Drops
Of
Water
Issue 28 March 1999
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 28 March 1999 |
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. |
ABERDEEN: The Chehalis River Council (CRC) joined with its partner non-profit organization, Friends Of Grays Harbor (FOGH), for a combined annual meeting held at the Trout Unlimited office in Aberdeen.
Three watershed residents were recognized at the January 16th meeting.
Ilona Petersen, Doty, was recognized as the Annual Chehalis Water- shed Award winner.
Mrs. Petersen through her volunteer efforts on flooding issues has had a significant impact on the entire watershed.
As a member of the Lewis County Flood Control Zone Citizen Advisory Committee, and as Chairman of the a Chehalis Sub-zone Committee, she has brought new vision and new potential flood solutions to the attention of the public. The sub-zone committee has conducted public meetings throughout the watershed.
In previous years, this award has gone to Brady Engvall and to R.D. Grunbaum and Linda Orgel.
Karen Knutsen, Onalaska, was recognized as the CRC Volunteer of the Year for her many efforts to bring scientific knowledge to the forefront in watershed decisions. Dr. Knutsen has supported the Chehalis River Council, Friends of Grays Harbor, and the Grays Harbor Audubon Society in their concerns about sewage sludge application sites, steel mill proposals and the preservation of mitigation lands. Tom White was the CRC Volunteer of the Year last year.
Bill Barmettler, Chehalis, received a new award, the Inspirational Activist Award, for his efforts as a first-time activist in protection of the Chehalis Basin Watershed environment.
His well-researched appeal of the Settlers' Ridge project in the Coal Creek-Salzer watershed resulted in the withdrawal of the Mitigated Determination of Significance. At this time, the outcome is not known, but it is likely to be significantly better because of Mr. Barmettler's efforts.
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Care about beaches? Good with people? Sign up to be a volunteer beach naturalist at a Seattle-area beach this summer. Naturalists will receive 25 hours of training from beach ecology and interpretive experts (in April and May) and then spend two or three summer Saturdays educating visitors about the beach environment and beach etiquette at Alki Beach, Golden Gardens, Carkeek Park and Vashon. People who live near these beaches are especially encouraged to participate, but anyone with the time, interest and commitment is welcome.
An orientation session for the program will be held Wednesday evening, April 7 at the Seattle Aquarium. To sign up or with any questions about the program, please call Polly Freeman at (206) 296-8359, or email Polly Freeman at polly.freeman@metrokc.gov.
The partners launching this new Beach Naturalist Program include Adopt-a-Beach, the Seattle Aquarium, King County, People for Puget Sound, Puget Sound Action Team, Seattle Parks, University of Washington Sea Grant and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Polly Freeman
King County Water
and Land Resources Division 700 Fifth Avenue #2200 Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 296-8359
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By Teri King Washington Sea Grant Program
Since there are so many different styles of on-site sewage systems installed in this area, there are really no sure-fire ways to locate individual septic tanks unless it has risers to the surface of the ground.
Probably the easiest way to find your tank is to look through all of the papers you received when you purchased your home. If you do not have septic records, contact your local health department to obtain a copy of the "as built" for your system. Depending on the age of your system the county could have a record of where your contractor put your system. A plan known as an "as built" should have been filed by the contractor when it was installed and inspected. Unfortunately there is not always a record in the files, but never fear, there are some tricks of the trade that can help you locate your tank with or without a record.
General directions for locating a concrete septic tank
To help the homeowner who wants to locate his own tank, we went out and got helpful tips from the professionals who do this for a living.
The experts suggest that you walk outdoors and position yourself outside of your main bathroom. Look up on your rooftop and find the exhaust vent that lines up with the toilet in the bathroom. Once you have lined up the vent and the bathroom, walk straight out from the house approximately 8-10 feet. Push a long probe bar into the ground at that 8-10 foot distance.
If you hit cement you have located the top of your septic tank. If you think your tank is fiberglass, and you use a probe bar you will probably punch a hole in the top of your tank. To avoid this problem you should put down the bar and pick up the shovel.
If for some reason you were not able to locate the tank on the first attempt do not get discouraged, walk an additional 5 feet from your original probe or shoveling spot and try again. If you still are unable to locate the tank, then go 5 feet to the right or left of your first probe spot. When you are finished using these steps even if your tank sits on an angle, you should have found it.
General directions for locating your mobile home septic tank
In the event that you own a mobile home, the locating of your septic system might be a little more complex. The experts suggest that you should use your crawl space to locate the sewage line that goes underground. This line is usually a 3 inch pipe that leads to your system. By walking out 8-10 feet from the house in the direction of the main line, you should be able to locate your tank.
With newer and updated systems sometimes clean out traps were installed. These traps allow owners to clean clogged pipes. If you have one of these traps, use the probing method described by going straight out from the trap.
Uncovering your tank
Regardless of how you located your cement or fiberglass tank, you will need to uncover the top of your tank so that you can access the lids.
There should be two to three lids on top of your tank that lead to the different chambers of your sewage system. Septic pumpers usually like to have the whole top exposed, there by making the job faster, easier, and less costly for the homeowner.
So grab a good heavy shovel and a strong metal probe bar, and see if you can locate your tank. Knowing the location of your tank in advance relieves the pressure of trying to locate it in an emergency. Once you have located the tank, make sure that you make a record of where you have found it. Consider retrofitting your septic tank with risers to the surface so that gaining access to your system is as easy as turning the screw on the lid covering. Regardless, make sure that you put your records someplace where you can find them later.
Although septic systems are traditionally placed out of sight, homeowners need to know where they are and how they function.
By learning and using simple maintenance and care techniques owners can avoid inconvenient and costly repairs.
In a unique partnership with local and state agencies, Washington Sea Grant Program provides workshops, resources and information materials to help owners care for their septic systems. To find out more about on-site sewage system educational opportunities, contact Teri King with the University of Washington Sea Grant Program at (360) 427-9670 ext. 396.
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Editor's note: With all the interest in salmon recovery we are reprinting this January 1997 article:
You won't find salmon swimming up your shower drain--and yet your bathroom and kitchen faucets are linked to the salmon's migratory cycle.
It isn't news that fish need water. And it isn't news that a growing human population is drawing more and more water from streams and rivers for its own use. But many people don't realize how much impact an individual household can have. In a typical home, each individual uses between 70 and 90 gallons a day. Multiply that by the population of even a modest-sized town and you'll find a good portion of the neighboring stream taking a detour through a pipe. Think of the water splashing into your sink as a bit of salmon habitat.
If all the water disappears, the fish die (and that happens with some rivers). But the amount of water in the stream matters to salmon in more subtle ways, too. Juvenile salmon ("smolts") need fast flows in the spring to help them down to the sea. Low flows in the summer make it likelier that the water will warm up to a dangerous temperature for fish. Warmer water carries less dissolved oxygen while at the same time increasing the metabolism of the young salmon. Salmon don't survive well at temperatures above 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and usually die above 77 degrees F.
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If water levels drop too far in the fall or winter, they may expose the nests ("redds") where the spawning females have deposited their eggs. And less water means less dilution of the chemicals we allow to enter the stream.
Households can do a great deal to conserve water, leaving it in the river for the salmon's migration. Among the easily accomplished steps to consider:
Check for leaks. Even a slow drip can waste 20 gallons a day. Fix leaking faucets, and check toilets for failing valves (place dye or food coloring in the tank and see if it show up in the bowl). You can inspect your entire water system for hidden leaks by turning off all faucets and checking the meter to see if it continues to show use.
Install low-flow shower heads. Not only will these save a dozen gallons or more for a typical shower, they usually pay for themselves in lower water and electric bills within a year. Low-flow aerators on faucets can save as much as 12 gallons per minute of use.
Put a water displacement device (a weighted plastic bottle will do) in every toilet; this can save gallons per flush.
Use water efficiently: Leave the faucet off while shaving or brushing teeth; use the dishwasher and washing machine only for full loads; keep showers short; while waiting for hotter or colder water from the tap, catch the spillage for watering plants or other uses; flush the toilet only when necessary not to dispose of bits of trash.
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Editor's note: With all the interest in salmon recovery we are reprinting this Dec. 1996 article:
The news that water flows downhill, and that fish depend on water, won't come as a shock to anyone.
Yet these statements add up to an often-ignored fact about the habitat needs of salmon (and everything else that depends on the river). Salmon don't just live in water--they live in watersheds. From the crest of the surrounding hills to the estuary at the mouth, a river's watershed is the entire basin from which it gathers its waters. As water percolates through the soil to the stream, down the stream to the river, and eventually out to sea, its quality and quantity is affected by everything it touches. Salmon are affected by anything that happens is the watershed, even though it may seemingly take place far from the river.
Salmon are affected by the water's temperature and nutrient content, by the amount of sediment and oxygen it carries, by the rate of its flow, and by other factors. All the natural systems in the watershed--forests, meadows, wetlands, rock outcroppings--contribute to the composition of the water.
The watershed determines the amount and force of the water in the river, and the material carried down by its flow from higher elevations. These factors shape the river bottom, which is another important aspect of salmon habitat. Here, behind a large log, the force of the stream may have dug a deep pool, where young salmon shelter in the summer and returning adults rest on their way to the spawning grounds. There, quiet eddies may have dropped their loads of silt, creating mud which supports a marsh. In another place, the river has deposited beds of gravel, which salmon need for spawning. Some species prefer to lay their eggs in pea-sized gravel, while other can use rocks as large as cantaloupes. The particular types of habitat provided by the river depend on the larger influence of the watershed.
Salmon evolved to cope with a sequence of habitats found in natural watersheds. In a typical river system, tributary streams in the upper reaches are heavily shaded by forests, which drop large quantities of leaf litter and other organic material into the water. Fallen trees in the stream trap spawning gravel on the upstream side, and create plunge pools below where young fish shelter and feed. Many of the aquatic insects available as prey in these areas belong to a group know as "shredders", which devour large bits of plant material floating in the water.
In the middle reaches of the river, the tree canopy opens up and more sunlight falls on the water, prompting algae growth.
Here the prey species likely belong to groups know as "scrapers," which harvest algae from the rocks, and "collectors," such as net-spinning caddies fly larvae, which strain finer bits of organic material from the water.
At its lower end, the river may wander in many channels across its floodplain, providing a wealth of fish habitats in its wetlands, sloughs and oxbows. In these marshes and estuaries, ocean-bound salmon gorge on clouds of small crustaceans such as copepods and amphipods.
All human activity in the watershed affects salmon habitat. Timber-cutting, for instance, may remove shade and large streamside logs that once fell periodically into the stream. Road construction and agriculture often cause erosion, which in turn fills the water with sediment that can clog spawning gravel. Culverts can block fish passage and alter water flow. Removing creek meanders or beaver dams and filling wetlands eliminates feeding areas and the slow-water areas so important for sheltering young coho and other salmon from the raging winter currents. Dams can slow the force of the river's flow preventing it from cleansing sediment from its bed and moving gravel downstream.
Because human beings live in watersheds, we are part of the salmon's habitat. In many areas, small landowners, timber companies, fishermen, environmentalists, farmers, tribal members, agency representatives, and others are working together to restore watersheds and improve salmon habitat. Often called watershed, these coalitions are finding ways to put aside differences and pool resources to help the salmon. These groups work together to assess the health of their watershed, identify areas where restoration efforts can best help the salmon, and seek out willing landowners to implement habitat restoration projects.
Projects undertaken by watershed groups have included stream surveys, tree planting (to provide shade along stream banks), road and bank stabilization (to prevent erosion), culvert repair (to facilitate fish passage--for both young and adult fish), placing logs in streams (to create shelter and deep pools), side-channel construction (to provide slow water areas for winter shelter), and cattle watering and fencing (to keep cows and sheep out of streams). Participants have included loggers, fishermen, agency personnel, civic groups, environmentalists, and youth groups ...entire communities, taking responsibility for their watersheds.
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- Ann Coleman,Youth Corner Editor
RIDDLES:
Where did the duck go when he lost his back feathers?
What is a mosquito's favorite sport?
What do bees ride to school?
Stream Banks
Once upon a time there was a girl named Maria. She was very mischievous and got into a lot of trouble. One day she was walking along the river watching the ripples and swirls race downstream, when suddenly the bank collapsed. Maria was plunged into the icy-cold water that tossed her around like a little toy. After what seemed like a long time, Maria struggled to the shore.
She came home soaking wet and crying. She felt so bad! Her mother got her fresh clothes and medicine so she wouldn't get sick. "What happened to you" her mother asked. Maria told her.
Her mother yelled, "Why were you down by the river? I told you never to go there without an adult. Didn't I tell you that"?
"Yes, Mom," Maria said. "But it was so beautiful I just had to go. I love it down there. It's so quiet and calm. I'm sorry, Mom. I'll never do it again. I promise! Do you forgive me"?
"Maria, of course I forgive you. But that was a very dangerous thing to do, and I will have to punish for your disobeying."
"I know Mom".
"You are grounded for a week. You also have to go to your room and think about what you did wrong and why it was wrong."
"Yes, Mom".
The End.
The message of this story is that river and creek banks can be badly undercut during high water. While they look good from where you are, they have the potential to collapse. And the results could be deadly.
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To the re-tail store.
Skin diving
A buzzzzzzzz
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Mike Kelly, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Chehalis Fisheries Restoration Program
Well, it's been an interesting wet season so far. The Chehalis River has been over flood stage six times as of February 8th. So there have been plenty of opportunities get out there and see how water flows over the land. Here are some observations and thoughts.
I've had some interesting visits recently to some creeks in the area around Chehalis and Centralia. The good news is that we found salmon carcasses in the upper reaches of some of these creeks. However, the trips were mostly a good illustration of how land use practices can influence the frequency and magnitude of flood flows, as well as causing damage to the streams themselves.
There's some good timber land out there. We need roads if we want to get that timber. The roads have ditches. These ditches intercept water that would otherwise trickle slowly through the forest floor. The result is that the water moves off the land faster.
There's some good farm land out there. Since we don't live in a good rice growing climate it is not desirable to have standing water on your farm land. There are effective ways to drain the water, thereby improving the land for farming. One can dig ditches, install drain tiles, dredge, straighten creeks, and remove instream obstructions, among other things. Heck, the government has told farmers to do it. The result is that the water moves off the land faster.
There's some good residential and commercial land out there. Some of it is a little too wet, so it can be improved for development by filling it in. Now you can build a house, a school, a shopping center, a parking lot, etc. The rain that would have soaked into the ground and collected in the low spots now lands on roofs and pavement. On my house too. The result is that the water moves off the land faster.
Since it is the frequency and magnitude of flows that determine the shape and capacity of a stream, long term changes in flow will cause changes to the form of the stream. For example, if logs and beaver dams and other things that slow down flows are removed, the water moves faster and with more energy. Plus, the land use practices mentioned above deliver even more water to the stream. So now the stream has even more water moving with even more energy. Something's gotta give. The streambed is likely to scour, and streambanks are likely to erode. Given enough time, the stream can establish a new form that will accommodate the new flows. But who wants that? Banks erode, fish habitat is destroyed, downstream areas are flooded, and people lose land (without losing the tax liability). The nature of flowing water is such that you can't change it upstream without consequences downstream.
This "moving the water off of the land faster business" causes obvious impacts during the winter. But what about the summer? Well, it follows that if the water moves off the land faster in winter, there will be less of it around in the summer. That is exactly what is happening in the Chehalis Basin. Low spots are filled, wetlands are drained, groundwater is intercepted, and insufficient water is left to recharge the streams in the summer.
Unfortunately, the traditional solutions to some of these problems don't really treat the causes of the problems. These traditional approaches include hardening streambanks with rock, dredging stream bottoms, and building levees and dikes. These fixes usually just move the problem downstream, and they are often very unfriendly to fish and wildlife.
So what else can we do?
I think we need to examine the causes of the problems, and find solutions that benefit the entire watershed. For example, timber companies are redesigning and relocating roads so that they don't concentrate flows; people can pull drain tiles, and (re)create wetlands on certain farmlands; towns can stop building in floodplains, and even move things out of harm's way; people can establish buffers on streambanks by planting and protecting trees, and then leave downed wood in the stream; we can look for opportunities to reconnect old side channels that have been cut off by roads.
Each of these little solutions work similarly to each of the little problems. They each build "cumulative effects." In other words, a couple of farm ditches, or a couple of logging roads, or a few new houses do very little by themselves. It is when these practices accumulate over the landscape that real changes begin to occur. You may not think much can be accomplished by planting a few trees, but the cumulative effects of many new trees will give positive results.
Of course, people's land use objectives need to be considered. A family that makes its living on the land is not likely to convert the farm to wetland. However, there are ways to maintain land use objectives while having a positive influence on the water. I would encourage people to contact their local Conservation District, or Cooperative Extension if they would like to speak with a specialist. There may be things you can do that are eligible for funding through various programs. And I am certainly willing to put my money (er...our federal taxes) where my mouth is, and come out to your property to see if there's anything that my program can do. Even if my program can't help I may be able to find another contact for you. Feel free to call me. (Mike Kelly at 360-753-9560)
Anyway, that's what I was thinking while rambling around the watershed inspecting projects this past couple of weeks. (I was also thinking about the cougar with cubs that I saw on the same stream this past summer. I was feeling a little paranoid - like a surfer out in live water. Shark, shark, shark....lion, lion, lion... Then I broke through a salmonberry thicket going up a rise and came face to face with whiskers, fur and teeth. I'm telling you, a baby possum five feet away looks a lot like a cougar at 50 feet away. At least just for an instant. Uh...never mind.)
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