Katelyn Scott: Conserve water to protect the Spokane River

The Spokane River is an incredible community resource that offers endless recreational opportunities, provides vital habitat for wildlife, and supports our water infrastructure. In the summer months, water conservation is more important than ever to protect the health and flow of the Spokane River and ensure it remains a vibrant hub for our community (including our aquatic friends).

The Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer is dynamic with water flowing into and out of the Spokane River. Not only is the aquifer the Spokane River’s main source of cold water, it provides water to over 600,000 people in Spokane, Kootenai and Bonner counties.

After the snow melts in the mountains, and the river’s flow begins to naturally drop, the aquifer becomes a crucial source for river flows. This is the same time we begin to water our lawns, and dramatically increase water use across the region. Because of the river’s connection to the aquifer, as our water use increases, the river begins to drop. Spokane County also has some of the highest water usage rates in the nation, and according to USGS uses three times the national average. Summer pumping from our aquifer reduces Spokane River flows by an estimated 120 to 175 cubic feet per second.

Increased water withdrawals from the aquifer during the dry summer months reduces river flow levels, further concentrating dangerous pollutants and raising water temperatures. Fish, particularly cold-water species like trout and salmon, are highly sensitive to these temperature changes and cannot survive in stretches of the river that the aquifer doesn’t reach. Severe drought conditions, low snowpack, and record-breaking temperatures over the past few summers compound these effects.

Because of the large amount of outdoor summer water use, you can help protect the river’s flows the most by adopting outdoor watering practices that conserve water. Spokane Riverkeeper recommends watering once every other day, before 10 a.m. or after sunset. Water evaporates during hot, sunny afternoons faster than early morning or after sunset. Watering every other day with deeper watering cycles allows roots of your grass to grow deeper. Many of these practices can be implemented using a simple garden timer.

The city of Spokane’s Drought Ordinance asks residents (businesses and homeowners alike) to implement these water conservation measures in their outdoor watering when the river flows are below 1,000 cfs and the city declares a drought. But there is no penalty for noncompliance except to the river and its users and inhabitants. And because it is just a city ordinance, the rule only applies to those on the city of Spokane’s water, excluding a large portion of the aquifer’s users.

Without aquifer-wide water conservation enforcement, the river relies on us to hold each other accountable. Talk with your neighbors and encourage them to adopt water conservation measures. If you live in a homeowner’s association, consider talking to the leadership about ensuring your HOA policies allow drought tolerant landscapes and encourage the adoption of water conservation practices. Spokane Riverkeeper also encourages those renting apartments to ask their landlord to implement these practices and inform them of the ordinance. Consider speaking with leaders at your church, school, or work about water conservation practices in their outdoor space. These small conversations across the region can lead to big protections for the long-term flow of the river.

We hope that with awareness, water conservation practices will become a cultural norm for the entire region to support clean and abundant flows in the river for future generations. By reducing our water usage, we can help maintain adequate flow levels in the river, which in turn supports cooler water temperatures and healthier ecosystems. For those who love to swim, fish, kayak, or simply enjoy the river’s natural beauty, maintaining a healthy Spokane River is essential. Ensuring cooler, cleaner waters means that current and future generations can continue to enjoy the river’s recreational benefits.

Together. For the River.

Attorney Katelyn Scott, of Wellpinit, is the Water Protector for Spokane Riverkeeper where she leads the Clean Water Defense and River Flow Protection programs.