Sound Stewards

July 2022

go with the flow - free the Deschutes!

A MESSAGE FROM OUR OUTREACH COORDINATOR

Can you imagine it?

It's a beautiful, sunny July day. You decide to pack a lunch and find a nice quiet place to enjoy your meal.

You pack your favorite snacks, load up the kids, and make your way downtown to check out the estuary.

You walk the adjacent trails with your loved ones and breathe deeply. The scent is sweet and salty. You see some kayakers out on the water, so you smile and wave.

You watch herons fly above and smile again because this place is thriving with life. The kids are happy, playing, and showing you every little treasure they find.

Core memories in the making.

What do you imagine?

What does the estuary mean to you? 

Please feel free to ponder this question as you peruse this newsletter. Thank you for being here with us, and let's free the Deschutes!

Warmly,

Jae Harris-Townsend

Outreach Coordinator

Please consider donating to DERT today. You are part of the vision and hard work that guarantees the Deschutes River WILL meet Puget Sound without a barrier. Together, we will continue to advocate for the removal of the 5th Avenue Dam to restore our urban estuary.

Are you looking for an opportunity to volunteer* or simply chat with us to learn more about the estuary restoration project? Catch us at these upcoming events:

*Volunteers will need to sign up for events through Volgistics. 

August 7, 2022

Tumwater Farmers' Market 

11 am - 3 pm 

Peter G Schmidt Elementary (237 Dennis St SE 98501)

August 28, 2022

Tumwater Farmers' Market 

11 am - 3 pm 

Peter G Schmidt Elementary (237 Dennis St SE 98501)

Tentative: Every Saturday in August 

LoveOly Summerfest 

1 am - 7 pm 

Downtown Olympia, 5th and Washington Ave

DERT is preparing for our yearly Fall auction, and we are looking for item donations!

Past donation items have included: local flour, art, produce, photography, or experiences. We are looking for items that capture the essence and beautiful quirk of the Olympia area. 

If you have something you think would sell or know someone who does, send them our way. Reach out via email at dertauction@gmail.com

Stay tuned for more information about our hybrid auction on October 22, 2022.

Squaxin Stepping Stones Summer Program

This week, our outreach coordinator, Jae, received an opportunity to talk to Squaxin teens about what a healthy estuary really looks like. 

We talked about the vibrant biodiversity within a healthy estuarine habitat-- including all the birds, fish, and plants that all call the estuary home. 

We also discussed the condition of our own local urban Deschutes Estuary, including the eutrophication of Capitol Lake and the low levels of dissolved oxygen in Budd Inlet. 

By the end of our conversation, the teens were ready to determine the differences between "healthy" and "unhealthy" estuaries. They spent some time relaxing in the sun to illustrate their visions of healthy, thriving estuaries full of clean water, happy fish, and abundant plant life...and not a single dam in sight! 

Kayak patrols 

Kayak Patrols are back...but with a twist!

Grab a couple of your closest, water-loving friends and schedule your own private kayak patrol. Chat with us about water quality and estuary restoration while relaxing and paddling on the water. Patrols are generally free, but we do encourage a donation to help offset the cost. Reach out to Jae Harris-Townsend to schedule your own kayak patrol! 

Budd Inlet Dissolved Oxygen TMDL Public Comment EXTENSION

There is still time to get your comments in! The commenting period for the TMDL has been extended until July 25, 2022.

"The goal of this water quality improvement plan, formally known as a Total Maximum Daily Load or TMDL, is to identify water quality improvements needed to protect salmon and other aquatic life from low dissolved oxygen in Budd Inlet. Once finalized and implemented, this plan should lead to an increase in dissolved oxygen levels within Budd Inlet."

1. Read the TMDL report here 
2. Comment on the report (by July 25, 2022) here 

Let your voice be heard-- act now!

Look what our community can do: 25+ happy bellies and one very happy estuary! Last Friday, Rush In Dumplings hosted a fundraiser in support of the Deschutes Estuary. Together we raised $150 toward estuary restoration. In other words, that's: 

*Staff time for 2 kayak patrols (or)

*7 sessions of water quality monitoring (or)

*One day of tabling/outreach at a local event

Thank you for those who participated and ate some delicious food and THANK YOU to Rush In Dumplings for hosting!

Would you like to support estuary restoration while you run errands? Shop online? Sleep?

Now you can! 

We have three passive contribution options now available. 

AmazonSmile:

When you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization of your choice.

Fred Meyer Community Rewards: 

Community Rewards makes fund-raising easy by donating to local organizations based on the shopping you do everyday. Shop at Fred Meyers (including gas!) and enter your rewards number at checkout.

Washington State Combined Fund Drive: 

The Washington State Combined Fund Drive (CFD) is the payroll contribution program for state and higher education employees and retirees. This program allows employees to make donations via check, credit card and payroll deduction to their favorite charities.

For more information CLICK HERE

*This tip is for those who use Gmail, but it may be applicable to other platforms.

As a community dedicated to protecting the Deschutes watershed and South Puget Sound, we must all keep an eye out for potential pollution incidents when we are out and about. This page contains a list of who to call to report a pollution source - click the organization name to be directed to their site.