DERT's Newsletter - June 2021
Go with the flow - Free the Deschutes!
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MUD IS LIFE!
The Mud Gallery created by Danielle Dolbow, Alanna Matteson, and Zoe Kasperzyk provided an ideal complement to DERT’s work – it was a great pleasure for us to share the Percival Pavilion space with this dedicated group of students. The compelling mud displays drew passersby to the Pavilion, while the engaging activities encouraged people to stick around and chat. The Mud Gallery thus provided an opportunity for us to share DERT’s message of estuary restoration with unfamiliar faces and long-term supporters alike.
Over the years, DERT has heard those opposed to dam removal express concern that the “stinky” and “ugly” mudflats will foul the air around Olympia and discourage people from spending time downtown. The Mud Gallery dispels these fears by revealing the ephemeral beauty of mud in a manner that is tangible and fun. The provocative displays portray the essential role mud plays in the intricate web of life – demonstrating how mud builds vibrant habitats that nurture wildlife, fish, and human communities.
If only Danielle, Zoe, and Alanna could join DERT for all our public outreach events. Perhaps then we could get everyone in the community to agree – Mud is Life!
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South Sound Healthy Watershed Program UPDATE
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Matthew uses DERT's new ProDSS to collect water quality data (top-left); SMU student Christine holds two jars of sediment to be sampled for microplastic contamination (top-right); students record notes at Priest Point Park (bottom-left); in the laboratory preparing sediment samples (bottom-right).
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We have officially launched our water quality monitoring program!
We have organized a student led research group at Saint Martin's University with the help of Professor Brandy Fox, Ph.D. The students are preparing their first round of water and sediment samples to analyze for microplastic contamination. Microplastic particles have infiltrated every corner of the planet - these particles can be found on the highest peaks of every mountain range, in the deepest trenches of the ocean, in desert and rainforests, and in every body of water. Microplastics are constantly drifting along every current of air and water and entering the bodies of all living creatures - including you and me.
As microplastics accumulate at an ever-increasing rate, there is growing concern over the harmful impacts of these plastics on living beings and the environment. If you search online you will find countless articles regarding microplastic pollution. It is a growing field of research and there remains much to learn. For this reason, it is exciting to support a young group of budding scientists as they get first hand experience in this important field. Our student volunteers will produce data on the prevalence of microplastic contamination in southern Puget Sound.
In addition to our microplastic research, we are using a brand new YSI ProDSS water meter to collect water quality data around Budd Inlet. This device provides reliable data on several parameters including dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, conductivity.
Our first kayak patrol is being conducted this Thursday, June 3rd. We will be launching from Tugboat Annie's. A follow up email will contain more dates for kayak patrols throughout the summer. Stay tuned! If you are interested in joining us, please follow the registration instructions below.
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South Sound Healthy Watershed Program
Volunteer Registration
Interested in volunteering? If yes, please attend one of our upcoming volunteer orientations. Attending orientation is not required to volunteer, but is highly encouraged. We will host a few orientations throughout the summer, both virtually and in-person. An email will be sent later this month with information on orientation dates and locations. In the meantime, please register using the volunteer application form below.
It will take no longer than one week to review and approve your application. Once your account is active, you will use the following link to log-in and sign up for events:
If you have any questions about registering or using your Volgistics account, please contact Matthew at mkaras@deschutesestuary.org.
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The Deschutes Watershed: Thurston County’s Lifeline
By Sue Patnude, Executive Director; David Monthie, Board President; and Dave Peeler, Board Past President, Deschutes Estuary Restoration Team (DERT). DERT is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to advocating the removal of Olympia's 5th Avenue Dam and full restoration of the Deschutes Estuary.
South Puget Sound is at an ecological crossroad. Water quantity and quality must be improved dramatically if the Deschutes watershed ecosystem is to be sustained. The dam that created Capitol Lake now exacerbates the Lake’s current poor condition and contributes to detrimental conditions in Budd Bay.
The article that follows is too long to include here in its entirety. However, it describes work being done to evaluate the Deschutes River and its watershed, including Capitol Lake, and strategies under consideration to make improvements and is important for League members to read. The authors recommend a Deschutes Watershed Council to develop and implement a plan and process for following science-based recommendations for the watershed. Please read this article in its entirety here. The League does not have a position on this but members have an interest in the issue.
The Deschutes River (River) winds its way from the Cascade Mountain foothills, sourcing at an elevation of 3,870 feet, and flows through 52 miles of countryside. The river’s mouth where it empties into Budd Bay was once a thriving and abundant brackish estuary, sustaining people, fish, wildlife, forests and other interconnected forms of life.
The River and its 143 tributaries form the Deschutes Watershed. Geographic features of the watershed include rivers, streams, forest, lakes, wetlands, prairie, marine bays and the open sea of South Puget Sound and Salish Sea. Human-produced features include homes, farms and pastures, urban communities, railroads, parks, public access sites, roads and highway and bridges. It is a beautiful and abundant watershed providing a sense of place for those who live and use its abundant resources. But it is in trouble.
The Deschutes Watershed is pressured with increasing water quality problems, water quantity uncertainty, development pressures, shoreline armoring and development and a dam on Fifth Avenue at the mouth of the river. The man-made Capitol Lake, formed by the dam in 1951, has become a shallow, warm pond that is filling with pollutants and invasive plants and species. The dam at the river’s mouth—owned by the State of Washington-- contributes approximately 50% of the nutrient pollution currently associated with low dissolved oxygen levels in Budd Bay and South Sound.
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LOOK FOR THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT THIS SUMMER
The EIS Project Team is finalizing a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Capitol Lake – Deschutes Estuary Long-Term Management Project. Enterprise Services will issue the Draft EIS on June 30, 2021. This will start a 45-day public comment period (June 30 – August 13, 2021). Comments on the Draft EIS will be accepted through an online comment submission form, via email or mail, and at an online public hearing.
The public comment period will also include a range of engagement activities, which are previewed below. Additional details on how to submit comments and participate in online events will be shared along with notification of the Draft EIS release.
The EIS Project Team is busy conducting the range of technical analyses that will be summarized in the Draft EIS and will inform future selection of a preferred alternative for the Capitol Lake – Deschutes Estuary.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE DRAFT EIS
The Draft EIS will provide a description of the long-term management alternatives and an impartial discussion of significant environmental impacts and benefits, as well as mitigation measures that would avoid or minimize adverse impacts or enhance environmental quality. Neither short-term actions (e.g., dredging) nor construction of a long-term management alternative (Estuary, Hybrid, or Managed Lake) can be implemented without an EIS. The release of the Draft EIS marks a key milestone in the process to identify, and then implement, a long-term management alternative that will best achieve project goals.
The Draft EIS will include discussion of the following: Project Background and History
- Project Alternatives and Construction Approach
- Existing Conditions and Affected Environment
- Long-Term Impacts, Benefits, and Mitigation
- Short-Term Impacts and Mitigation
- Cumulative Effects
- Planning-Level Costs
- Funding and Governance, Work Groups, and Community Sounding Board
- Permits and Approvals for Implementation of a Preferred Alternative
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DERT is a small non-profit committed to restoring and protecting the Deschutes Watershed for the benefit of fish, wildlife, and humans alike. Water weaves all living things together into a complex and profound web of interdependence. We fight tirelessly to protect this precious resource, but we can't do it without your support. Please consider making a donation to sustain our work and expand our presence in the community. Thank you!! |
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