This year has seen lower than usual rainfall locally, which has led Governor Inslee to add Whatcom County (actually, the Nooksack Watershed, aka WRIA 1*) to the list of state areas already under a drought emergency declaration.
By itself, the Governor’s declaration does not provide the robust response that a serious drought would warrant. What is needed is a local plan, understood and supported by the public, which guides preparation for drought years during years prior to a drought, and effective drought responses when one occurs.
Op-Ed: A Drought Plan for Whatcom County, but Without Public Process…
Ecology Agreement Provides Water for Skagit Well Owners
Looks like Seattle City Light has agreed to release more water from its 3 dams on the Skagit River in order to give existing homes with wells built between 2000 and 2013 legal access to their water year round. Of course, there’s always a catch. That would be as a first step for whatever mitigation plan Ecology has in mind.
Gary Hagland, Skagit CAPR
Chapter
Citizen Journalism: Ecology Open House on proposed WRIA 1 Changes, April 22, 2019
Dozens of citizens gathered at the Ferndale Library on Monday, April 22, 2019, to discuss the Dept. of Ecology’s proposed rule changes for new domestic groundwater wells in Whatcom County. The latest version of the proposed changes would limit withdrawals from new wells to 500 gallons per day for indoor domestic use.
Water Rights Access Under Continued Threat; Jobs, too!
If you were unable to attend the dozens of obscure public (and not-so-public) local water-policy meetings that have taken place over the past year, you are sure to find Mr. Eskridge’s commentary highly informative.
Jan. 10, 2019 Planning Unit Update
A last-ditch effort to approve an update to the Watershed Management Plan for Whatcom County on time fails but hope for local input is not lost. Other local entities involved appear to be allowing more time to reach agreement.
Nooksack Basin Watershed Planning Update: Land Use Caucus Report, Jan. 6, 2019
Jan. 6, 2019 Land Use Caucus Report