As we enter 2009 many of us are confronted with an abundance (some would say too much) of snow and/or rainfall. However, our region (Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Alaska) does face many water quantity and water quality challenges in the near future. Some of the issues that deserve immediate attention include: (1) our growing population, (2) climate change, (3) water quality in Puget Sound, (4) water for agriculture, (5) water conservation, (6) ground water protection, and (7) surface water quality. Here are some thoughts on each issue…. Growing Population Coupled with Limited Water Resources. Despite a slowing economy, our region’s population is growing much faster than most other regions in the USA. This growth provides us with water resource challenges. As our population grows we will have less available water per person assuming that our water resources remain constant. This will require us to use water more efficiently and consider options including water conservation, water reuse, improving water use efficiency in our major industries, and better water allocation strategies. Climate Change. A changing climate could have a significant impact on the water resources of our region. In Alaska melting permafrost may result in the loss of many lakes as the surface waters seep into the newly unfrozen ground. In Idaho, Oregon, and Washington the snowpack in the mountains may be reduced resulting in less spring runoff for hydropower generation, lower water levels in storage reservoirs, less water for irrigated agriculture, and less water in traditional shipping lanes. Even if the snowpack is not diminished, increasing spring temperatures may result in faster water runoff from the mountains that can increase the potential of floods and reduce the efficiency of water use by industry. Puget Sound. Many once rural areas around Puget Sound are experiencing rapid development. This increased human activity presents major storm water runoff issue challenges. Increased storm water runoff moves polluted water (nutrients, sediments, oils) off paved surfaces rapidly into the Sound. This problem could be the biggest threat to water quality in the Puget Sound.

Pacific Northwest Regional Water Quality Coordination Project Partners Land Grant Universities Alaska Cooperative Extension Service Contact Fred Sorensen: 907-786-6311 http://www.uaf.edu/ces/water/ University Publications: http://www.alaska.edu/uaf/ces/publications/ Idaho University of Idaho Cooperative Extension System Contact Bob Mahler: 208-885-7025 http://www.uidaho.edu/wq/wqhome.html University Publications: http://info.ag.uidaho.edu/Catalog/catalog.html Oregon Oregon State University Extension Service Contact Mike Gamroth: 541-737-3316 http://extension.oregonstate.edu/ University Publications: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/ Washington Washington State University WSU Extension Contact Bob Simmons: 360-427-9670 ext. 690 http://wawater.wsu.edu/ University Publications: http://pubs.wsu.edu/ Northwest Indian College Contact Charlotte Clausing: 360-392-4319 cclausing@nwic.edu or http://www.nwic.edu/ Water Resource Research Institutes Water and Environmental Research Center (Alaska) http://www.uaf.edu/water/ Idaho Water Resources Research Institute http://www.boise.uidaho.edu/ Institute for Water and Watersheds (Oregon) http://water.oregonstate.edu/ State of Washington Water Research Center http://www.swwrc.wsu.edu/ Environmental Protection Agency EPA, Region 10 The Pacific Northwest http://www.epa.gov/r10earth/ Office of Research and Development, Corvallis Laboratory http://www.epa.gov/wed/ For more information contact Jan Seago at 206-553-0038 or seago.jan@epa.gov
	The Project Land Grant Universities, Water Research Institutes and EPA Region 10 have formed a partnership to provide research and education to communities about protecting or restoring the quality of water resources. This partnership is being supported in part by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Our Goal and Approach The goal of this Project is to provide leadership for water resources research, education and outreach to help people, industry and governments to prevent and solve current and emerging water quality and quantity problems. The approach to achieving this goal is for the Partners to develop a coordinated regional water quality effort based on, and strengthening, individual state programs. Our Strengths The Project promotes regional collaboration by acknowledging existing programs and successful efforts; assessing program gaps; identifying potential issues for cross-agency and private sector collaboration, and developing a clearinghouse of expertise and programs. In addition, the Project establishes or enhances partnerships with federal, state and local environmental and water resource management agencies, such as by placing a University Liaison within the offices of EPA Region 10.
	Water for Agriculture. The 7,000,000 acres of irrigated agriculture in Idaho, Washington, and Oregon have traditionally used about 80 percent of the water diverted from surface water sources (rivers, reservoirs) in the Pacific Northwest. However, with a growing urban and industrial demand for water, irrigation systems will have to become more efficient as some water is slowly diverted away from agriculture over the next several years. Water Conservation. Water conservation will become more important across the region in the future. Even in urban areas, stagnant water supplies will force consumers to conserve water in their yards and homes. Xeriscaping, the practice of landscaping yards with native plants that use less water, will become more widespread. Inside homes consumers will likely continue to install water saving devices including low flow shower heads, low flush toilets that can reduce water use by 75 percent over traditional toilets, and appliances that are more water efficient. Ground Water Protection. Ground water is the main source of drinking water for almost half of the residents of the Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately, several of our ground water sources have become contaminated with chemicals such as nitrates, pesticides, and petroleum-based products. Protection of these drinking water sources is currently a priority of state environmental agencies and this protection will become even more important in the future in both rural and urban areas. Surface Water Quality. Significant portions of our surface water resources (lakes, rivers, streams) are degraded. Additions of sediments from erosion, the addition of chemicals from industrial process, and wastes have compromised surface water quality. In some cases surface water temperatures are too high (because of vegetation removal) to support viable fisheries. All four states have passed laws that require the implementation of management strategies to improve surface water quality.
	National Water Quality Program Areas The four land grant universities in the Pacific Northwest have aligned our water resource extension and research efforts with eight themes of the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Animal Waste Management Drinking Water and Human Health Environmental Restoration Nutrient and Pesticide Management Pollution Assessment and Prevention Watershed Management Water Conservation and Agricultural Water Management Water Policy and Economics
	This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U. S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No 2008-51130-4734.

Download the informational PDF flyer here

HOME | About | Calendar | Contacts | Links | PNW Water Updates | Sitemap | Wells and Septics NIFA National Water Quality Program This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 2008-51130-04734. all external sites will open in a new browser window page last modified on December 31, 2008