all. They are more closely related to the pike and musky family. And like these predatory fish, they lie in wait for their prey, which is mostly small crustaceans and insects. They get up to about 3 inches (8 cm).
The minnow family has the most individual species of all fish families, with about 2100 worldwide. The Northern Squawfish is our largest minnow, and reaches 25 inches (63 cm). This fish does make the news, but it's always bad news. Sure, they eat juvenile salmon, but they've been doing it for thousands of years. It wasn't until humans messed up everything for the salmon that squawfish became a "problem."
The Redside Shiner is a very common fish in the Chehalis. It is named for the red and gold coloration that the male develops during the spring spawning season. Most are less than 5 inches (13 cm), but can reach 7 inches (18 cm) long. Their diet is similar to that of trout and juvenile salmon.
The Speckled Dace is another common Chehalis River minnow, and is widely distributed in the western states. They have a roundish long body, and are, as their name suggests, usually speckled. The color patterns and body shape are actually quite variable, and they were once considered to be 12 different species. The young have a dark band along the side of the body. They get up to about 4 « inches (11 cm), and feed on small bottom-dwelling insects and crustaceans, as well as plant material.
Longnosed Dace have the widest geographic range of any North American minnow. They are similar to the speckled dace, but have a fleshy snout.
Peamouth are long-lived, as far as minnows go, and may reach 13 years. They get as long as 14 inches (36 cm), and are distinguished by two dark bands along the side of the body. They are a freshwater fish, but are able to tolerate sea water for at least a short time. This is probably why they are the only minnow native to Vancouver Island. If anyone knows why they are called "peamouth" please let me know.
Longfin Smelt are small (up to 6 inches/15cm) anadromous fish that enter rivers to spawn in the fall. Their relative, the Eulachon or "Candlefish", enters rivers in late winter and early spring. These fish are good to eat, and fishermen are able to catch them in dip nets. They feed largely on small crustaceans at sea, but do not feed during the spawning migration.
The Largescale Sucker is probably the least glamorous fish in the river. Through our human eyes they are ugly, bottom-sucking, bait-stealing, bony-fleshed worthless fish. But in the Chehalis River's ecology the largescale sucker is as important as any other animal. The fry start life with their mouths in front and live in mid-water. Their mouths eventually move underneath the head as they begin to live on the bottom, and they may eventually reach 24 inches (61 cm). Their flesh is supposed to have a good flavor despite the bones, and has reportedly been sold to unknowing customers in fish and chip shops.
The Three-Spine Stickleback is a fascinating little fish. They are one of the most widespread fishes in the world, living in lakes, rivers and oceans from North America to Europe and Asia, and from the arctic to as far south as Baja California, Mexico. The male builds a nest in aquatic vegetation with a sticky secretion from his kidneys. He then performs a complex courtship dance that entices a female into the nest where she lays her eggs. He may get several females to leave eggs in his nest, which he will then guard. Three-Spine Sticklebacks are named for the prominent spines in the dorsal fin. They have bony plates instead of scales. This fish eats just about any little animal that will fit in its mouth.
Sculpin are usually called "bullheads" locally. Fishermen call them all sorts of horrible names because they are good at stealing bait. They have huge mouths and large pectoral fins. I have seen a sculpin with a smelt almost as long as its own body in its stomach. Sculpin of the genus Cottus are very difficult to tell apart. One must resort to comparing the width of the mouth to the width of the body, and counting their teeth to really be sure of the species. The Cottus sculpins of the Chehalis include, but may not be limited to, Coast range Sculpin, Prickly Sculpin, Riffle Sculpin, Reticulate Sculpin, and Torrent Sculpin. These sculpins like to "perch" on top of a rock, or back themselves into a crack, and watch for prey to come by. Their cryptic coloration allows them to go undetected.
The Pacific Staghorn Sculpin looks similar to the Cottus sculpins, but is generally larger (up to 13 inches/34cm), and has a spine on its operculum (gill cover) that is shaped somewhat like an antler. They are tolerant of a wide range of salt concentration, but are most common in bays and river mouths. These fish will eat just about anything that they can stuff into their gullet.
The Starry Flounder is normally thought of as a marine species, but is known to penetrate quite far up streams and rivers into freshwater. They may get as long as 3 feet (1 meter). Like other flatfish they start life with an eye on each side of the head. One of the eyes soon migrates to join the other eye on one side. Starry flounder are just as likely to be found with the eyes on the left or right side, while other flatfish are classified as being either left or right eyed.
Whitefish are in the same family as salmon and trout, but you might not know it by looking. The one obvious thing they have in common is an adipose fin, which is a small fleshy fin between the dorsal fin and tail. The Mountain Whitefish has a small, downward pointing mouth with which it eats mostly bottom-dwelling insects and crustaceans. They can reach a maximum size of about 22 inches (57 cm).
There are a number of other fish that have been introduced to the west coast, and have found their ways into the Chehalis.. There are American shad, bass, sunfish, carp, yellow perch, catfish and who-knows-what else. These introduced fish can cause serious problems for our native fish, including salmon. It is against the law to move fish from one place to another, yet these exotic fish keep showing up all over.
Much of this information is from:
Inland Fishes of Washington by Wydoski and Whitney
Peterson Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes by Page and Burr
This list is not meant to be a complete list. I probably missed a few. I'd be happy to hear about it if you have found fish that I failed to mention. My number at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is 360-753-9560.
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Flood dangers do not end when the water begins to recede. Listen to a radio or television and don't return home until authorities indicate it is safe to do so.
Remember to help your neighbors who may require special assistance--infants, elderly people, and people with disabilities.
Inspect foundations for cracks or other damage.
Stay out of buildings if flood waters remain around the building.
When entering buildings, use extreme caution.
Wear sturdy shoes and use battery-powered lanterns or flashlights when examining buildings.
Examine walls, floors, doors, and windows to make sure that the building is not in danger of collapsing.
Watch out for animals that may have come into your home with the flood waters. Use a stick to poke through debris.
Watch for loose plaster and ceilings that could fall.
Take pictures of the damage--both to the house and its contents for insurance claims.
Look for fire hazards.
Throw away food--including canned goods--that has come in contact with flood waters.
Pump out flooded basements gradually (about one-third of the water per day ) to avoid structural damage.
Service damaged septic tanks, cesspools, pits, and leaching systems as soon as possible. Damaged sewage systems are health hazards.
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You can obtain safe water by melting ice cubes. source: Federal Emergency Management Agency -- Floods Fact Sheet Updated: September 16, 1997 Back to top or Back to home page These 12 questions are based on material presented in this issue. Take a few moments and do your best to answer each question. Discuss these questions with family and friends to gain more insight into these topics. 1 "Everything flows down hill" certainly applies to coastal watersheds and _________. 2 Why should you stay out of moving flood water? 3 What will be the most popular living area in the U.S. in the year 2010? 4 What items should be moved out of the path of a flood? 5 If you currently have a water right _____ a water right _________, or previously filed statement of claim, you do not need to file a claim now.. 6 How many acres are managed for the production of timber in the United States? 7 Proper ___ maintenance and closure of unneeded ___ can help reduce NPS impacts from erosion over the long term. 8 Where should used oil or antifreeze be taken? 9 For survival during a flood how much water should be set aside per person?. 10 These historic water rights are called _____ rights. 11 What should you do with canned food that has come in contact with flood waters? 12 If the water is off in your home, where might you get safe water from? Back to top or Back to home page 1 "Everything flows down hill" certainly applies to coastal watersheds and estuaries. 2 A person can be knocked down by as little as six inches of rushing water. 3 By the year 2010, as much as 75% of our population may live within 50 miles of a coast. 4 Determine what to move up, out or away, then do it: farm animals, feed supplies, furniture, clothing, medical equipment & medicines, important family papers, jewelry, electronics, food, etc 5 If you currently have a water right permit, a water right certificate, or previously filed statement of claim, you do not need to file a claim now. 6 Nearly 500 million acres of forested lands are managed for the production of timber in the United States. 7 Proper road maintenance and closure of unneeded roads can help reduce NPS impacts from erosion over the long term. 8 Recycle used oil and antifreeze by taking them to service stations and other recycling centers. 9 Set aside in clean, plastic containers one gallon of drinking water per person, per day for seven days. 10 These historic water rights are called vested rights. 11 Throw away food--including canned goods--that has come in contact with flood waters. 12 You can obtain safe water by melting ice cubes.
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INSPECTING UTILITIES IN A DAMAGED HOME
Youth Corner Quiz
Youth Corner Answers:
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