Heernett Foundation Newsletter
February 2005
This has been a crazy month for winter. We had record highs in the 70’s with no rain in sight. There are native plants starting to bud out and bloom and migratory birds are having a heyday! There have also been reports of local wells starting to go dry and Mt Rainier is looking barren.
Every year around this time we always discuss the importance of “snow pack”. It not meaningful just for all the folks that enjoy skiing, snow boarding, and snow shoeing, but it is consequential for a much bigger picture. The amount of snow that is available in late spring in our mountains will indicate how dry of a summer we will have. It is critical to have extensive volumes of snow in the mountains so that it can (ideally) melt slowly through out the spring and early summer months providing a continual source of water to our river systems. This cool clean water source is vital to our native aquatic wildlife.
As the snow melts through the late spring and early summer months the glacier water will run down the headwaters and through the river systems and finally end up in our estuaries and then out to the ocean. These “freshets” help provide cool temperatures and keep our instream flows at normal levels. If these levels drop too early in the spring, water temperature will gradually rise through out the summer months and cause numerous problems to the aquatic ecosystems.
Warm, shallow water increases algae blooms, and fecal coliform which rob the water of oxygen levels, which will kill fish and other aquatic wildlife. Because fish and other aquatic wildlife are usually at the base of most food chains – this can greatly affect other terrestrial species such as, Eagles, Bear, Coyote, Raccoons, River otter, etc….
If you think about the whole picture, volumes of cool, clean, clear water is vital to us too! We need water for our homes, for our livestock and pets, for irrigation for our food crops through the summer and even for recreation.
If you would like more detailed information about what is happening around our watershed, or to attend a Partnership meeting, contact me @ 360-264-4310 or Heernett@aol.com. This is a great opportunity to come out and help us Make A Difference! Best Wishes Always, the Heernett Staff
