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Water Quality - Lake vs. Estuary Conversation Continues

By Dani Madrone

On November 3, 2014, the Washington State Department of Ecology hosted a discussion for scientists, modelers, and reviewers of the technical studies related to Capitol Lake and Budd Inlet to identify specific areas of agreement and disagreement on the conclusions. Attending this meeting were three scientists from Ecology, Dr. David Milne and two others from the Capitol Lake Improvement and Protection Association (CLIPA), a representative from Squaxin Island and their technical reviewer, Dr. Jonathon Frodge, and a representative from Deschutes Estuary Restoration Team (DERT).

Ecology presented their modeling that demonstrated that, with the 5th Avenue dam in place, the Deschutes Watershed will not meet Environmental Protection Agency requirements for dissolved oxygen under the Clean Water Act. Milne countered that the modeling did not provide accurate results and was not appropriate for the research.

Dr. Mindy Roberts of Ecology stated, "The model has gone through several stages of very well documented calibration and review by outside experts. We are confident in the model."

Scott Steltzner of Squaxin Natural Resources reminded everyone the Tribe is a government agency co-managing natural resources. They are pro-science, not necessarily pro- estuary. He also described several regional, state and federal processes with technical committees that had also reached the conclusion of estuary restoration. Overall, south Budd Inlet is affected by invasive species, altered circulation patterns due to the dam, a shallow and warm basin with excessive algae, water quality issues, and poor salmonid survival.

Milne's paper was never formally peer-reviewed, and submitted as proof of the benefits of Capitol Lake before being reviewed by the many technical teams involved in this process. The Tribe had Milne's analysis independently reviewed by Dr. Jonathon Frodge, past president of the Washington State Lake Protection Association, who found Milne ignored changes in circulation patterns and effects on plant decomposition on water quality. Frodge also stated that both Ecology and Milne ignored the significant issue of the impacts of invasive species.

Steltzner alerted everyone of the concerns around salmon mortality. "We have an introduced hatchery Chinook run that has one of the lowest survival rates in all of Puget Sound. We also have an introduced but naturally producing coho run that is declining, and the one year class is functionally extinct. This is in contrast to other runs in South Sound that are staying steady or actually going up."

Frodge backed his claim. "I think it's related to the dense growth macrophytes. In Lake Washington, we got significant mortality... survival of smolts below dense beds of macrophytes was zero, equated to low dissolved oxygen. When you look at Capitol Lake, the actual amount of habitat for out-migrating smolts is significantly less than the actual surface area."

"The issue with Capitol Lake is that it is an impoundment in a very wrong spot that creates more environmental problems than the primary benefit...of a reflective pool for the Capitol," said Frodge. "If I were biased, it would be towards preservation of lakes, but in my opinion, Capitol Lake is not really a lake. It's an impoundment in an area that functionally should be an estuary."

During the discussion that followed these presentations, CLIPA did not address these issues. Instead, they continued to debate the validity of the model and the merit of the process. Roberts defended Ecology's work, stating they have established confidence in the model and have followed a good protocol. Ecology sought feedback from the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) technical advisory group, identifying potential scenarios and priorities to model. CLIPA participated in this process, and the study was peer-reviewed twice.

Roberts responded to CLIPA's uncompromising challenges by stating, "I'm sorry that it does not support the position that you have, but when you look at it from a scientific perspective, this model is a way to dispassionately understand the impacts.... We need to move on."

Dani Madrone is the Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Deschutes Estuary Restoration Team (DERT). She has a Bachelors of Science and Art Degree from The Evergreen State College. DERT advocates for the removal of the 5th Avenue Dam and the restoration of the Deschutes estuary for clean water, recreational access, and a local economy that benefits the natural world.


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Updated 2015/01/07 21:14:22