Drops
Of
Water
Issue 35 December 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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Welcome
to the
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Issue 35 December 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 Drops of Water 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. |
Special Thanks
Drops of Water is funded by organizations interested in the watershed.
This edition was made possible by substantial grants from:
Weyerhaeuser Company
- Washington State Department of Transportation
- Chehalis Basin Partnership
and the continuing support of the U.S. FWS.
Inside this Issue
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Mike Kelly, U.S. FWS
You know how dictionaries often give the origin of a word along with its meaning? Well, I checked our 2648-page Webster's Unabridged Dictionary to see where the word "culvert" comes from. It simply says "origin unknown." It seems that no one even wants credit for coming up with the word.
So why try to make a bad joke about how bad culverts are? Because they can be bad for fish.
By the way, the definition of "culvert" is: a transverse drain or waterway (as under a road, railroad or canal).
In my English it's: the pipe under the road where water runs through.
A poorly placed, undersized, clogged, or damaged culvert can be very difficult, if not impossible for fish to swim through. Adult salmon trying to reach good spawning habitat are often stopped cold, or seriously injured, trying to pass through a culvert. Salmon fry looking for good rearing habitat may be blocked by a culvert that the adult salmon swam through easily. Other species of fish and aquatic organisms, who may be much weaker swimmers than salmon, still need to go up and down streams too. Also, sediment and wood transport may be altered at a culvert, potentially damaging natural habitat formation downstream. A culvert may even be too small, or clogged, and cause a road to wash out during very high flows - that's not good for anything living downstream.
A couple of years ago Washington State estimated that there were over 3000 miles of salmon stream blocked by culverts, and that's just on the highways! Think of it: that's a stream that would reach from Westport to the Idaho border EIGHT TIMES. The estimate does not even include private drives, timber roads, and old railroad grades, for example. I bet you'd get a few more trips to Idaho if ALL the culverts were counted.
Fixing culverts is one of the biggest priorities for habitat restoration efforts like the Chehalis Fisheries Restoration Program. Some culvert fixes can be quite easy, cheap, and quick. Others can be rather difficult and expensive. It depends a lot on the type of road and how much use it gets, how much fill is above the culvert, the size of the stream, and a variety of other considerations. There are also a variety of ways to fix a culvert.
The best way to fix a culvert is to simply remove it and stabilize the disturbed ground. We are often able to do this when a logging road is closed. Generally, replacing a culvert with a bridge is a better solution. You can also install a larger culvert, and design it to sit well below the natural stream bed level. Occasionally it works well to place a series of partially buried logs just downstream to back the water up into the existing culvert.
So, what can you do to help? Well, if you happen to know of a culvert that you suspect is a problem for fish - give me a call! Like I said, there are many unknown culverts sitting out there, and it will take people like you to point them out. This is a good time of year to go look at your local neighborhood culvert. You may be able to observe fish attempting to pass through it.
And if you want to know a ton more about culverts, check out this excellent Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife web site:
Fish Passage Design at Road Culverts
http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/hab/engineer/cm/toc.htm
My name is Mike Kelly, and I manage the Chehalis Fisheries Restoration Program for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I can be reached at 360-753-9560.
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ACROSS
3. This farm animal has a reputation of eating anything
6. The leather chair on a horse
8. An egg factory
10. This bird will wake you in the morning.
13. Baby cows
14. This farm animal has no manners when he eats
16. A tool used in the old days for haying
17. Home to all these animals
DOWN
1. This farm animal says "moo"
2. You put this on your cereal.
4. Farmers use this machine to work their fields.
5. Stable
6. Bib ______
9. Cowboys ride this animal to do their work
11. Fired, boiled or scramble _____.
12. Baby chickens
14. Grazing land.
15. Tall tower where farmers store grain or silage.
Ann Coleman, our regular editor, has the month off. This puzzle was created by Cheryl Coleman, her mother.
For the answers Click here
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In 1996 the Department of Ecology developed a strategy to control sources of water pollution that were identified during extensive water quality studies of the upper Chehalis River watershed. These studies found several pollutants that caused regular violations of state water quality standards. The source of the pollutants included treated effluent from municipal sewage and industrial wastewater (also known as "point sources"), and "nonpoint sources" of pollution such as livestock manure, failing septic systems, and urban stormwater runoff.
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Sites that attracted Ecology's attention had one or more of the following characteristics -- obvious contamination with livestock manure, bank erosion due to livestock trampling, and destruction of waterfront vegetation due to direct animal access. |
Prior to the project described in this article, the Department of Ecology modified point source discharge permits to reduce pollution loads, and inspected all known milking dairies in the Upper Chehalis River watershed. The dairy inspections identified pollution sources and required pollution control measures as directed by the legislature under the Dairy Nutrient Management Act.
This project had two primary objectives.
The first objective was to identify sources of pollution that could be traced to non-dairy livestock operations. The second objective was to contact the owners/operators, make them aware of their liability under state pollution control laws and encourage them to voluntarily implement best management practices (BMPs) that would stop the pollution. Sites that attracted Ecology's attention had one or more of the following characteristics -- obvious contamination with livestock manure, bank erosion due to livestock trampling, and destruction of waterfront vegetation due to direct animal access.
An attempt was made to evaluate as many livestock operations in the upper Chehalis River watershed as possible during the 15-month project period. Just finding sites was often a challenge. In all cases, pollution sources were observed during a courtesy visit approved by the landowner or from public rights of way.
Approximately 100 people with livestock operations were personally contacted. Out of those one hundred, 78 livestock operations were evaluated for pollution sources. Thirty-six (36) of the livestock operations evaluated (46 percent) were found to have an obvious pollution problem or to have a significant potential to pollute. Another 18 operations (23 percent) were judged to have a moderate potential to pollute and 19 (24 percent) had a low potential.
Each contact included a description of the pollution prevention and control resources that are available through local conservation districts. These resources include free technical assistance with the development of a farm conservation plan, free design of pollution control practices, and often, partial financial help with installing the practices necessary to control pollution.
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VOLUNTARY INTEREST IN COMPLIANCE Out of 100 livestock operations contacted, 78 were voluntarily evaluated for pollution sources. 36 had an significant potential to pollute 23 had a moderate potential to pollute 19 had a low potential to pollute but only 11 sought technical or financial assistance |
Was the project successful in correcting sources of pollution?
You be the judge. Since it can take several months to actually install pollution control practices, and years of monitoring to scientifically document water quality improvements, it was decided that for this short-term project the best measure of success would be whether or not the people contacted by Ecology actually followed up by getting in touch with their local conservation district for technical assistance.
At the time this project was completed (June 1999) this is the type of voluntary response that we were able to document:
Lewis County -- Five individuals contacted the conservation district
Grays Harbor County -- One individual contacted the conservation district
Thurston County -- Three individuals contacted the conservation district
In addition, Two individuals have contacted the Chehalis Tribe for the habitat restoration assistance it can provide.
A total of 11 individuals (or 14 percent) voluntarily contacted their local conservation districts or the Chehalis Tribe for technical/financial assistance. How many of these will actually complete the farm planning process and install practices is unknown. However, experience has shown that the number of these 11 people that will actually obtain a farm plan and implement water quality BMPs without regular encouragement by either Ecology or their local conservation district will be small.
Here are some of the things we learned from this project:
There is a great deal of distrust of government among the individuals in the basin.
There was also a denial that a problem exists, or a rejection of the idea that contamination of water by their livestock could be a problem.
The non-regulatory nature of the project was intended to get more people willing to allow access to their property. Yet, because many people were distrustful, they didn't allow access anyway.
Because there was a commitment to a non-regulatory approach during this project, there was no consequence if someone was unwilling to correct an identified problem voluntarily.
Providing financial assistance to landowners for implementation of water quality BMPs can be a problem. Many individuals resisted fencing or other fixes due to the costs. Some of these same people were not willing to go through the bureaucratic process of contacting the conservation districts that may have access to funds to help landowners install these types of projects.
Where we go from here?
That hasn't been decided. What we do know is that the state can be sued under the Federal Clean Water Act if it fails to stop pollution and correct known water quality problems. Other states have consistently lost these kinds of court cases, resulting in court-mandated solutions and costs to the general taxpaying citizen. Private individuals can also be sued under the same laws, resulting in financial loss and court mandated actions. We all benefit when problems are corrected voluntarily. Contact your local conservation district today to see if can help prevent this from becoming an issue for you!
Grays Harbor Conservation District (360)249-5980
Lewis County Conservation District (360)748-0083 extension 4
Thurston Conservation District (360)754-3588
For further information about this project contact Kahle Jennings at the Department of Ecology (360) 407-6310.
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Editors note: An Opinion/Editorial appearing in this edition deals with sanitary sewer overflows. Here is U.S. EPA background information on the topic.
Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) are discharges of raw sewage from municipal sanitary sewer systems. SSOs can release untreated sewage into basements or out of manholes and onto city streets, playgrounds and into streams before it can reach a treatment facility.
Why are SSOs a problem?
EPA has found that SSOs caused by poor sewer collection system management pose a substantial health and environmental challenge. The response to this challenge varies considerably from state to state. Many municipalities have asked for national consistency in the way permits are considered for wastewater discharges, including SSOs, and in enforcement of the law prohibiting unpermitted discharges.
In response, EPA has convened representatives of states, municipalities, health agencies, and environmental advocacy groups to advise the Agency on how to best meet this challenge. This SSO Federal Advisory Subcommittee examines the need for national consistency in permitting and enforcement, effective sewer operation and maintenance principles, public notification for SSOs with potential health or environmental dangers, and other public policy issues. EPA carefully considers the Subcommittee's recommendations for regulatory and nonregulatory actions to reduce SSOs nationally.
Why Do Sewers Overflow?
SSOs occasionally occur in almost every sewer system, even though systems are intended to collect and contain all the sewage that flows into them. When SSOs happen frequently, however, it means something is wrong with the system.
Problems that can cause chronic SSOs include:
Infiltration and Inflow (I&I):
too much rainfall or snowmelt infiltrating through the ground into leaky sanitary sewers not intended to hold rainfall or to drain property, excess water inflowing through roof drains connected to sewers, broken pipes, badly connected sewer service lines
Undersized Systems:
Sewers and pumps are too small to carry sewage from newly-developed subdivisions or commercial areas
Pipe Failures:
blocked, broken or cracked pipes, tree roots grow into the sewer, sections of pipe settle or shift so that pipe joints no longer match, sediment and other material builds up causing pipes to break or collapse
Equipment Failures:
pump failures, power failures
Sewer Service Connections: discharges occur at sewer service connections to houses and other buildings, some cities estimate that as much as 60% of overflows comes from the service lines
Deteriorating Sewer System: improper installation, improper maintenance, widespread problems can be expensive to fix develop over time.
Some municipalities have found severe problems necessitating billion-dollar correction programs.
Often communities have to curtail new development until problems are corrected or system capacity is increased
EPA is currently in the process of evaluating the extent of SSOs nationally. EPA will work with the public and constituent groups across the country to identify and evaluate issues associated with these overflows to protect human health, property, and water quality.
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You might recall the debate which surrounded the recent Shorelines Management Act. Now, Ecology has been working on Stormwater Management for some time and there has been a lot of public involvement. there is still an opportunity for written comments.
Background
In 1992 the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) published its ''Stormwater Management Manual for the Puget Sound Basin.'' Local jurisdictions and businesses have used this manual to design stormwater programs to protect our state waters from stormwater runoff.
The objective of the manual is to provide guidance on the measures necessary to control the quantity and quality of stormwater runoff produced by new development and redevelopment, to comply with water quality standards and protect beneficial uses of the receiving waters.
The users of the manual include engineers, planners, environmental scientists, plan reviewers, and inspectors from local and state government, and private industry.
Why is Ecology Revising the Manual?
There are several drivers behind the revisions to the manual.
The manual was written in 1990-1991, drawing from research done in the 1980's. Even as the manual was published, deficiencies and shortcomings were evident. In addition, lessons learned from applying the manual and information from current research all point out additional deficiencies and errors in the manual.
Actual and proposed listings under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) call for significant changes in the way we manage urban runoff. Updating the Stormwater Manual to include new information and standards that are more protective will likely be an essential element in managing urban runoff under the ESA.
Anticipated federal stormwater rules will require the use of a more technically sound manual and will likely require the use of the manual by local governments statewide. The manual was originally written for the Puget Sound area. With this update of the manual, Ecology is seeking to broaden the applicability of the manual to the entire state.
With help from technical advisory committees, Ecology's Water Quality Program staff have been working for the past year to review, update, and expand the manual for statewide use. Staff worked with five separate advisory committees, with over 70 members representing a broad range of expertise and interests. We are now looking for even broader input to guide the manual revision.
Ecology has conducted public workshops.
The comment period on this public review draft will end December 15, 1999. Prior to finalizing the manual, Ecology will publish a final review draft and hold public hearings on the documents.
Who to Contact for More Information
If you have any questions on the proposed schedule or public review process, please e-mail Tony Barrett at tbar461@ecy.wa.gov or call him at (360) 407-6467. The TDD number is (360) 407-6006.
If you are not already on Ecology's stormwater mailing list and would like to receive future mailings about the progress of the Stormwater Manual, please send your name and address
(e-mail if available) to:
Donna Lynch, Water Quality Program, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600
Opinion Page Editorial
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Winter Rains Once Again Jeopardize Aberdeen Citizen's Health
Grays Harbor residents need to be on alert as the winter rains start. As the water falls, it absorbs into the surrounding land water table until the land becomes saturated. The water collects as run-off from impervious surfaces such as parking lots, buildings, and channeling devices such as gutters and storm drains. The result is flooded downtown streets, a compromised and surcharged sewer collection system, and a treatment plant that backs up into the toilets and basements of citizens and spills untreated sewage into the streets where you can actually see sewage bubbling around manholes and onto surrounding lawns.
In technical terms, these sewage spills are called Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) and are illegal. The federal Clean Water Act (CWA) prohibits what is called point-source discharges of pollutants to waters of the United States. Unpermitted discharges from sanitary-sewer systems, e.g., SSOs, violate the Clean Water Act.
In plain terms, this intermittent Sewer Overflow threatens the citizens of Aberdeen and the marine resource industry (fish and shellfish). Errant sewage also has the potential to effect salmon recovery in certain places and under certain conditions. In fact, Grays Harbor faces the same health risks as North Carolina after Hurricane Floyd. Unfortunately, Aberdeen does not need a hurricane to meet the same environmental problems and grave health risks as the folks in North Carolina did.
Bubbling manholes and sewer back ups are regular occurrences in certain areas of the city every winter whenever there is (a) significant rainfall. Just last year Aberdeen experienced geysers of sewage pumping into the streets. This event was not only captured by The Daily World in its newspaper photos, but also the Seattle TV news cameras focused on this health problem.
Sewage comes up onto the streets and backs up in toilets because Aberdeen's wastewater system does not have the capacity to handle the sewage whenever there is a downpour. However, this sewage has to go somewhere and if it overflows the treatment system it goes into the Estuary where our oysters and clams grow, and it flows out of the manholes into the yards and buildings of the people who live, go to school and operate businesses in the lowlands.
Why should we be concerned? The same reason the authorities in North Carolina were concerned after Hurricane Floyd. Direct skin contact with levels of fecal coliform found in sewage can cause disease and illness. It is a well-known scientific fact that viruses and Giardia are present in relatively high concentrations in raw sewage. Some of the health risks include Hepatitis A, Listeria, Salmonella and Cryptosporidium. Children and the elderly are especially vulnerable to these problems. There are also possible reproductive risks.
Aberdeen's wastewater system cannot handle the volume of wastewater it presently receives. Yet, it plans to add approximately 3,000 more users to the system when the Stafford Creek Correction Center (SCCC) opens, in addition to new users from other approved developments. Friends of Grays Harbor (FOGH) sued the city because they knew the wastewater treatment system could not handle the prison waste without jeopardizing human health and the environment. The City recognized this to be an important goal and entered into a settlement which agreed that they would NOT hook up the prison unless they had capacity. More recently, the City has conducted a comprehensive audit that confirmed that the system lacks sufficient capacity to handle the prison waste.
FOGH feels the health of Aberdeen citizens and the future of our marine resource industries are too important for compromise. Therefore FOGH calls upon all Grays Harbor citizens and Aberdeen residents to insist the city once and for all fix the Wastewater Treatment System and protect its citizens from dangerous health risks.
Brady Engvall, President, Friends of Grays Harbor
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Teri King, Washington Sea Grant Program
Wet weather is a good time to check your septic system.
Some things are much easier to observe during wet weather than any other time. Leakage into your septic system and lot drainage are two such things. If you have an effluent pump as part of your system now is a good time to check for leakage into the system. If you have controls that record the number of times the pump starts and the time it stays on, record those numbers. More than usual cycles or run-time can indicate a problem. Call your installer or the health department if you have questions about how to interpret the results.
If you do not have recording system controls, listen to see if the pump seems to be starting too frequently to be explained by the water usage in your home. Your drainfield was not designed to handle household sewage and large volumes of leakage too.
For septic systems without pumps, look at the drainfield area itself to see if drainage water is accumulating in that area. Look also for roof drainage, driveway run-off, and any drainage running onto your property.
Try to minimize the amount of water that is allowed to soak into the ground above or at your drainfield.
Excess water from all sources is a major cause for temporary or intermittent failure. If your drainfield area is saturated from wet weather drainage, minimize household water use as much as you can. Reduce laundry, length of showers, and anything that is truly optional.
Your actions can help preserve water quality.
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Washington wetlands cover only about 2 percent (939,000 acres) of Washington, but they benefit the State both ecologically and economically. Wetlands are nursery and feeding areas for anadromous fish such as salmon and steelhead trout. About 75 percent of the State's wetlands contain freshwater and include forested and shrub swamps, bogs, fens, marshes, wet prairies and meadows, vernal pools, and playas. About 25 percent are estuarine or marine and include marshes, tidal flats, beaches, and rocky shores. Estimates of wetland loss in Washington range from 20 to 50 percent; causes of loss or degradation include agricultural conversion, urban expansion, siting of ports and industries, logging, and invasion of nonnative plants and animals.
Source: National Water Summary on Wetland Resources United States Geological Survey Water Supply Paper 2425
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Rob Schanz
The Chehalis River Council kicked off this year's volunteer monitoring program with a field training session on October 23rd. Ten volunteers attended the session at the historic Holm Farm on the Black River near Gate. Volunteers got hands-on experience in water quality testing, water level and velocity measurements, observational monitoring, and riparian tree identification. The training session led to some good discussions on the history of the Black River as well as current problems seen in different parts of the Chehalis watershed. While we were on the river we saw several migrating salmon, crayfish, and of course the kingfishers that seem to haunt all of our monitoring sites.
The monitoring program consists of general ecological observations, water quality testing, and simple hydraulic measurements in the streams and rivers of the Chehalis watershed. Volunteers select their own sites, often near their homes or at favorite places in the watershed. Our current network includes sites on the Black River, Waddell Creek, the Newaukum River near Jackson Highway, the Chehalis River above Pe Ell, the Chehalis River near Rainbow Falls, and Coal Creek.
The program is off to a great start, but we would love to have more volunteers and monitoring stations. We are especially looking for monitoring stations in the lower portions of the Chehalis watershed (between Oakville and Grays Harbor). The program is designed to be as detailed as you want, and requires no special skills or equipment. If you are interested in signing up, call Rob Schanz at (360) 291-3725 or the Chehalis River Council at (360) 273-6137.
Rob Schanz Volunteer Monitoring Coordinator Chehalis River Council
We are especially looking for monitoring stations in the lower portions of the Chehalis watershed
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NPS pollution is one of the issues that the Chehalis River Council deals with constantly. Here in our diverse watershed we are faced with a number of issues which compromise our water. Here is a brief review of the causes of NPS.
Q: What is nonpoint source pollution?
A: Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution, unlike pollution from industrial and sewage treatment plants, comes from many diffuse sources. NPS pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground. As the runoff moves, it picks up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants, finally depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters, and even our underground sources of drinking water. These pollutants include:
- Excess fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides from agricultural lands and residential areas; - Oil, grease, and toxic chemicals from urban runoff and energy production; - Sediment from improperly managed construction sites, crop and forest lands, and eroding streambanks; - Salt from irrigation practices and acid drainage from abandoned mines; - Bacteria and nutrients from livestock, pet wastes, and faulty septic systems; Atmospheric deposition and hydromodification are also sources of nonpoint source pollution.
Q: What are the effects of these pollutants on our waters?
A: States report that nonpoint source pollution is the leading remaining cause of water quality problems. The effects of nonpoint source pollutants on specific waters vary and may not always be fully assessed. However, we know that these pollutants have harmful effects on drinking water supplies, recreation, fisheries, and wildlife.
Q: What causes nonpoint source pollution?
A: We all play a part. Nonpoint source pollution results from a wide variety of human activities on the land. Each of us can contribute to the problem without even realizing it.
Q: What can we do about nonpoint source pollution?
A: We can all work together to reduce and prevent nonpoint source pollution.
Some activities are federal responsibilities, such as ensuring that federal lands are properly managed to reduce soil erosion.
Some are state responsibilities, for example, developing legislation to govern mining and logging, and to protect groundwater.
Others are best handled locally, such as by zoning or erosion control ordinances. And each individual can play an important role by practicing conservation and by changing certain everyday habits.
Questions and Answers (taken from EPA's Polluted brochure EPA-841-F-94-005, 1994)
NPS pollution results from a wide variety of human activities on the land
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by Keith L. Rader
A splash of red
A flash of light from a dripping golden blade
The chalk-on-a-blackboard chittering of a Kingfisher, annoyed at interlopers
It's a bright September afternoon and my neighbor Dan Rotter and I are hovering in mid-river on the Chehalis as the rest of our party embarks for the Chehalis River Float. The event was the Chehalis River Council's contribution this year to the annual celebration of Washington WaterWeeks.
On this end-of-summer Saturday September 18th, eighteen people had gathered at the Oakville office of the CRC to be introduced by Rob. Schanz to the work of the Council and the plan for the day's event. Rob, a volunteer and CRC board member, had done a preliminary scout of the route and told us what to expect. CRC chairman Dave Palmer brought greetings and sent us off with best wishes.
Fifteen minutes later we parked our canoe-laden trucks, vans, and cars at the Elma Gate public landing on the Chehalis River west of Oakville and began a litter patrol . What inconsiderate slovens some of the users of this site are! A half hour and many bags of bottles, cans, paper. plastic wrap, metal springs, and assorted junk later, we had finally picked up the last and were ready to hit the water.
Seven canoes and one inflatable kayak were slipped into the rolling water. Retirees, working folks, kids, and a college student began the leisurely glide down the Chehalis' clear running current. Overhead an eagle slid by in lofty silence, -perhaps watching for a late run Chinook salmon. The yellows of early-turning cottonwood and ash accent the green of other deciduous trees and the occasional conifer. There seems little debris in the river today, though there is a bit of suds from foaming organic matter.
Having started late, we made a landing on a gravely shore about 1:00 PM for a extended lunch break. While sipping sodas and sharing sandwiches, cheese and crackers and other goodies, some got out cameras while others combed the rocks for good flat "skippers" or examined the large shells of fresh water shellfish which resembled horseneck clams. Having satisfied the urge to fill the river with skipping stones, we re-floated our craft and headed West.
We now began watching even closer for signs of wildlife. Birds had seemed rather scarce, but miraculously there was suddenly a churn near the lead boat, and a family of otters surfaced to examine these intruders. Swirling about inquisitively, they silently slipped beneath the surface and were gone before I could unlimber my camera.
Despite the fact that it is salmon running time along the Chehalis, we saw no sign of the magnificent Chinook or Coho who frequent these waters until along one stretch of rocky bar there was a slash of white the glistening skeleton of one of our anadromous residents. It formed a formed a stark contrast to the already reddening Osier Dogwood that forms much of the riparian habitat.
The river had been gentle with us though there was an occasional shallow rapids that provided entertaining excitement. Then we came upon a partial logjam that funneled the river into a chute along the right bank and, under the branches of an overhanging willow, sharply back to the left into a deep pool area. The first canoes cleared it in style. Then a flash of silver, a flurry of paddles, and the aluminum canoe rolled attempting the hard turn and dunked its crew for a cold bath. Re-righting the boat and scrambling in, they made for shore where one went off to change clothes while the other relied on the warm sun to dry out.
Not far behind, Dan and I confidently powered into the chute and suddenly I was on my back in the bottom of the canoe with hat, glasses and paddle gone. We'd come too close and too fast into the willow, and its branches had raked us back and stripped our hats. The hat and the paddle we recovered, but my glasses remain a decoration among the rocks of the river bed.
The rest of the trip was fuzzy-focus for me but enjoyable nonetheless
We had one more brush with a logjam near the end of our trip. There we found a complete blockage and had to make a short portage along the rocky shore. Dan and I skipped into that a bit rashly and shipped a little water before landing the canoe but did not flip over.
Five hours and nine or ten river miles along, we slid ashore near Porter and began hauling our craft and gear ashore We were all pleased with the day and agreed we need to do more of this. One problem pointed out to me is the lack of enough access points to permit shorter trips. One retiree who visited me at the CRC office said he'd like to have been along but that a recent heart bypass made such a long time on the river out of the question.
If you would be willing to allow entry for canoers along your stretch of the Black or Chehalis by appointment, place a call or an E-mail to the CRC office . We will keep a file for those who wish to apply to you for access.
The river needs to be shared to be saved.
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Jan Strong, Chehalis River Basin Land Trust
Thanks to the funny clown, the hard-working volunteers, the many generous donations and, above all, out patrons, the land trust's first fund-raiser was a smashing success! On September 18 & 19 the Chehalis River Basin Land Trust ran a garage sale in Grand Mound, with an overflowing stockpile of items ranging from an antique rocker to a Nordic track exerciser. The antics of our flashily-dressed clown enticed customers from the highway and most found a treasurer to buy.
When the crowd finally thinned and the doors were closed, we discovered that we had increased our Stewardship Fund by approximately $1300. That Fund is dedicated to fulfilling the land trust's responsibilities to its conservation easements and to those lands owned outright. These duties will continue in perpetuity.
Thanks again for the support of all of you who contributed in any way to the successful outcome of the Chehalis Land Trust's first fund-raiser!
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CBEC Steering Committee
You are invited to attend the first general membership of the Chehalis Basin Education Consortium (CBEC) at Rochester High School on December 7, 1999 between the hours of 4 and 6 pm.
Is everybody invited? If you foster and support better stewardship of the Chehalis River Basin through environmental education that will ensure sustainable watershed health, functions and economic uses. You should attend.
Has this organization done anything? Yes, an interested group of persons representing education Kindergarten through college, Natural Resource Professionals, and stakeholders (persons who have special community or private interests) (1) met, (2) wrote and received a goals 2000 grant for $100,000, (3) developed an organizational structure, (4) are planning and developing workshops for teachers in twenty-three school districts, and (5) are applying for grants for the year 2000-2001.
What's going to happen at the meeting? Special presentations will be made including (1) an overview of the goals 2000 grant that encompasses the total river basin, (2) a successful middle school program SWISH (Students, Watersheds, Invertebrates, Streams and Habitats); and (3) a special key note speaker to kick things off.
What else is going to happen? Hopefully the organization will become stronger by the involvement of new participants (that's you). At the meeting, the general membership will have the opportunity to ratify an organizational structure, establish goals for the 2000-2001 year, and choose the leadership for this and next year.
What are some of the proposed objectives of this organization? One major objective of the organization is to develop cooperative efforts between educators, natural resource professionals, and stakeholders that will lead to more effective learning from Kindergarten through adulthood for the total basin. A second major objective is to design a means to coordinate the efforts of all parties; so more effective outcomes are realized in the areas of environmental education and basin wide stewardship.
What about the proposed frame work of the CBEC? The organization of the CBEC is flat. It consists of three groups who are interested in promoting effective education and stewardship of the total river basin. These groups are stakeholders, natural resource professionals, and educators K-20. A steering committee consisting of seven members from each of the three groups meets every month. At these monthly meetings, an action plan developed by the general membership will be followed. There are no standing committees. Currently a special committee is working on the Goals 2000 grant and another on SWISH for the 2000-2001 year.
What's the immediate focal point of the CBEC? The Goals 2000 grant is our current focal point for the 1999-2000 year. We need teacher teams of three from each of the school districts in the basin to attend two workshops.
These teams will have complete flexibility as they determine their focus, design curricula and lesson plans, and construct performance tasks. Over 90 percent of the resources of this grant will be deployed for direct use by teacher/employee/parent teams. These teams will receive staff development and other assistance to improve basic skills of reading, writing, communication, science, and mathematics, using the Chehalis River Basin as the context. The grant ties in directly with Washington School Reform and Essential Learnings.
What ideas do you have concerning the basin? Please come and express them on Dec. 7th.
YOU ARE INVITED
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