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Water
On Guemes Island In the early nineties the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) did a two-year study of the hydrology and quality of groundwater on Guemes Island . The results of this study were published as Water-Resources Investigations Report 94-4236. A copy of this document can be found in the Guemes Library on the Resources shelf. It provides a baseline of all available data at that time and continues to be a useful source of information. In 1994 the Skagit County Health Department formed a Seawater Intrusion Committee; Glen Veal, Nancy Vogel and I represented Guemes Island on the committee. Retired geologist Dick Threet, who became well-known to many of us through his work on Guemes, also served. A Seawater Intrusion Policy was formulated by this committee and adopted in December of 1994. This policy requires certain restrictions (pumping rate, water meters, water conservation, etc.) for individual wells in coastal areas where building permits or sub-divisions are requested. Of course it would be prudent for all people living in such areas to adopt the same restrictions voluntarily. The same committee designed and installed at the ferry parking lot the large seawater intrusion sign, which encourages people to conserve water. An educational brochure was distributed island-wide and public meetings were held to educate islanders about the proper use of their wells and about water conservation. We made hundreds of barrels available to islanders at cost to collect rainwater for outside use. In 1997 the EPA granted a Sole Source Aquifer (SSA) designation to our island’s aquifer system. The designation is based on the fact that groundwater is our main source of drinking water. This designation has been recognized by Skagit County to limit growth on Guemes Island by protecting us from density bonuses in clustered land divisions. Of course, a water pipeline would have removed the SSA protection. Over the years Richard Threet, Joost Businger and I, and various assistants, have monitored a number of selected wells twice a year, measuring the static water level and determining chloride and nitrate concentrations of the water. Even after this very dry hydrological year, initial data analysis indicates a drop of only approximately 3-4 per cent in static-water levels in the Double Bluff Aquifer. This is very encouraging as it indicates that the aquifer system as a whole is currently not under stress. Coastal wells, however, may experience a temporary rise in chloride concentrations. Seawater Intrusion, defined by USGS as a chloride concentration over 100 mg/l, occurs only on the northern part of the island and on a few beach deposits elsewhere. The installation of water meters, which facilitate detection of leaks, have helped to lower chloride concentrations even in these areas. New wells have been completed in the Vashon aquifer (located above the Double Bluff Aquifer and mainly above mean sealevel), which yields less water but is safe from seawater intrusion. The USGS report indicates that only a small fraction of the annual recharge is withdrawn from the aquifer system by wells and that we can sustain a substantial increase in population without damaging effects on the aquifer system. A pipeline, bringing volumes of fresh water to Guemes, would almost certainly have led to an increased pressure to change land use planning and allow a large increase in growth. If we think we are having problems with our ferry system now, think what that could have brought about. In addition to our groundwater supply, we are blessed with an average annual precipitation of about 25 inches. A few years ago I stayed on a farm in Australia where the house was entirely served by rainwater, while the well water was used for the cattle. While rainwater systems are not at this time an accepted technology in this county, this may change in future. In the meantime, rainwater may be used for many purposes other than consumption. As I said at the beginning of this article, we are on our own, and I personally hope we can stay that way. I am confident that we can live within our water budget, if we use the various options available to us and manage our water resources carefully. And for those of you who still have rainbarrels lying around without having them hooked up: this is the time to do it. We may have yet another dry summer ahead. - Marianne Kooiman *Skagit County Public Utility District recently submitted a grant application to the State of Washington for $1,000,000 towards a $2,000,000 pipeline to carry water under Guemes channel from Anacortes. Now, according to Greg Peterka, managing engineer, the PUD will "cancel the Anacortes-Guemes transmission line grant application with DOH! (not a misprint or humor). The pipeline idea is over". LineTime has sent the PUD several questions about this proposal as well as a request for a statement explaining the proposal and its subsequent withdrawal. We will post the responses as we receive them. Water Conservation In Gardens and Landscapes Strategies for reducing water useage. [PDF] |
