Focus on Water. Whatcom Food Network December 10, 2012

Transcription

1 Whatcom Food Network December 10, 2012 Focus on Water Sue Blake, Water Resource Faculty WSU Extension Clare Fogelsong, Environmental Resource Manager, City of Bellingham

2 Presentation Overview Narrow Topic to: Local vs. global Terrestrial vs. marine Red circle area Cover Major Agriculture Water Uses and Sources Key Challenges Solutions Actions/Strategies

3 Having Said That Some Global Perspectives

4 Why Bother? Most of our food comes from global (non-local) sources Global water problems can impact our global food sources

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7 Calculating Water Footprint

8 Total Water Footprint

9 UK s External Agriculture Water Footprint

10 Global Vulnerabilities & Stressors Source: IPCC Technical Paper VI

11 Local Agriculture A Review 1,483 farms 102,585 acres Market Value of Products $326,450,000 Rank 1 in State for berries, 2 for dairy

12 Agriculture Production Water Use Crop Supplies Precipitation/Irrigation Stock Watering Facility Washdown Total Annual Water Use (1000 acre-feet) Public Water System Agriculture Private Well Commercial/Industrial Groundwater Surface Water

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14 Estimated Livestock & Use Approximate Water Use (gallons/day/animal) Poultry - < Beef - 25 Dairy Pigs Sheep - 2 Horses/Bison /Mules

15 Irrigated Acres by Crop % raspberries, 25% blueberries Corn for Silage Forage Orchards Berries Vegetables

16 Changes in Irrigated Land Total County Area in Farms (acres) Irrigated Acres Source: USDA

17 Crop Water Requirements & Avg Monthly Precipitation at Clearbrook WA Source: Bertrand Comprehensive Irrigation District Management Plan

18 Annual Precipitation Distribution

19 Overview of Challenges Water Quality Groundwater Nitrates, pesticides Surface Water fecal coliform, temperature, dissolved oxygen, nutrients Water Quantity Flooding/drainage Legal ISF, rights, storage Infrastructure Climate Change

20 WRIA 1 Project Nitrate Results Areal distribution of median nitrate/nitrite values, ,831 wells 9,842 measurements

21 USGS Trends

22 Sources - Nitrate Entering Groundwater Irrigation 3% Mineralization of Organic Matter 19% Manure Applied 34% Inorganic Fertilizer 14% Natural (deposition, alder) 6% Source: USGS Report Residential 6% Manure Leakage 12% Redeposition Volatilized Manure 6%

23 Impaired Surface Water Quality Dissolved Oxygen Fecal Coliform Temperature Nutrients

24 Impaired Surface Water Quality

25 Flooding and Drainage

26 Legal Availability State Permits Required 1917 Surface Water Code (Chapter RCW) 1945 Groundwater Code (Chapter RCW) 1967 Minimum Water Flows and Levels Act (Chapter RCW) Plus Federal Reserved Rights including Tribal Rights

27 State Permit Challenges Unpermitted users Not in compliance w/right New permits hard to get

28 Stream Quantity - Instream Needs

29 Instream Flow Challenges

30 Fisheries Troubles 10 species of native salmonids 3 Endangered Species Listings (ESA) as threatened Steelhead Spring Chinook (North and South Fork Nooksack) Bull Trout

31 Current Challenges Target: 10,540 Target: 7,590

32 Tribal/Federal Rights Quantity/needs not established but now requested Once established pre-dates other users First in time, first in right Major potential implications for other users

33 Climate Change Increase in temperatures Changes in stream runoff patterns Less snowpack/runoff More intense events

34 Projected Changes Key Findings Executive Summary Models project increases in annual temperature of on average 2.2 o F by the 2020s 3.5 o F by the 2040s 5.9 o F by the 2080s

35 Changing Patterns More in wetter months, less in summer Source: Global Climate Change Impacts in the Unites States, U.S. Global Change Research Program

36 Simulated Changes in Natural Runoff Timing in the Nooksack River Basin Associated with 2 C Warming Source:

37 Summer base flows are projected to drop substantially (5 to 50%) for most streams in western WA and the Cascades The duration of the summer low flow season is also projected to increase in snowmelt and transient runoff rivers

38 Climate Impacts Group Snowpack Decreases For Washington, April 1 snowpack (important indicator of summer water supply) is projected to decrease: Nearly 30% by the 2020s 40% by the 2040s 65% by the 2080s *Sensitive watersheds (e.g. Yakima and Puget Sound basins) are projected to see greater decreases in snowpack As a result. Seasonal streamflow timing will likely shift significantly in sensitive watersheds.

39 Mount Baker Glacier Retreat

40 More Intense Events Source: Global Climate Change Impacts in the Unites States, U.S. Global Change Research Program

41 So What? Water Quantity Reduced streamflows in summer may reduce water availability Changes in groundwater supplies Increased competition Increased flooding/drainage challenges

42 So What? Water Quality Concerns Increased temperatures Lower dissolved oxygen More erosion/sediment/nutrient loss with more intensive storms More algal blooms, invasive species

43 Solutions Actions/Strategies