What’s With the Water?

Next week, watch for a Report Card on the state of our water resources. The Vashon-Maury Island Groundwater Protection Committee (GWPC) will be publishing a review of the first ten years of monitoring data. Beginning on November 14th, Assessing Our Liquid Assets - A Report Card to the Community will be available on-line at www.kingcounty.gov/groundwater. You can also pick up a free copy at the next Vashon-Maury Island Community Council meeting, Monday November 19th, 7PM McMurray Middle School. GWPC members will be at the community council meeting to discuss the report card.

The Report Card looks at eleven "Sustainability Indicators" established to assess the condition of our water resources: groundwater, surface water, and Quartermaster Harbor. These indicators are designed to be protective and to act as an early warning system should there be problems. In general, our water is in good shape, but there were some surprises. For example, although the water quality in our streams looks pretty good, the biologic health appears quite poor. Both salmon populations and aquatic insect populations seem to be dwindling. Bianca Perla of Vashon Nature Center, LLC is going to lead a community-wide effort to delve deeper into the mystery of the disappearing bugs.

The GWPC sees the report card as a first step. It’s an assessment of the state of our waters right now. The committee needs your help to make this assessment a useful tool. Please take the time to read the report card and let the committee know your thoughts. Show up at the community council meeting or send your comments to the GWPC Chair at VMIGPC4@kingcounty.gov.