Sound Stewards
DERT's Newsletter - August 2021
Go with the flow - Free the Deschutes!
An artistic rendering of a restored estuary at mean tide from the DEIS
City of Olympia Passes a Resolution in Support of Estuary Restoration!

The City Council of Olympia voted unanimously to pass a resolution on August 10th that advocates for full restoration of the Deschutes Estuary. Below you will find links to the Council's Resolution, Letter to Department of Enterprise Services, and their comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). From their letter, they state that:

"In general, The City finds that the Estuary Alternative would:

  • provide the rare opportunity to restore scarce tidelands and estuarian habitat,
  • be the most beneficial to tribal populations,
  • address social justice and equity impacts associated with the No Action and Managed Lake Alternatives,
  • substantially benefit anadromous fish and marine fish,
  • be the most beneficial for controlling invasive species,
  • be beneficial for reducing downtown Olympia flooding,
  • be the most beneficial to Budd Inlet water quality,
  • be better aligned with local climate adaptation goals than the Managed Lake Alternative,
  • be the least impactful to regional LOTT Clean Water Alliance and stormwater utility ratepayers,
  • be the most natural and environmentally sustainable, and
  • be the least cost alternative over the 30-year planning horizon.
Given the above findings, the Olympia City Council requests that the Estuary Alternative be selected as the only clear Preferred Alternative for the final Environmental Impact Statement for the Capitol Lake – Deschutes Estuary Long-Term Management Project".
DEIS Comment Period Extended!

The public comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) has been extended to August 29th, which provides you more time to review this lengthy document!

Are you wondering what constitutes a substantive comment? Department of Enterprise Services (DES) provides the following guidance:

Comments that address a specific aspect of the project or the Draft EIS, rather than simply expressing a preference for or against the project alternatives, are most useful. Comments should be as specific as possible. It is also helpful if the comments refer to chapters and pages of the Draft EIS.

Specific topics to consider in your comments on the Draft EIS include:
  • Comments on the information and analysis provided
  • Comments on key components of the alternatives
  • Comments on potential measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts
  • Any new or additional information that should be included
  • Any other considerations that should be included in the decision-making process

For more information use the following links:
An overview of DERT's comments, thus far...

Below you will find a button that links to a draft document of DERT's DEIS comments. This is DERT's first attempt to compile a response to the DEIS and is by no means a thorough assessment. We are just getting started. We are still working on key points and considerations as we peruse the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).
 
Please put on your thinking cap, raise questions and challenge the DEIS document’s many assumptions and opinions. It is our obligation to question the DEIS issue by issue page by page. DERTs final comments as they are submitted to this process will do just that. 
 
Having said that, if you have witnessed one or more of the presentations from the consultant team authors of the Capitol Lake Deschutes Estuary Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), you might be questioning one or more of the Key Findings they discussed. DERT has found the Key Findings and Executive Summary of the DEIS to be unclear, contradictory, and in some cases incomplete and potentially inaccurate as it refers to the long history and peer reviewed science available through years of work by organizations, agencies and individuals.
 
We put together the following information to help establish some talking points in support of estuary restoration and perhaps help you prepare comments on the DEIS due to the Department of Enterprise Services by August 29, 2021. To no one’s surprise, we are strong proponents of restoration the Deschutes Estuary. The information contained in these talking points favor that option – the only option in our minds that will bring the change needed to restore the precious watershed ecosystem, open the river to public use and boost the downtown economy. 

Upcoming Kayak Patrol Dates
We will host two kayak patrols in August. The first will be held on Thursday, August 12th at 10 AM. We will meet at Tugboat Annie's and will be discussing issues related to water and habitat health in South Sound, the impacts on humans, fish, and wildlife, and of course we will talk about the Draft EIS document and process. To join us, please visit the Volunteer Center on our website to sign up.

For our second patrol of the month, we are excited to partner with Aimee Christy, a biologist from Pacific Shellfish Institute. Join Aimee, as we get acquainted with lower Budd’s microscopic plankton community. Late summer can be a particularly interesting time to sample as decomposing phytoplankton deplete oxygen levels and stratified waters encourage harmful algal blooms. Paddle the Inlet as we collect plankton samples and water quality data (temperature, salinity, pH, oxygen, clarity) at various locations. Then, return to shore to view these lively critters under microscopes. PSI has been monitoring Budd Inlet plankton for 8 years as part of NOAA’s SoundToxins program. Aimee will share seasonal and annual trends as well as what makes Budd Inlet plankton so fascinating!

We will meet at Tugboat Annie's at 4:30 PM on Saturday, August 21st. Don't miss out!
It has been a real big year for DERT! We became an affiliate of Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, launched the South Sound Healthy Watershed Program, hired a Program Coordinator, led an effort to form the Deschutes Watershed Council, and are spending many long hours participating in the EIS process and spreading the word to our community members - And we are just getting started!

In order to build upon these accomplishments and sustain them into the future, we truly need your help. Any donation that you can offer will be deeply appreciated. Thank you!
Another way you can support DERT is by wearing our swag around town! DERT has merchandise for sale, including our snazzy new "Yestuary" hats, dam smasher bumper sticker, and some remaining t-shirts in limited sizes. Please contact Matthew (mkaras@deschutesestuary.org) to inquire about purchasing and receiving items. Prices are below:

  • Bumper stickers (Dam Smasher or "Yestuary") .... Donations welcome
  • Yestuary Hat ...........................................................$30
  • T-Shirts (DERT logo).............................................. $20
  • T-Shirts (Dam Smasher, Red, Black, or Grey..........$20
  • Sweatshirt ................................................................$20
You can also support DERT by joining our Board of Directors! We are looking for new energy as we increase our presence in the community and expand our programming. More information can be found here: Join the DERT Board

We are also seeking new members to join DERT's Volunteer Core Committee. As a member of the Core, you are expected to participate in at least one program activity (kayak patrols, water quality monitoring, public outreach, or others), attend monthly meetings, and inform program development. If interested, please contact Matthew Karas at mkaras@deschutesestuary.org