We all need to learn more about water budgets
January 23rd, 2009 by cdunaganIt’s a fact that Bainbridge Island has a limited water supply — limited ultimately by the amount of rain that falls and by how much of this rainfall drains into the ground.
Reporter Tristan Baurick wrote an interesting story for today’s Kitsap Sun about a decline in water levels in some public and private wells on the island. The story was based on a new report, commissioned by the city and researched by Aspect Consulting.
I don’t believe the findings come as much of a shock to water experts who watch these issues, but it may be a call to action for everyone else.
The entire Kitsap Peninsula, like Bainbridge Island, is almost entirely reliant on rainfall. We don’t have a mountain here with a pile of snow to feed our streams. While Bremerton operates a dam on the Union River, the dam’s supply is essentially a set annual amount.
For much of our Puget Sound region, the story is only slightly less urgent, while some island communities are facing severe shortages. Rainfall is the key, and most of the region is growing more dependent on groundwater as the years go by.
For me, the Bainbridge report reminds us that we all need to pay closer attention to our local groundwater supplies, and we need our local governments to help us understand our local problems.
Specifically, we need to:
- Develop an ongoing water budget for each of our aquifers (measuring rainfall against usage) to help us respond to changes over time,
- Continue to improve on our efficient use of water, so that we can do more with our limited water supplies,
- Protect our aquifer recharge areas, which means greater use of low-impact development across the entire Kitsap Peninsula and many other areas of Puget Sound,
- Move the water from wells in outlying areas to the population centers where that can be done without affecting streamflows needed for fish,
- Keep everyone informed about the water budgets, conservation efforts and quality of fish habitat,
- And issue a call for stepped-up conservation efforts in low-rainfall years to maintain underground water supplies.
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
January 23rd, 2009 at 4:14 pm
BI has had water concerns that I know about for almost thirty years and often wondered how they have been able to continue building and not address the water situation.
I know a property in CK that produced about 60 gallons of water over thirty years ago and may still produce the same amount.
One hot summer I ran four hoses each off two separate faucets day and night for a month or two to protect new landscaping until the fall rains came. and never ran out of water.
“Move the water from wells in outlying areas to the population centers where that can be done without affecting streamflows needed for fish,”
Do you mean private wells or county/city?
Sharon O’Hara
January 24th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Moving water around is a controversial topic and often opposed by environmental groups because of the irresponsible way it has been done at times. But we have to recognize that we can either bring the water to the people or the people will move to the water.
For example, the Kitsap Public Utility District owns a well near Seabeck that produces a lot of water. Studies confirm that it can be pumped pretty heavily without affecting local streams, including Seabeck Creek. As insurance, the PUD has agreed to use the well to maintain stream flows, such as in drought years when low flows can be fatal to fish.
The PUD also operates water systems in North Kitsap that are running out of water. So the PUD is working on a deal with the Silverdale Water District that would pipe some water into one part of the Silverdale system and take an equal amount of water out the other side, closer to North Kitsap.
With care, moving water to existing population centers near Kingston would be better than moving an equal number of people into the fragile Hood Canal watershed near Seabeck.
That’s the kind of thinking I am suggesting.
January 24th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Good idea. I’ve not thought much about it.
How do private wells fit into the equation when some of them must be piped into the same water source as county or city water sources?
Moving water where it is needed for people and to protect fragile watersheds makes sense.
Does a map exist showing the various wells, depth and source… such as artisan?
January 25th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
One should also be looking at recharging the aquifer….if you withdraw a lot of water from an outlying area, it probably should be put back there in pretty good condition. Otherwise, it will meet with the same fate as the aquifers closer to densly populated areas.
January 26th, 2009 at 10:11 am
How do we ‘recharge the aquifer’?
Shouldn’t we be utilizing our grey water too and getting rid of solid (blacktop and concrete) surfaces whenever possible?