Water is far more than a simple commodity. It is the lifeblood of our planet, essential for the survival and thriving of all flora and fauna. As we confront the realities of climate change, the sustainability of our water systems faces potentially significant challenges.
Here on the Olympic Peninsula, an area historically without a need to deeply consider water system sustainability, it has now become an urgent issue demanding both appropriate management and robust public awareness.
The Dungeness River, beloved and essential for Sequim, exemplifies this challenge. It is renowned not for its length but for its steepness; the Dungeness River is relatively short, approximately 28-plus miles from its headwaters to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and drops over 7,000 feet in elevation along its course. It serves as the proverbial “canary in the coal mine” as an indicator of overall Dungeness River Basin health.
Traditionally fed by a substantial mountain snowpack reservoir, the river’s summer flow now increasingly depends on spring and summer rainfall due to earlier and more severe warming weather, with a diminishing snowpack.
Recognizing this, the Clallam County Charter Review Commission (CRC) is considering a significant proposal: the creation of a water steward position. This advisory role would be tasked with pulling together all available information on water resources, predicting climate impacts, assessing the availability of “wet water” versus state-granted “water rights,” recommending conservation methods, and identifying potential changes to water usage allocations.
Currently, numerous agencies manage water resources, but a unified, locally-focused approach to assessment, monitoring, and guideline development is lacking.
A water steward would provide this crucial unified basis, assessing the needs of the entire county, from Neah Bay to Forks and the Jefferson County borders. This role requires gathering factual, up-to-date data on groundwater and surface water, understanding diverse regional needs, and engaging with all stakeholders to recommend equitable solutions.
Effective communication of technical issues and proactive policies will be paramount. Our citizens are demanding this information, and outreach to the general public on this important issue will require an open communication of the water steward’s findings and recommendations.
The path to optimal water sustainability involves navigating diverse opinions. However, without the participation of all stakeholders and a willingness to appropriately assess current and projected future water reserves, compromise, and reallocate water usage, Clallam County risks failing to implement necessary regulatory modifications in time for them to be effective.
Citizens are urged to support this critical initiative by attending CRC water-related hearings and providing comments and concerns to ensure the final decision reflects the community’s needs.
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Tony Corrado, BSME, is former chairman of the Water Advisory Committee of Elbert County, Colorado, and an Olympic Peninsula activist. Craig Smith, MD, a resident of Clallam County, is former senior advisor for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and affiliate professor at the University of Washington.
