We cannot be too complacent. The snowpack in the Olympics is very low, and we are likely to be drawing water from the reservoir lake much earlier this year than prior years. The PT paper mill has committed to reducing their water usage by 2 million gallons a day, but if the rivers run too low, that will be an optimistic projection. California, meanwhile is in crisis, and will face a very long hot summer. Life as they knew, will not be the same this year. But since CA produces a vast amount of the nations’ food, there are much more critical concerns than whether they can maintain golf courses (many of which already use recycled water).
California Governor Jerry Brown ordered statewide mandatory water saving measures Wednesday. Water managers are preparing for drought in Oregon and Washington state as well. Washington and Oregon’s governors have already declared drought emergencies in select counties where farmers depend on runoff for irrigation. In Olympia, a drought and water supply committee that has been dormant for years has been reconvened. Tom Banse reports. (KUOW)
http://kuow.org/post/western-drought-response-kicks-higher-gear
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: Puget Sound |
