Jerry White Jr.: Spokane Riverkeeper

By Jerry White Jr.

We are nearing the end of Earth Month 2022. This is the time to reflect on the value of our Spokane River and the water that sustains all life. With a changing climate and rising consumption of water from our Spokane Valley Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, I ask you to reflect on the gift of this water to the basin’s rivers and to ourselves. After all, this water supports fish, wildlife, healthy recreation, and our own well-being. With this in mind, what value do we place on our water? How much consideration do we spare for the process of moving water from the aquifer through pipes and meters into our homes? How much value do we place on the Spokane Valley and Rathdrum Prairie’s clean water that supports our rivers?

Here at Spokane Riverkeeper, we recognize that this water and the rivers it supports is a true gift to all that live in our region, a true gift to all those who love the Inland Northwest. This gift is invaluable and deserving of our awareness and gratitude this Earth Month.

Our aquifer supports nearly 600,000 thousand people by providing potable water for residents and for businesses. The aquifer feeds the Spokane River over 500 million gallons of water a day and feeds an additional 160 million gallons a day to the Little Spokane River. Unfortunately, our metered consumption of the aquifer competes with the Spokane River for this life-giving water. The current marketplace of metered water in our community reflects a disconnect between the true value of our water at the expense of our Spokane River and for future generations who deserve a healthy river. This current undervaluing of our water leads to ecological stress and uncertain future supplies for some communities.

During the summer months, Spokane residents use four to six times more water than during the winter. Our region quadruples the use of water during the hot, dry months of summer just when our rivers need that water the most. Most of the aquifer water consumed during the summer is used to irrigate green grass where much of it is wasted on evaporation, overwatering, and irrigation systems that spray onto streets and sidewalks. This wasted water manifests on city meters as “peak demand.” For some perspective, Spokane County residents use 235 gallons per day per capita and residents in the city of Spokane use 202 gallons per day. This is in sharp contrast to the national average which is, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, well under 100 gallons per person per day.

Recent droughts, climate change and increased pumping are all driving the historical trend toward lower Spokane River flows. This makes the need to balance the competing values for water a high-priority issue.

If you live in the Spokane city limits, you will soon be asked to address this bloated peak demand and approve a forward-looking plan to reduce water use by 25% per capita over the next decade. Additionally, this plan will allow us to take action during drought years when the river gets dangerously low. We are hoping residents will work together to listen to the Spokane River and reduce our outdoor water use during the summer to maintain a vibrant Spokane River when it is vulnerable. The proposed plan under consideration will actively gauge the need to respond to municipal, peak demand and water waste by initiating actions that are triggered by listening and responding to the Spokane River itself. If our rivers and streams are under stress and they drop below healthy flows, actions such as every-other-day watering or watering during the cool parts of the day will be encouraged. The plan was put together by stakeholders in the Water Resources Collaboration Work Group and has been recommended to the City Council for approval. We are hoping that when it is time, you will support your river and the wise use of precious aquifer water by asking the council to approve this plan. To find out more, please go to https://my.spokanecity.org/sas to see the plan and its parts.

Additionally, we encourage you to visit the Spokane Water Department’s Water Wise Program at https://my.spokanecity.org/publicworks/water/water-wise-spokane/. It is full of helpful tips and programs to reduce water waste.

You can also sign a letter to the Spokane City Council in support of water conservation planning at https://www.spokaneriverkeeper.org/river-conservation

Please recognize our water for what it is – a precious source of life. We hope you will choose to balance the uses and values of our beautiful water wisely.

Jerry White Jr. is executive director of Spokane Riverkeeper. He lives in Spokane.