In a Rainy State, Why Monitor Our Groundwater?By Sue Gunn You might think that from the amount of rain that falls in western Washington that we have no problems when it comes to water, but that's not the case. Washington's water allocation system is based on antiquated principles that are depleting our water resources, particularly groundwater. Groundwater is one of the state's most valuable resources. It provides over 60 percent of our population with drinking water. Since groundwater and surface water are a single, interconnected resource, capturing groundwater can result in a depletion of rivers and streams. Many regions in the state are already experiencing declines in water levels. Amazingly, there is little reliable information about the availability of our groundwater. Despite this lack of information, decisions are being made regarding proposed new water uses. The two major stressors on groundwater are population growth (increased water pumping and consumption) and global climate change (changes in precipitation patterns). Indeed, since 1993, approximately 75,000 new permit-exempt wells have been constructed. Washington's population is expected to increase by another million by the end of this decade and temperature is expected to increase by 2.5 to 3.7 degrees Fahrenheit by 2020. Groundwater levels will decline as a result. This will deplete instream flows, degrade freshwater aquatic habitat, and increase the likelihood of seawater intrusion in coastal areas. These changes will push the current system of water allocation - one that is derived from the early mining and agricultural days of western expansion - to its breaking point. The allocation of water is based on a legal principle referred to as the "prior appropriation doctrine," which is derived from the concept that "first-in-time, first-in-right." This archaic policy has had the impact of converting water from a shared common resource into private property, producing a phenomenally inefficient system that does not promote modern conservation and environmental values. The result is that, at the dawn of the 21st century, we face grave water availability problems, saddled with outmoded laws that promote water waste. For example, the "use it or lose it" rule creates an incentive to hoard water and use it inefficiently. The system is blind to the value of the water use. It doesn't matter whether senior water rights do nothing more than grow water-guzzling low-value crops. The system has over-allocated water from rivers, resulting in dry riverbeds that leave fish gasping in evaporating pools. We have an obligation to conserve and protect our water supply - and natural resources depend on it. Nearly half the states in the nation have active groundwater monitoring programs. Washington too needs to adopt and implement a comprehensive groundwater-monitoring program in order to make sound public policy and programmatic decisions regarding water consumption, fish and wildlife habitat recovery, and watershed health. Groundwater monitoring provides for a more complete understanding of the effects of water withdrawals. It allows managers to more effectively analyze and develop basin-scale water resource strategies. The collection of groundwater data, both statewide and on a basin scale, allows technical studies and mitigation actions to be coordinated as part of larger watershed plans. A systematic, long-term groundwater-monitoring program will provide accountability for water and habitat management actions and provide the data upon which an adaptive management framework can be structured. This in turn will lead to improved strategies to protect the availability of water for human consumption and for instream flows necessary to support aquatic and riparian habitat and wildlife. Washington now monitors its air, fresh surface water quality and temperature, stream flows, marine water and sediment quality, fish habitat, beach health, toxics in fish tissue, stream biological conditions and invasive aquatic plants. It's time to add groundwater levels and quality to that list. Hard decisions lie ahead regarding water supply and allocation. We need the best possible information to make these decisions. A good data set regarding groundwater takes years to collect, so we must start now. This data will help reform water allocation policies and adopt innovative new programs. By understanding the impacts of pumping groundwater we can create water conservation standards, facilitate the movement of water away from crops of marginal value to high-value use, and regulate and meter currently exempt groundwater pumping. The Center for Environmental Policy recommends that the state immediately begin groundwater monitoring in stressed watersheds across the state, and then systematically expand the program to cover all watersheds. Legislation is necessary to guarantee that this data is properly collected and archived. We need your help educating your family, friends and businesses on the importance of conserving our resources by monitoring and appropriate protective water policies. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.celp.org Sue Gunn, PhD, is the Governmental Affairs Director for the Center for Environmental Law and Policy (CELP), a public-interest organization dedicated to leaving a legacy of clean, flowing waters in Washington's rivers and streams and protecting the public's drinking water. She may be reached at mailto:sgunn@celp.org
Back to Home page. |
