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Center for Environmental Law & Policy
Clean, Flowing Waters for the West
This is the new normal. This is not just an issue of "not what we are used to."![]()
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ecology.wa.gov/about-us/who-we-are/news/2024-news-stories/april-16-drought-declaration
It's going to be a looooong dry summer. ![]()
UPDATE: Water supply outlook exceptionally dry throughout Washington - My Bellingham Now
mybellinghamnow.com
The North Puget Sound Basin is at 56% of the normal snowpack for the area and the monthly precipitation rate is 63% of normal.
The headwaters of the Puyallup Watershed begin on Mount Rainier and run all the way to Commencement Bay in Tacoma. It is the only watershed in the US that starts in a national park and ends in a superfund site. ![]()
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Water rights in the watershed were issued over 100 years ago, resulting in little to no available water to those seeking a new water right. As the Puyallup watershed is a critical salmon habitat, both the Muckleshoot and Puyallup Tribes are concerned about maintaining streamflows that are sufficient for salmon. ![]()
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Most of the precipitation falls in the form of rain in the winter and fall months when it is not needed, and storage capacity is maxed out. The critical precipitation stored as snowfall and glacial ice on Mount Rainier is rapidly decreasing due to climate change, increasing concerns over the long-term health of the watershed.
As the weather starts to turn into what we call “gardening weather” here in the office, it's time to remind people that choosing native plants for your landscape helps conserve and clean water, strengthens your garden ecosystem, and results in less work for you! ![]()
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Native plants:![]()
🌿Adapt to our climate better![]()
🌿Require less water once they are established![]()
🌿Resist native pests and diseases better![]()
🌿Improve water quality by needing less fertilizer and no pesticides![]()
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Find out more about native plants by visiting the Washington Native Plant Society page at: www.wnps.org/native-gardening
www.worldwildlife.org/stories/how-beaver-dams-and-human-made-replicas-help-save-wildlife-and-rest...
Beaver Dams: Nature's Solution for Freshwater Habitat Restoration
www.worldwildlife.org
Discover how beaver dams offer nature-inspired solutions for restoring freshwater habitats, promoting biodiversity, and managing water resources effectively.
Ecology to Begin Nooksack Water Adjudication in April 2024
www.natlawreview.com
The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) announced it will begin an adjudication of water rights in Water Resources Inventory Area 1 (WRIA1), including the Nooksack River system, in April 2024.