Sound Stewards
March 2022
go with the flow - free the Deschutes!
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President's Message
David Monthie
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Spring is here, and there are signs of growth all around, including at DERT.
DERT began its existence as a shoestring operation in 2009, dedicated to restoration of the free-flowing Deschutes River and its Estuary. With the announcement by the Department of Enterprise Services (DES) that restoration of the Estuary is the preferred alternative to the Capitol Lake-Deschutes Estuary planning process (see accompanying article), DERT and its members and supporters have taken a major step towards accomplishing our original goal.
And now it's time for some growth.
Over the next two months, DERT's Board of Directors and staff will be developing a strategic plan for the organization. The intent is to build on what we have done, and to expand our activities to reflect a new set of objectives. They are likely to include:
-Developing a vision for what the restored Deschutes Estuary can and should look like, once the Fifth Avenue Dam is removed. This project has the opportunity to be a world-class restoration project that will have national and international attention.
-Working with local governments, state agencies, the Squaxin Tribe, and other parties to develop a "finance and governance" plan and structure for the removal of the Dam, and restoration of the Deschutes, which will include pursuing funding from the federal government and nonprofit organizations.
-Developing the structure and funding for the Deschutes Watershed Council to restore and enhance the entire Deschutes Watershed, from its headwaters to Budd Bay, building on a plan developed and completed by local governments, the Squaxin Tribe, state agencies, DERT, and other stakeholders in 2021.
-Expanding DERT's South Sound Healthy Watershed Program, in partnership with Puget Soundkeeper and its funding organizations, with additional kayak patrols, water quality testing, and community involvement identifying water quality problems in the South Sound.
-Developing comprehensive data in the Deschutes Watershed, working with the Nisqually Tribe, Squaxin Tribe, and other parties, to map historic and cultural sites and uses of the watershed, and opportunities for activities benefiting the watershed's health.
-Sponsoring and putting on community forums to keep the community educated on what is going on in the watershed, and motivated to help.
-Expanding communication and outreach to people and groups that may not have traditionally been involved in watershed protection activities, including young people and minorities.
This is an ambitious set of activities, but we believe we are ready to take them on. However, we can't do it without the continued support of DERT's members, and this community.
This will all take money. A big part of our activities in 2022 will include expanding our fundraising efforts. We are already pursuing a number of foundation grants. We expect to be speaking with our local legislators and other elected officials. And you can expect that we will be contacting you, and suggesting ways you can help.
Thank you for all you've done to help DERT over the past 10+ years. We could not have done it without your support.
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DES announces a Preferred Alternative:
ESTUARY RESTORATION!!
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On March 16, 2022, The Department of Enterprise Services (DES) announced that they had selected a preliminary preferred alternative on how to manage the mouth of the Deschutes river – the currently dammed estuary that formed Capitol Lake. The “preferred alternative” is the end result of the evaluation of alternatives under the State Environmental Protection Act (SEPA) that has been underway since 2016. Here is the DES announcement:
“Enterprise Services and the EIS Project Team have completed a robust evaluation of the alternatives against the preferred alternative selection criteria that are described in the Draft EIS and have identified the Estuary Alternative as the likely preferred alternative. Enterprise Services concluded that the Estuary Alternative is expected to best achieve project goals and represents a more durable decision than the other alternatives evaluated.
It is important to note that identifying a likely preferred alternative is not a final decision. Designation of a preferred alternative prior to issuance of the Final EIS in no way restricts final decisions. It also does not alleviate the EIS Project Team of additional technical analyses that must still be completed for the Final EIS, in which the final decision will be presented on the preferred alternative.
However, while some technical findings in the Final EIS will likely be revised, the changes are unlikely to be significant enough across the range of technical analyses to change the likely preferred alternative. It is expected that the likely preferred alternative will be confirmed as the preferred alternative in the Final EIS. “
Work on the Final EIS will be conducted in six more meetings of the Funding and Governance Workgroup, and the final EIS will be released this fall by October 31, 2022. Funding will be sought in the 2023-2025 Biennial Budget that will be developed and adopted in the long legislative session in 2023.
What does this all mean? For DERT it means that with your help and support, with your continual belief in restoring the Deschutes Estuary, we have been able to educate and inspire the community towards a clean water future. Thank you for everything you have done since DERT was created in 2009. There is still a lot of work to do – but what a milestone we have reached today!! Stay tuned for how you can continue to help us see estuary restoration become a reality.
Sincerely,
The DERT Board of Directors
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DERT's South Sound Healthy Watershed Program operates thanks to our sponsoring foundations and donors like you. Did you know that donors are now able to set up automatic recurring monthly donations in any amount? Follow the link to the right to get set up. Thank you for working with us towards a free Deschutes! |
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OTHER NEWS
Click on the images below to see the full blog post
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DERT formally announces support for Snake River dam removal organizations: A word from our Executive Director, Paige Anderson. |
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Board member Dave Peeler gives an update on the Nutrient Permit appeal
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Human Water Cycle Community Forum (virtual)
Part 1: Tuesday, March 29th from 6 to 8 PM
Part 2: Tuesday, April 19th from 6 to 8 PM
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Water goes on a remarkable journey across our planet, continuously shifting form, cycling between the atmosphere, land, and oceans, falling as snow on mountain ranges, melting and flowing into streams and rivers that meander towards the sea, coursing through soil, plants, and animals, and nourishing life along the way. The water cycle is a global system that connects all life on the planet.
The human water cycle accounts for the ways that human development obstructs the natural processes of water while adding an array of pollutants along its course. Over a relatively short period of time humans have dammed countless rivers, forced streams into pipes, buried wetlands, armored shorelines, and compacted native soils and covered them with impervious surfaces. As more and more water is diverted for human uses, groundwater stores are depleted and instream flows are diminished. Myriad contaminants are picked up and transported by water as it flows through the human water cycle, threatening fish, wildlife, and human communities alike.
Major elements of the human water cycle include: infrastructure, water withdrawals, stormwater runoff, wastewater, climate change, and water laws and policy. There is great potential for positive change within each element of the human water cycle. Unfortunately, the elements of the water cycle are treated in a fragmented and uncoordinated approach. In order to address the growing threats of water scarcity and pollution in our region, it is crucial that we act in a holistic and collaborative manner.
DERT’s human water cycle forum will explore the different elements of the human water cycle while emphasizing the connections that exist between them. The aim of this forum is to inspire collaborative actions among community members, governmental agencies, and other organizations, necessary to address water issues in our region. During Part one of the forum, guest speakers will discuss:
- Western Water Law and the doctrine of prior appropriation
- Water withdrawals and groundwater depletion
- Stormwater runoff and impervious surfaces
- Shoreline modification
- Habitat loss
- & Low Impact Development techniques
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Jesse Barham, Environmental Services Supervisor, City of Olympia
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Katrinka Hibler, District Engineer, Thurston Conservation District
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Kevin Hansen, County Hydrogeologist, Thurston County Water Planning
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Ted Sturdevant, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Center for Sustainable Infrastructure
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We had a great time on our Plankton Monitoring Kayak Patrol with Aimee Christy from Pacific Shellfish Institute! Click on the plankton below to read the report written by Aimee detailing our findings.
If you missed out, worry not! Aimee will be leading another plankton monitoring patrol on Saturday, April 16th. Visit our Volunteer Center to register.
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Click the above image to read Aimee's plankton report! |
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Liz Schotman, Surfrider Foundation’s Washington Regional Manager, will discuss how Surfrider works to ensure the protection and enjoyment of our ocean, waves, and beaches for all people through a powerful activist network. She’ll discuss how our volunteer-run campaigns and programs, such as Rise Above Plastics, Ocean Friendly Restaurants, and the Blue Water Task Force, can fight plastic pollution, protect clean water, and address the threat of climate change to our coasts and communities. Surfrider has a proven strategy of leveraging these on-the-ground grassroots efforts towards scalable change by not only connecting people with their waterways, but by enabling them as leaders of our coastal communities, lobbying on behalf of our waterways to pass local, state, and federal policies to protect our coasts and our access to them.
complete a volunteer application, or click the link below.
*NOTE: All kayaking events are subject to cancellation due to inclement weather. We use windfinder.com to monitor the wind and weather forecast. Local marinas generally do not rent kayaks when the winds are in excess of 8 MPH.
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Pollution Reporting Resources |
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As a community dedicated to protecting the Deschutes watershed and South Puget Sound, we must all keep an eye out for pollutant sources when out and about. We have added a new page to our website that lists contacts for reporting pollution.
Read more
deschutesestuary.org
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Thank you to our supporters!
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