Water. Life can’t exist without it. It has led to the rise and fall of civilizations. World Bank officials say this century’s wars will be fought over it. About water in the West, Mark Twain quipped, “Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting over.” Fortunately, the Kitsap Peninsula is blessed with plenty of this life sustaining resource — right?

Yes and no.

The Kitsap Peninsula averages about 50 inches of rain per year — three times more than Spokane and four times more than San Diego. Despite our relative abundance of rain, there are reasons for concern:

In May 2004, the City of Gig Harbor enacted a building moratorium due to a lack of water hook ups and opted to pay $53,000 to move to the top of the State’s list for processing water rights.

Since 1991, new water rights have been curtailed surrounding Island Lake and exempt wells have been prohibited in the shallow aquifer due to concerns about low stream flows in Barker Creek and falling aquifer and lake levels.

Seawater intrusion (inland movement of saltwater typically caused by over pumping) — an indicator of unsustainable aquifer withdrawals — has forced a handful of local shoreline property owners to find alternative sources of drinking water.

A recent assessment of water quality cautions that there are indications of seawater intrusion along more densely populated shorelines, especially in the Gig Harbor area.

Demand is increasing. Supply is not. The population of the Kitsap Peninsula (including Gig Harbor and north Pierce County, Vashon Island, and North Mason) in 2000 was 295,000; it is projected to top 430,000 by 2030. On-peninsula water sources are limited and there are no readily available or economically viable off-peninsula sources of water.

Opinions vary about how dire the current situation is, but the 30 citizens and agencies that comprise the Kitsap Peninsula Watershed Planning Unit agree that — as with the rest of the world — water is a critical issue for the future of Kitsap’s economic and environmental health.

Watershed Planning Process

In 1998, the Legislature passed the Watershed Planning Act (House Bill 2514, RCW 90.82) authorizing and funding local “Planning Units” to create local solutions to local water resource problems. Although Planning Units cannot change laws, existing rights, or treaties, they can make recommendations to the State and local jurisdictions about how water management should proceed. The Plan cannot compel jurisdictions to take actions against their will. The Department of Ecology (DOE) will give these plans considerable weight when evaluating water right applications. Watershed Planning is happening in 41 of the State’s 62 watersheds, known as Water Resource Inventory Areas (WRIAs).

The Kitsap Peninsula Watershed (designated as WRIA 15) includes all of Kitsap County and portions of Mason, Pierce, and King counties. The Planning Unit meets monthly, and operates by consensus, which is no small feat as members include four counties, five cities, four tribes, four water purveyors, the Department of Ecology, and several caucuses representing stakeholder interest groups. The group’s mission is to develop a practical plan to sustainably manage water resources for people, fish, and wildlife. If the Planning Unit reaches consensus on water management issues, the final plan will be recommended for approval and forwarded to the counties for formal approval in April 2005.

Kitsap Peninsula Watershed Plan

Up until a few months ago, the five-year, $870,000 planning effort was focused on identifying key issues and conducting technical assessments of existing conditions. The key issues that emerged from the technical studies are:

1. how should we provide water for the growing population in a way that has the least impact on the environment?;
2. how should we avoid flooding streams in winter and provide enough streamflow in summer?; and
3. how should we maintain our generally excellent water quality?

   The group is now working on the specific recommendations that outline how water resources should be managed in the future. Although an agreed-upon draft probably will not emerge until December or January, the following themes are currently being discussed:

1. “Watershed management is a good idea — we should do it here.” In the recent past, our water supply dwarfed demand making integrated management unnecessary. With increasing population and many groups vying for the same water, those days are ending; we need to improve our understanding of the “big picture” and manage the resources accordingly.
2. Stormwater management is about improving groundwater supplies — not just about avoiding harm to downstream property and fish habitat. Infiltrating more runoff means more groundwater is available to support well withdrawals and sustain summer stream flows. Wells are our least expensive source of drinking water (about 1/12 the cost of desalinization); it makes economic sense to maximize recharge by minimizing runoff.
3. A regional entity should be established to address regional water issues. No entity is charged or equipped to conduct water quantity and quality monitoring, synthesize results, identify regional sources of water, prioritize mitigation/enhancement projects, coordinate public education, and inform policymakers about the implications of their decisions on local water resources.

   Get Involved

In February, the Planning Unit is scheduled to conduct a series of public meetings to discuss the draft Kitsap Peninsula and Islands Watershed Management Plan. Attend a meeting, read the draft plan, and make your thoughts known!

For more information contact Keith Folkerts at Kitsap County Department of Community Development, 360-337-7098, kfolkerts@co.kitsap.wa.us. The Planning Unit’s website is www.KitsapPeninsulaWatershed.org.