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Center for Environmental Law & Policy
Clean, Flowing Waters for the West
How the drought hit WA’s farms, forests, fisheries and drinking water
Drought is "like a slow-motion train wreck," said Scott Revell, who manages the Roza Irrigation District in the Yakima Basin.
Water Resource Area 26 – The Cowlitz Watershed is defined as the area that drains to the Cowlitz River as well as the Kalama River drainage. Annual precipitation ranges from 40-120 inches per year, with most of this coming in winter months when demand is the lowest. During the summer, human demand is high but there is little available water. Most water rights in the Cowlitz were assigned over 100 years ago, leaving little to no water left for new water rights. This watershed is one of the most intensely farmed areas in the western Washington, but Tacoma Power holds senior rights to maintain its reservoir levels in Riffe and Mayfield Lakes. The watershed does have some Surface Water Source Limitations to protect streamflows for salmon, but we can still expect to have difficulties maintaining streamflows in the future due to climate change. (Info: Washington Department of Ecology).
Fast fashion has finally gotten some buzz as people realize the connection between cheap trending clothing and the horrible work and environmental conditions it results in around the world. However, we still need to have conversations about the environmental impact of everyday items like the production process for jeans. From the water needed to grow the cotton to the final rinsing of the fabric, the water cost of jeans is approximately 1000 gallons, with 92% of that just going to irrigating the cotton plants. Organic cotton uses less water because it is mainly grown with rainwater, but that could change as climate change impacts precipitation. There are also non-water-related costs—the carbon footprint, waste, and energy consumption per pair are high. So, what should we do?For people who can, buying organic cotton dyed with fewer chemicals should be the preference. Otherwise, we need to be attentive to buying only what we need, purchasing styles that will last, and washing each pair less. Keep in mind that Martha Stewart suggests only washing your jeans every 10 wears—that saves water, too! Read more: www.makefashionbetter.com/blog/the-environmental-impact-of-the-denim-industry.
Initiating universal, proactive conservation methods could save around 1000 gallons per year per house, with renovation for each house requiring a one-time cost of a few hundred dollars.
Water conservation vital to make cities more resilient to climate change
In a new University of Miami study, researchers urge cities to adopt water conservation renovations in new homes, predicting a city like Phoenix, Arizona, could save up to 23.55 billion gallons throug...
The theme of World Water Day 2024 is ‘Water for Peace’.When we cooperate on water, we create a positive ripple effect – fostering harmony, generating prosperity and building resilience to shared challenges.We must act upon the realization that water is not only a resource to be used and competed over – it is a human right, intrinsic to every aspect of life.This World Water Day, we all need to unite around water and use water for peace, laying the foundations of a more stable and prosperous tomorrow.Check out more about World Water Day at www.un.org/en/observances/water-day
WRIA 40 is defined as the area that drains north and east of the Columbia River from south of Wenatchee to Richland,. It's located in parts of Chelan, Kittitasm Yakima, and Benton counties. Much of central Washington receives less than 20 inches of rainfall annually. Of course, most of this precipitation comes during the winter. During the summer, naturally low streams depend on groundwater, which means there’s little availability when human demand is the highest.All water rights in the area were given 100 years ago meaning that most of the water that does exist is already legally spoken for (appropriated). The demand for water from growing communities and agriculture has caused declining streamflows which impact fish, habitats, and stream health. Adding in climate change makes the water availability in WRIA 40 even more concerning.