Cascade Lake
and Mountain Lake Watersheds
Bibliography
(Please refresh your browser page, since this page is
updated frequently)
The public
hearing to adopt the East Orcas Water Supply Report, February 14 2006 was continued
to March 15th at
10 at the senior center.
(report below under East Orcas Water
Supply Committee) The Council listened to comments from the
public, and did not impliment any
of the changes proposed by the public or written suggestions from the
Dept of Fish and Wildlife.
Here are the comments and
specific suggestions by Pamela Erstad (Dept of Fish and Wildlife) (pdf version) that were ignored.
Here is link to the report submitted by Sandy Taylor showing how Cascade Creek will go dry during the summer,
if the massive Rosario water rights from Cascade Creek are actually
fully asserted for the first time in history.
The
county published a Determination of Non Significance
The Environmental
checklist
(Comment period has been extended from Feb. 15 to March 3, 2006.
Protests and comments are expected)
Some of the protest and comments expected regarding
the
Environmental Checklist
The report
includes references to the formation of "new public utility districts",
and "the merger of Eastsound Water Users Association and Eastsound
Sewer and Water District." The estimated cost
of $13,000,000 accommodate water for build
out for Eastsound did not include costs to purchase the Rosario
water rights.
The Orcas meetings are not
sanctioned by the East Orcas Water Supply Committee.
Click
here for
Current Issues and Questions
click here for a
list of Who to call to ask questions?
The "Water Column"
submitted to the Sounder for the 2/8/2006 edition to announce two
public meetings on Orcas.
(The article published by the Sounder omitted the first paragraph, and
had comments added by Vicki Heater added after it)
Water
right
modifications affecting more than one
Billion gallons of water/year
in the Mountain Lake and Cascade Lake watersheds.
Protest filed against portions of water
rights modifications affecting Cascade Creek.
Issues and with the report from the East
Orcas Water Supply Committee
Diagram of
the Mountain Lake and Cascade Lake watersheds with links to water
rights information
Protected Species in our Watershed
email from Steve Boessow, Water
Rights Biologist, Department
of Fish &
Wildlife, explaining the significance of the summer flow in
Cascade Creek
Letter from Dept. of Fisheries (now part of Fish
and
Wildlife) documenting natural salmon spawning and sea-run cutthroat in
Cascade Creek. (page 2)
Letter from Dept. of Ecology stating there are salmon
and sea-run cutthroat in Cascade Creek
Preliminary report from Washington Trout (not published yet)
confirming that there are salmon and sea-run cutthroat in Cascade Creek.
Fish survey by Wa State Fish and Wildlife in Jan 2006 included chinook
salmon
Fun pictures of high school kids
studying
Coho and Chum Salmon and in Cascade Creek
Response from Steve Boessow,
Water Rights Biologist, Department of Fish & Wildlife Habitat
Program
to a former commissioner who was "surprised
and concerned to learn that Cascade Creek in Olga is
being considered as a salmon stream"
Natural or not, salmon have the same
protection (Dr. Hal Beecher,
Washington Department of Fish and
Wildlife)
No new instream flow studies are
needed. (To:County Health dept., from WDFW)
The county now propose a 5 year study.
Determination
of non significance by the county (protests and comments are expected
before March 3, 2006)
San Juan County documents:
$13,000,000
estimate to get water to Eastsound Aug. 2004 BOCC minutes
Grant
for San
Juan County Watershed Planning, through
June 2005 (habitat and supply) About $654,000
The
San Juan County Watershed Management Action Plan
The
San Juan County Water Resource Management Plan (the cover picture
is a the Coral Sea, state approved water hauling vessel)
Health
and Community Services Drinking Water Program
Surface
Water Storage Assessment (San Juan County) (notes)
Water Assessment for San Juan County, 1985 (contact the county for a
paper copy)
Geology and Water Resources of the San Juan Islands, 1975 (WA dept. of
Ecology bulletin 46) (contact the county for a paper copy)
(Bulletin 46 contains some stream flow
records and other useful data, it should be scanned and made available
on line)
The
San Juan County (WRIA 2) Implementation Plan, 2006
Environmental
Health
Services
Island County has a
concise seawater intrusion policy that is scientifically based
Eastsound
Aquifer abbreviated coordinated water system plan (does anyone have
links or information?)
Power
Point presentation (3.7
MB) on Sea Water
Intrusion
presented by Doug Kelly to the BOCC, Dec 2005.
(Wells in areas where the static well levels are greater than
8.4 ft above sea level
have little risk of sea water intrusion.)
Estimates
of Ground
Water Recharge by Laura A. Orr, Henry H. Bauer, and J.A. Wayenberg
(large file, 11.3 MB, but great stuff)
Contacts: Vicki Heater
and Mark Tomkins
with San
Juan Health
and Community Services (360) 378 4474
Washington State
Pending
water right applications
Protest filed against portions of water
right modifications affecting Cascade Creek. (same link as at the
top of this page)
Wa
Governor's statement on the 2005 state wide drought
2004 report to the Legislature on Watershed
Planning and instream flows
Draft memorandum : Cascade
Creek Instream Flow Recommendations, cover letter draft
report (PDF format)
Progress report on
Watershed Planning and Setting Instream Flows (The statement
""little or no spawning activity" does not agree with DFW observations)
Wa State Dept. of Health,
Office
of Drinking Water
Dept. of Ecology
Watershed planning
Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
Ecology Water quality
assessment map (zoom into region of interest for more details.
DFW page on Hydraulic Project Approval (HPA) process
DFW email stating an HPA is required for
repairs to the Rosario diversion and ditch
USGS water
issues
Primer on water rights in Washington State
Chapter
90.82 RCW Watershed planning
East Orcas Water Supply Committee
Formed by the BOCC in Dec 2003
agendas, minutes,
reference documents and some notes
East
Orcas
Water
Supply Committee (Feb 1 2006 draft) Report (updated by the San Juan
Watershed Management Committee)
(Figures
A - E for above) these links will be redirected to the county site
when they are available.
Report on issues and omissions related to
the committee report, submitted by Sandy Taylor to the
County Council (was BOCC) to be attached to the committee report for
public review
(same link as near the top of this page)
Sandy's notes on East
Orcas Watershed
Planning with links
Other Documents related to the Mountain Lake and Cascade Lake
Watersheds
Cascade Creek instream flow (May 2003 -3 Apr 2004) study from DTA,
scanned text
and data
from preliminary report. (amazing peak flow data)
Estimate of sustainable
discharge
from Mountain Lake, based on historical levels
Diagram of
water flow from Mountain Lake to Cascade Creek and Cascade Lake
Mountain
Lake Conservation Plan
Historical
graphs of the water
level in Mountain Lake over a 4 year period, and other information on
the Mountain Lake Dam.
More Watershed Related Documents
This orchid is native to our habitat. It is unusual in that it does not
have any leaves.
Friends of the San Juans
published
a
great educational newsletter on our island water issues and wetlands
(Summer 2005)
Wildlife and plants in the Cascade
Creek,
Mountain Lake watershed
Flooding
around the estuarine wetland along
Cascade Creek
as it flows into Buck Bay due
to the culvert temporary
repair
The "lake" on the right hand side of the road is normally a grass
field. Water flowing across the road is not good.
County public works are gathering more data and working on a solution
(maybe in the summer of 2007?).
Shoreline
photo (before flooding)
San
Juan Islander articles on Eastsound water
Chehalis River Council
(Good watershed planning example)
Municipal Research & Services Center
of Washington (MRSC) Watershed
planning
Return to Olga Water Users Inc.
home
page
This bibliography is intended to include relevant public information
for the benefit of those who care about these remarkable watersheds on
Orcas Island. The ideas and opinions presented here do not
necessarily represent the
policies, procedures or opinions of Olga Water Users Inc. or it's
board. My thanks to Olga Water Users for allowing this to be posted
under their web site.
If you have information to add, or corrections, please call Sandy
Taylor at 376 3815.
Or email:
I hope this information useful to the community.
updated 2/7/2006
