Water Water Everywhere But Not a Drop.....

When I tell my relatives back East that clean water is a finite resource even in Western Washington, I can see the look of disbelief in their eyes. After all what's all that blue on the map around that part of the state I'm living in?

But according to the Squaxin Island Tribe, the amount of water we're withdrawing from the John's Creek Basin is a problem - the streams in this basin are drying up and the salmon cannot return to spawn.

The Tribe petitioned twice to get some action from the state and county. Just last week the Governor denied the Tribe's second petition regarding the John's Creek Basin. In the petition the Tribe asked the Department of Ecology and Mason County to limit exempt wells to domestic in-home use only.

In addition to her denial, the Governor directed Ecology to do the following:

1. Ensure the Port of Shelton complies with its existing water rights.
2. Secure funding for the groundwater study with basin governments (I assume this is the port, city and county) if the Environmental Protection Agency grant is unsuccessful. Ecology has applied for this grant.
3. Inform the public about the flow-related problems in Johns Creek, how current uses are likely reducing stream flows and that future exempt well uses may add to the problem and could be curtailed.
4. Develop and implement a strategy to protect Johns Creek flows. Specifically directed to reopen communications with the county on implementing stream flow protection measures.
5. Meet with the Tribe to inform Ecology’s instream flow rulemaking priorities.

Ecology is probably only sweating the first one. There's the challenge: getting the Port of Shelton to shut down that non-permitted well that's drawing 40 plus acre feet of water each year. The Port has a permitted well that gives them around 1.5 acre feet of water per year. I've heard from a reliable and knowledgeable source there's a water leak somewhere on Port property that no one can find. To this I'm thinking it's time to get that 'devining' rod out. Or maybe the Port could find an intuitive to find that leak. Hey, I'm just a simple person - not a water leak detective.

Let's keep an eye on this one. What will the Port do to live with it's existing water rights? What will the county do to help Department of Ecology make the Governor's directives a reality? How will Sam Sevier and the Mason County Water Conservancy Board help the Governor with her plan to make nice about water in the John's Creek Basin? And where, oh where will the City of Shelton get water to send up to the PUD 3 Palace, MCRA ball fields and ADAGE incinerator?

With all of the water issues in this county, I may have to rename this blog Mason County Water Watch.