PORT ANGELES — Although water managers fear supplies will be strained before the rains come in the fall, the only mandatory conservation measures ordered on the North Olympic Peninsula so far have been in a small district east of Port Angeles.
The Fairview Water System’s 1,500 customers were placed on a Stage 3 alert — which initiates an alternate day watering schedule for outdoor watering, among other restrictions — on Tuesday after the water level in Morse Creek fell to about 23 cubic feet per second.
Mandatory conservation orders from the state Department of Ecology are triggered for Fairview when the Morse Creek water level drops below 25 cfs, said Jeff Beaman, Clallam County Public Utility executive communication coordinator.
“This is an action that normally occurs at September,” Beaman said, “but with the dry spring we had this year and the unusually dry summer so far, it’s hit a little earlier.”
None of the other eight water systems PUD operates have restrictions, Beaman said. Fairview is one of two that are stream-fed, the other being Island View Water System on the West End. The rest are on wells or have water supplemented through purchases from Port Angeles, he said.
Restrictions likely will stay in effect until “the rains resume,” Beaman said.
And if dry conditions continue, restrictions could become tighter before they are relaxed.
“This is the first time in recent memory we’ve gone to a Stage 3,” Beaman said. “We’ve normally gone to a Stage 4, which is more restrictive on outdoor watering.”
Elsewhere, some water managers have requested voluntary conservation.
Jefferson PUD
Bill Graham, resource manager for the Jefferson County Public Utility District — which serves some 3,000 customers — said district officials expect a prolonged dry period in the Pacific Northwest and so have requested voluntary conservation even though water supplies are stable now.
“We’re looking at probably a dry fall and even winter,” he added. “We’re moving into an El Niño,” a major warming of the equatorial waters in the Pacific Ocean, “which is typically warmer and drier than a normal period.”
PA, PT
Port Angeles is experiencing no problems with its water supply, said Glenn Cutler, public works director, and there is no contemplation of mandatory conservation.
Conservation also remains voluntary in the city of Port Townsend, which began supplementing its water supply from the Big Quilcene River with reserves from Lord’s Lake the first week of August, the earliest that measure had been taken in 16 years, said Ian Jablonski, water resource manager for Port Townsend.
“We haven’t gone to any restrictions at this point,” Jablonski said Tuesday. “We’re keeping a eye on what’s going on.”
Dungeness, Elwha
The situation for the Dungeness and Elwha rivers hasn’t changed dramatically” since earlier this month, said Dan Partridge, communications manager for Ecology’s Water Resources Program.
Both are running below normal, but there have been no indications of “undue hardship” — one of the conditions for a drought declaration — such as wells going dry, he said.
Ben Smith, president of the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Agricultural Water Users Association, said association members have been “responsive and helpful with their voluntary cutbacks.”
That could change later.
“Water flows continue to drop, so we could go to mandatory conservation by the end of the season,” he said.
More information about water conservation is available at www.wateruseitwisely.com.
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Managing Editor/News Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3531 or leah.leach@peninsula dailynews.com.
