Drops
Of
Water
Issue 25 December 1998
The first people to find errors in spelling or word structure receive a free map of the Chehalis watershed. Send us an e-mail note telling us about the error.
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Issue 25 December 1998 |
This newsletter appears monthly in 45,000 households throughout the watershed. Printing is done by The Chronicle, and distribution is by the Chronicle, the Olympia Daily Olympian, the Tenino Independent, the Rochester Sun News and the Aberdeen Daily World. This is an early edition available only to WWW users. Please send us your feedback.
The first people to find errors in spelling or word structure receive a free map of the Chehalis watershed. Send us an e-mail note telling us about the error. |
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Editor's note: The following article is a summary of the information presented at a public meeting November 5. Thurston County is taking a leadership position in Flood Hazard Management Planning. This effort would be greatly enhanced by a regional approach which involves all involved counties.
Thurston County is taking an aggressive step forward in addressing recurring flood issues. In a lengthy process which involved groups of citizens and county departments, a preliminary Flood Hazard Management Plan has been developed and is being presented to the public for additional input, review and comment..
Early in November this plan was discussed in a public meeting at Swede Hall in Rochester. There was a lot of discussion and many expressed support for the plan and voiced concern for filling and other activities which are taking place in Lewis County and could impact the benefits of this planning effort..
Why is Thurston County developing a Flood Hazard Management Plan?
Since 1964, only 185 counties have had more than 10 Federal Disaster Declarations. Thurston County is part of this top six percent of counties. In Thurston County 11 of the 13 Federal Disaster Declarations have been for flooding
Since its first Federal Disaster in 1972, Thurston County has, on average, experienced a major flood event every 2.4 years. Among the events are: Jan. 1972, Feb. 1972, Jan. 1974, Dec. 1975, Dec. 1977, Jan. 1990, Nov. 1990, Nov. 1995, Feb. 1996, Dec. 1996 and Mar 1997.
Each of these events put the public at risk as victims and rescuers.
How does a flood impact Thurston county?
The February 1996 flood: Destroyed over two dozen homes and caused major damage to more than 200 others; forcing nearly 1,000 people to evacuate their homes and required more than 300 people to be rescued. More than 300 sections of the County road system were damaged and an Indian school was destroyed. The total cost to Thurston County government was more than $2 million, other government entities and utilities lost over $20 million and the uninsured private property losses were in excess of $22 million.
According to the existing flood mapping, 41.7 square miles of the County are within the 100 year floodplain. This amounts to about 7% of the unincorporated area and as many as 7,000 people live in flood prone areas.
According to Thurston County Emergency Management, over half of the private property damage from the December 1996 and March 1997 floods occurred on lands outside the mapped 100 year floodplain . This is confirmed by aerial photographs of the February 1996 flooding which shows that many areas outside the existing 100 year floodplain were inundated. When remapped, an unknown amount of currently unrestricted lands will be added to the 100 year floodplain .
The US Army Corps of Engineers have reevaluated the flood elevations for the Chehalis River twice within the last decade. Based upon the floods of 1990 and 1996, which were 400 and 600 year events, have been revised downward to 70 and 100 year events, respectively. Structures built in conformance with old floodplain regulations (requiring the first floor to be 1 foot above the 100 year floodplain elevation) will be subject to future damage when the new, higher 100 year floodplains are recalculated.From the groundwater flooding of 1996-1997 the US Army Corps of Engineers estimates a 70% chance of equaled or worse groundwater flooding once during the next 30 years (standard term of a home mortgage).
Given these issues what goals does the plan try to address?
The 10 goals include: protect the public from natural hazards, minimize the need for emergency rescues, protect parts of the environment, minimize replacement costs for public facilities, alert the public to critical areas, avoid the public subsidy of private development impacts, encourage voluntary efforts to protect unique and hazardous ares.
The plan addresses these draft goals through activities involved in public information and education, monitoring, mapping, regulations, flood preparedness, and flood damage reduction activities. Some of the activities which are part of the plan include:
What might be done to meet these goals?
The draft flood hazard management plan includes many possible action items. Among them are:
What's Next?
During December the plan will be modified and public comments will be incorporated into the Draft Flood Plan.
In January 1999 the plan will be recommended to the Thurston County Board of Commissioners.
In February 1999 there will be a briefing for the Board of County Commissioners and in March of 1999 there will be a Flood Plan Public Hearing held by the Board of county Commissioners.
If readers would like more information about this plan they should contact:
Steven Morrison
Thurston Regional Planning Council
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Jesse Banick, Chehalis River Basin Land Trust
MINNESOTA - On an April day near Motley, Minn., the Crow Wing River runs high, its surface dark and glassy as it rounds a wide meander flanked on its outside curve by Bill Kennedy's land. The sandy soil here gives rise to a forest of tall jack pine, red and white oak, and a few scattered birches - a patch of serenity in a state that is beset by the pressure of resort, and vacation home development.
Kennedy, 49, is a railroad conductor for Amtrak. It is work that often takes him away from his log-sided home and the night sounds of owls and coyotes. He purchased the home and 185 acres - with some 6,000 feet of river frontage ore more than 20 years ago
But if you ask him, Kennedy will say that what he purchased then were the "stewardship rights" to the land. "I know that by the rules of our Society, I own this land," Kennedy says. "But I can't really say that it belongs to me."
In October 1996, Kennedy donated a conservation easement on the 185 acres in Cass County to the Minnesota Land Trust (MLT), which he had first learned about just four months earlier when a neighbor passed along the land trust's brochure.
The conservation easement permanently limits development on the land and establishes land use guidelines designed to protect the property's conservation values. Kennedy's easement will shelter a large parcel of shoreline habitat, critical to nesting bald eagles and other wildlife.
Kennedy received some income tax benefits from the donation estimated by an appraiser to have lowered the land's value by $54,000. a loss that the Internal Revenue Service recognizes as a charitable donation to a nonprofit organization. But the tax benefit was not Kennedy's primary motivation for placing a conservation easement on his land,
"If I should leave here, I know that all this will be preserved. This place is a refuge, a piece of paradise. I considered several options for the land and the best, I came to feel was to donate a conservation easement to a worthy protectorate, the Minnesota Land Trust" concluded Kennedy.
For information about our local land trust, the Chehalis River Basin Land Trust, please write to P.O. Box 1414, Centralia, WA 98531 or call Jan Strong at 360-495-3950
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By Hannah Merrill, Grays Harbor College Model Watershed Project Coordinator
Come and visit Grays Harbor College Model Watershed Project! Take a walk around the two miles of trail surrounding Lake Swano or see the returning salmon at the campus, John M. Smith Aquaculture Center. Autumn colors, migratory birds and returning salmon are just a few of the seasonal changes you will observe.
An undertaking of college students, staff, faculty and administrators, the Grays Harbor College (GHC) Model Watershed Project is dedicated to increasing awareness of watersheds. It is situated in the Alder Creek Watershed on the Grays Harbor College campus in Aberdeen.
The GHC Model Watershed Project supports water quality testing and is a resource for classes not only at the college, but for surrounding school districts as well. Teachers use this site to enhance lessons on salmon life cycles, ecosystems, natural resources, geology, fisheries and water quality monitoring. The GHC Model Watershed Project has a collection of water related curriculum and video resources in the John Spellman Library that instructors can borrow.
Trail head signs (graphic lay-out designed by Diversified Graphics, Aberdeen) were recently installed at the start of each trail segment by GHC college work-study students Phil Jurasin and Jerry Ward. Interpretive signs will be installed in the Spring. The interpretive signs will feature information about watersheds, the natural history of the area, as well as poems by retired GHC Humanities Instructor, Dr. Harold "Jim" Enrico.
The Grays Harbor College Model Watershed Project site is a "living laboratory" where people can learn more about the value of watersheds and how to care for them. Recovering from past resource extraction, such as logging and gravel mining, it serves as a model of natural processes and provides valuable insight into watersheds everywhere. The GHC Model Watershed Project is an example of stewardship in which people become partners in taking care of their community, the water and the Earth, and in doing so, of each other.
For a visit to the hatchery, call 538-4183 to be sure the newly renovated John M. Smith Aquaculture Center is open. The trail system around Lake Swano does not require an appointment. While visiting, it is important to remember to stay on the trail to avoid damage to plants and erosion. Please be considerate of all trail users by carrying out all your trash, leaving only footprints, moving quietly to observe more and keeping pets on a leash. Due to the fragile nature of the area all unauthorized wheeled or motorized vehicles are not allowed.
Poems by Dr. Enrico, reprinted in this issue, with permission, are from his books Dog Star and Rip Current .
THE PATHWAY
The river meanders where mountains cannot go.
I skirt a field where doves take wing.
Overhead, the power wires sing and sing.
Upon the lakeside, the wind breathes slow.
The shadow of a silver snag floats in the lake.
I gulp ice water to slake my thirst.
Three hawks hunt, loose-winged over trees, immersed
In the slack light their circling makes.
I choose a pathway into black trees.
The hawks still drag the light they made.
The wind tracks me down into cold shade
Through maidenhair fern and anemones
And grapples at the roots of my hair.
The pathway drops off into empty air.
c. Harold Enrico, Dog Star , 1990, pg. 68.
LESSONS
I learn to sleep from a stone.
Waking, I learn from the branches
In a bright wood.
Mornings, I go to school with the mole,
And study all afternoon with the beaver.
The hawk teaches me how to soar.
The crow lectures me in the simplest prose.
But my words are not for keeps.
Who I am is not mine to save.
The ant is less ignorant than I.
The sparrow knows more than I do.
His song has no end.
I envy the wisdom of the spider,
The knowledge of the rose.
At night, in my dreams, I practice
What I learned all day.
c. Harold Enrico, Rip Current , 1986, pg. 75.
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Early in November, we learned that Drops of Water effort had been awarded a grant.
Elizabeth Crossman, Vice President, Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation announced the grant in a letter to the Chehalis River Council Board of Trustees.
According to Dave Palmer, CRC chairman, "We deeply appreciate the confidence shown us by the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation. Their support of this effort is significant. 100% of the awarded funds will go to printing and mailing costs. The CRC has always donated the time and labor required to produce Drops of Water."
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Weyerhaeuser may go forward with new land management strategy
By Sybil Ackerman,
Endangered Habitats Project Coordinator
National Wildlife Federation
Weyerhaeuser is spending many hours developing goals and objectives for a new logging plan with interested citizens who represent tribes, conservation organizations, and state agency personnel. The subject at issue is Weyerhaeuser's proposal to create a Landowner Landscape Management Plan (LLP) for approximately 200 species of Fish and Wildlife on 106,000 acres of its property in Southwest Washington. Weyerhaeuser, along with Simpson, and five other timber companies are currently creating such plans. The LLP is very important because, if successful on a large scale, it could be the dominant management regime used by private timber companies in Washington in the future. As a result, the National Wildlife Federation is working in close cooperation with the Washington Wildlife Federation, the National Audubon Society, and the Washington Environmental Council, to let people know about the development of this important plan.
The LLP is new and different because timber companies are required to create a plan that will actually enhance habitat for imperiled species.
In return, the private timber company is absolved from complying with future forest practices rules for the duration of the LLP. Conservation organizations are watching these plans very closely to ensure that the LLP does not serve to further degrade important fish and wildlife habitat.
Weyerhaeuser's proposed LLP will last for twenty years (with an option to extend) and cover many species. Although the plan is currently in the early phases of negotiation, certain areas appear to be developing, a few of the developments are as follows: (1) Weyerhaeuser will group species with similar habitat needs into categories for which there will be standardized management measures; (2) Weyerhaeuser will delineate a smaller system of biotopes (or areas of sensitive ecological importance) across the landscape (logging may still be allowed in some biotopes); (3) Weyerhaeuser will create stream buffers for salmon and trout. The buffer widths and management measures are being negotiated.
Please come to a strategy meeting in Aberdeen to meet the members of the conservation community who are working with Weyerhaeuser on this LLP.
The meeting will be at the Aberdeen Public Library on Monday November 30 from 7-9 PM. Please call Sybil Ackerman, National Wildlife Federation, at 503-239-9227 or Becky Kelley, Washington Environmental Council, at 206-622-8103 for details about the meeting and to obtain information about the LLP issue.
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Watch for Notice of a South Fork Project Meeting in January
The South Fork of the Chehalis will be the focus of a special meeting, to be held in January. The meeting will provide information to landowners about the resources available for fencing and habitat restoration on the South Fork and tributaries such as Stillman Creek.
The meeting is being planned by a broad based group including the Department of Ecology, US Fish and Wildlife, the Chehalis Tribe, Washington State Cooperative Extension, Lewis County Conservation District, Weyerhaeuser timber company, and the Chehalis River Council. The goal of the meeting is to inform people of work being done in the South Fork subbasin and how they can contribute to improving water quality and restoring habitat. Of major interest will be financial resources currently available to assist with fencing projects. The meeting will also provide information on the status of salmon in this part of the Chehalis Basin and what the future may hold regarding possible Endangered Species listings.
Eric Schlorff of the Department of Ecology's non-dairy livestock project convened the planning group. He has been visiting farms along the South Fork to determine the extent of animal access to streams and what can be done to urge voluntary actions by farmers to provide fenced buffers. The South Fork Project meeting will probably be held at the Baw Faw Grange sometime in the first half of January. For more information, call Eric Schlorff at (360) 407-6227, or email esch461@ecy.wa.gov .
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Mike Kelly, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
I think a lot of us view long-range weather forecasting as a bunch of hocus-pocus. But after the accuracy with which meteorologists forecast the weather for our latest El Niño, I'm ready to sit up and listen. This winter they anticipate that a phenomenon known as La Niña will influence our weather. The question is, "How, and to what degree?"
As a resident of the Chehalis Basin, and as coordinator of the Chehalis Fisheries Restoration Program, I'm interested in how unusual weather in our region might affect both humans and fish. I guess it's really just curiosity, since we can't do anything about the weather anyway. In any event, here's what I've been able to find out.
First, some definitions: El Niño - As you might expect, this term is overly used and has strayed from its original meaning. "El Niño" originally referred to annual warming of sea surface water off the coast of Peru and Ecuador. This warming typically begins around Christmas time, and "El Niño" (the boy) is a reference to the Christ child. However, we normally think of El Niño as extreme sea surface warming in the eastern Pacific (west coast), and the unusual global weather patterns that it can cause.
ENSO - This is an acronym that stands for El Niño Southern Oscillation. Southern Oscillation refers to yearly changes in atmospheric pressure on either side of the Pacific that influence the strength of the trade winds. Basically, weaker than normal trade winds lead to El Niño, and stronger trade winds lead to La Niña. ENSO refers to the complete range of variation in these atmospheric pressure and wind patterns.
La Niña - This may end up being the most overly used term of 1999. La Niña (the girl) is essentially the opposite of El Niño. La Niña is also referred to as "El Viejo" (the old man) and "anti-El Niño," reflecting its opposite nature. As you've probably gathered, we are talking about colder than average sea surface temperatures along our coast.
So, what exactly should we expect in the Chehalis Basin this winter?
With something as complicated as global weather patterns, you don't always get what you expect. And it's important to realize that there are many factors that influence the weather. Scientists using sophisticated computer models and historical records say that La Niña brings an increased probability of a colder and wetter winter in the Pacific Northwest. These scientists stress that an "increased probability" does not guarantee anything.
I found data for Seattle and Portland, so I'd guess that we fall somewhere in between. Seattle averages about 10 inches of snow per year, with Portland coming in at about 8 inches. During moderate to strong La Niña events (as is the prediction) Seattle has averaged about 20 inches of snow, and Portland around 15 inches. The two snowiest winters on record were 1949-50 and 1968-69 with about 60 inches total for the season. The 1949-50 winter did coincide with a La Niña. However, the 1949-50 winter was during an El Niño, which is exactly the opposite of what you would expect. So there you go; nothing is certain.
If you are the type who likes to get panicky about these things, here is some information for you:
Because of the low elevation of most of the Chehalis Basin, our snow tends to melt off early, yet gradually. The trouble really starts when we get a "rain-on-snow event." Occasionally a significant snow fall is coincidently followed by a wet warm storm (locally known as a Pineapple Express), and we get lots of rain on lots of snow which all melts at once. The winter of 1995-96 included significant rain-on-snow events with associated flooding. The scientists say that there is an increased probability of rain-on-snow events, and resulting floods during La Niña winters. I don't want to cause any alarm, but I did save the Flood Preparedness Checklist from the October Drops of Water.
How does all of this affect salmon? Well, it could be good, or bad, or neither, or both. (Can you tell that I work for the government?)
Here's how it could be good: There is a phenomenon off our coast called "upwelling." Normal summer wind patterns cause deep, cold water to rise to the surface. This deep water brings a lot of the right kinds of nutrients to the surface, and results in rich production of sea life. During El Niño years, the reverse is true; we get less upwelling and less production. La Niña typically brings good upwelling, and good ocean conditions for salmon.
On the bad side, flooding can make for tough stream conditions for juvenile salmon and salmon eggs. Some salmon, especially newly hatched ones, who can't find calm water (like a beaver pond, a log-jam backwater, or side channel) may be washed out of the stream before they are ready. There may also be increased sediment movement, which can scour salmon nests (redds). This said, I'd like to stress that flooding is a natural process, which, except for occasional short-term harm, helps maintain and create good salmon habitat.
Of course, as I write this on November 3, 1998, the Chehalis River and its tributary streams are flowing at levels way below average for the date. I'd guess that salmon are (hopefully) stacked up out there waiting for higher water before they ascend the smaller streams. I hope by the time you read this that 1) higher flows have created good spawning conditions for the fall salmon runs, 2) you aren't buried under 30 inches of snow, and especially that 3) juvenile salmon are not seeking calm water habitat in your living room.
I'd like to thank the Tropical Atmosphere-Ocean (TAO) Project Office, Dr. Michael J. McPhaden, Director, and the University of Washington's Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean and the School of Marine Affairs Climate Impacts Groups for the information obtained from the following web sites.
http://tao.atmos.washington.edu/PNWimpacts/LaNina.html
http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/toga-tao/la-nina-story.html
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Tom Geiger, Outreach Director,
Washington Environmental Council
Brady Engvall, lifelong resident and oyster grower of Grays Harbor County was recently named a winner of the Environmental Heroes Award of the Washington Environmental Council. 
The Washington Environmental Council (WEC) held its annual awards dinner on November 20th to highlight and honor a few citizens whose efforts have significantly contributed to the protection of Washington's environment.
Brady became aware of the importance of clean water as a youngster, helping his father build and run the Westport Aquarium. As an adult, he worked long and hard to promote the oyster growing industry and work for clean water. In the last few years he has become a very active member of Friends of Grays Harbor (FOGH), a local group which educates the public on the benefits of clean water and works to protect the waters of Grays Harbor.
Founded in 1967, WEC works at the state level to influence environmental decisions that affect all our lives. WEC is a statewide coalition of 85 member groups and thousands of individual members working to protect our forests and wildlife, water and fish, open spaces, and quality of life.
Our state is recognized as one of the most ecologically diverse places on the planet. But that is changing. Today we struggle to save the very forests, clean water and wild salmon that define who we are and where we live. WEC strongly believes that our state's unique environment and natural heritage are worth protecting for the future. We honor Brady because he acts on this belief and does more than his part to help protect, preserve, and restore the state's quality environment for future generations.
Reaching Out To His Community
While many people who retire become sedentary, or go on cruises, Brady has maintained a high level of activity in his community. In 1996, Brady retired from the Oyster business and became a full-time advocate for clean water and the health of the Estuary. Over the years, he has increased his involvement in clean water to include the entire Chehalis River Watershed because he knew that what happens upstream runs downhill. He has always been able to see the long view, knowing that if action wasn't taken now to protect clean water, future generations would suffer the consequences.
One of Brady's major accomplishments was his recognition of the problems that would result in the location of a 2,000 bed prison along the shore of the Grays Harbor estuary. Aberdeen's wastewater treatment plant was already at capacity and had a history of by-passing raw sewage into the bay. The prison, as proposed, would have impacted 5-1/2 miles of sensitive estuarine wetlands on the north side of State Route 105 and dug under six salmon-bearing creeks, and increased the flow of sewage and waste water to the already problematic Aberdeen system.
In response to this threat, Brady and other concerned citizens joined together in a group that became known as "FOGH" (Friends of Grays Harbor). Through his inspiration and tireless devotion to the issues of the environment, the group worked for over two years to bring the Department of Corrections, Department of Ecology, Army Corps of Engineers, Grays Harbor County and other regulatory agencies to recognize the seriousness of the impacts that would result from this project. He raised the awareness of the importance of clean water to members of his immediate community and carried his message to individuals and organizations throughout the State.
Through a mediation process, the Department of Corrections altered their plans resulting in a significant reduction of wetland impacts. In addition, the City of Aberdeen admitted the lack of sewer capacity and agreed that the wastewater treatment plant would be repaired.
A Trusted Person in a Cynical Time
We live in a time when it seems that most people have hidden agendas. Brady, however, is the real thing. What you see is what you get. His opinion is valued by many because of his hard-working attitude and his long-term vision.
Most impressive about Brady is after all the work, success, and recognition, he would be the first to say, "I couldn't have done it without the involvement and hard work of everyone else." It sure is nice in this day and age to know that there are people like Brady to inspire and encourage honesty, integrity and humility. He is a true hero.
His activities include:
Board Membership:
Organizational Membership
Citizens Involvement Committee for the EIS on erosion in Ocean Shores
Governor's Erosion Task Force
CWC (Chehalis Watershed Coalition)
Grays Harbor Chapter of Audubon,
Major supporter (organizer) for:
Washington Surfrider Foundation Clean Water Paddle (3 years)
Brady's Annual Oyster Feed (7 years) (Proceeds to Clean Water projects)
Elk River Challenge (3 years)
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