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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 3, 1997
97-187
CONTACT: Steve Butkus, (360) 407-6482
Mary Getchell, (360) 407-6157, Pager (360) 534-8590
OLYMPIA, WA - Washington residents who want to know whether fishing ponds or swimming holes in their area of the state are healthy may want to refer to a recent report the Washington Department of Ecology issued -- "1998 Washington State Water Quality Assessment." The report describes the quality of Washington's lakes, streams and estuaries.
"The report is the most comprehensive water quality assessment we do. One of the questions we are most commonly asked is whether area lakes or rivers are safe for fishing or swimming, and this report contains the best information that is available to help answer those questions," said Megan White, manager of Ecology's Water Quality Program. "The information in the report is not currently focused at reporting trends, however we are hoping to provide such information in the future. We can most definitely say that the primary sources of pollution may surprise you. It's not coming from industries or municipalities -- it's coming from activities many of us do every day."
The majority of Washington state's water pollution problems come from what's called nonpoint source pollution. That's pollution that comes from many diffuse sources -- stormwater runoff, agricultural and forestry practices, urban and suburban land development and failing septic tanks.
In all, Ecology assessed 98 percent of the streams, all of the estuaries and 99 percent of the lakes in Washington. The assessment found that 41 percent of the streams are healthy, 35 percent of marine waters are healthy and 65 percent of the lakes are healthy. The waters were assessed on how well they supported uses that the public expects such as aquatic life, swimming, boating and aesthetic enjoyment.
Fecal coliform bacteria are the primary pollution problem harming streams and marine waters. Fecal coliform may enter waters from dairy farms that are not properly managing their dairy waste, failing septic systems, pet waste and stormwater. It's an indicator that other pathogens may be present in the water, pathogens that when ingested may make people very sick.
Excessive nutrients are the primary problem in Washington's lakes. Excessive nutrients come from sources such as irrigated agriculture, gardening practices and urban and suburban property development. The nutrients cause algae and other aquatic plants to grow in lakes, which rob the aquatic life of the oxygen necessary for survival. In addition, algae and aquatic plants can make lakes unsafe for swimming and boating and cause a lake's aesthetic value to decline.
The leading sources of water pollution include some agricultural practices, urban development and failing septic systems. Statewide, pollution from agricultural practices accounts for 33 percent of water pollution problems. In streams not supporting beneficial uses of water, pollution from agricultural practice accounts for 57 percent of the problem.
"The water pollution problems we are seeing have a direct correlation to our state's declining salmon population. Poor water quality is part of the equation resulting in threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead," said White. "While this report is merely a snapshot of current water-quality conditions and does not indicate whether the water bodies are getting better or worse, we know that many lakes and streams currently are not healthy enough to support salmon and steelhead. That's a real barrier to recovering the stocks."
As part of Ecology's environmental agenda, the agency will be working to improve its relationship with the agricultural industry and work collaboratively to prevent and reduce pollution. Ecology will focus on improvements to the state's dairy waste management program, and conduct three pilot projects to provide on-the-ground technical assistance to help reduce contamination from agricultural lands to water:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses Washington state's report along with reports from other states to provide the U.S. Congress with a national report depicting water quality. Ecology will provide its next Water Quality Assessment Report to EPA by April 2000.
Editors' Note: For specific water quality assessment information for your area, contact Steve Butkus, (360) 407-6482, or Mary Getchell, (360) 407-6157. You may also access the full report on Ecology's home page.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
