SEQUIM — With a drought on the horizon due to record-low snowpack in the Olympic Mountains, the city is set to release its first-ever Draft Storm and Surface Water Master Plan for public review.
The snowpack in the mountains is currently at zero, the lowest it has been since 2005, when it was a little less than 50 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Snowpack acts as a frozen reservoir for river basins, accumulating over the winter and slowly melting through the spring and summer — providing a water supply for rivers and streams.
The Dungeness River, which relies on snowpack through the summer and early autumn and provides water for the city, is expected to dwindle dramatically.
The driest time is expected to be from August through October.
The master plan, the first of its kind ever crafted by the city, can be read online starting late today or early Friday at http://tinyurl.com/PDN-WaterPlan.
Project Manager Ann Soule said Wednesday afternoon that the final copy of the draft was coming from Herrera Environmental Consultants of Seattle in time to post online today or Friday.
Open houses
Starting next week, the city will host a series of open houses allowing public comment on the draft plan every Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and every Thursday from noon to 2 p.m. at the city’s Interpretive Center at the Water Reuse Park, 500 N. Blake Ave.
The open houses will be held through the time that the plan is out for public comment, Soule said.
The City Council will determine the length of the public comment period.
The council is currently scheduled to start its review of the plan June 22, while the Planning Commission is scheduled to take it up Tuesday.
The draft plan addresses problems and needs identified in the city’s Stormwater Management Needs Assessment from May 2014.
The study was an effort related to the city’s need to protect existing infrastructure and efficiently manage water resources as its urban area grows.
Trapping stormwater
The draft plan prepares the city for long-term management of stormwater to avoid flooding and water quality problems as the population grows, and outlines ways in which stormwater can be trapped and reused during dry spells before spilling out into Dungeness Bay.
“The main thing [is] to preserve that water before it just disappears into the ocean,” Soule said.
“Yes, we’ve got too much water at times, [and] yes, we have too little water at times. How do we even that out a little bit, making sure we get as much of our water resource into the ground and stored? Storage is the key.”
Currently, there are no storage facilities in the city where stormwater can be held and reallocated when needed, Soule noted.
Additionally, the city does not have a stormwater inspection program for private facilities; no long-term stormwater plan for growth, changes in weather patterns or capital improvements; no current knowledge of water quality and habitat; no pollution prevention outreach; and no funding for stormwater work.
The master plan aims to change that.
“Our water issues are probably the thing that are going to continue to define Sequim,” Soule said.
“They have, in terms of irrigation, for over a century. If we manage our water well, hopefully we will continue to be proud of that.”
Population increase
Water management will become even more crucial over the next 20 years as the population inside city limits is projected to increase by about 2,400 residents.
“We are planning for another 20 years of community development,” said Chris Hugo, city director of community development.
“No one really knows how many people are coming . . . but we can be prepared.”
Over the past century, Sequim has grown at an annual average of 1.5 percent, Hugo noted.
“To project that out another 20 years, that would produce another 2,400 new residents,” he said.
“Sequim easily has room for 12,000 more people on quarter-acre lots within the current city limit boundaries.”
That does not include growth in the rural areas surrounding the city, where most growth has occurred and will continue to.
The extra water users will strain the system if future droughts happen, Hugo and Soule said.
For more information, contact Soule at 360-582-2436 or asoule@sequimwa.gov.
________
Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
