Protect the Spokane River Before It Runs Dry Again
The Honorable Bob Ferguson, Governor of Washington
For the second year in a row, more than a mile of the Spokane River has run dry.
This year, the river began disappearing earlier and faster, leaving dead crayfish, fish, and other aquatic life stranded and the river baren for weeks. At the same time, low flows affected the river far beyond the dry reach. The Spokane River fell below the flow level established through Washington's instream-flow rule before releases from Post Falls Dam were reduced.
The dry river has understandably drawn attention to Post Falls Dam and the water released from Coeur d'Alene Lake. That is an important place to begin, but the challenges facing the Spokane River extend throughout the basin.
Post Falls offers an immediate opportunity to act. Its existing federal license already recognizes that dam operations may need to respond to low-water conditions. We need Washington's leaders and agencies to work with Tribal governments, Idaho, scientists, water managers, Avista, and the community to determine whether the current flow-management framework is still protecting the river under today's conditions.
The Spokane River and Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer are deeply interconnected. Climate change, drought, declining snowpack, changing precipitation patterns, groundwater conditions, and water use are all affecting the amount and timing of water in the system. Scientists are working to better understand why the river is losing more water and where that water is going, but we cannot wait for every study to be complete before beginning to protect the river.
We need an adaptive approach that considers flow, temperature, aquatic habitat, groundwater, and changing climate conditions together. More water alone is not necessarily better if that water is too warm to support a healthy river.
With another uncertain water year ahead, including the potential impacts of El Niño on regional water availability, we cannot afford to wait until the Spokane River runs dry again.
Petition by
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Sponsored by
To:
The Honorable Bob Ferguson, Governor of Washington
From:
[Your Name]
Governor Ferguson:
We, the undersigned, ask you to direct the Washington Department of Ecology and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to begin a collaborative effort to protect Spokane River flows and develop a more adaptive, climate-resilient approach to managing water in the Spokane River Basin.
We ask Washington to begin this work now, with Post Falls Dam as an immediate point of action and the entire Spokane River Basin as the broader scope. The process must include meaningful, early, and ongoing consultation with local Tribal governments and bring together Idaho, federal agencies, Avista, scientists, water managers, and community partners.
As an immediate priority, Washington's agencies should evaluate whether the existing Post Falls flow-management framework continues to protect the Spokane River's ecological, recreational, aesthetic, and water-quality values under current and changing conditions. This work must consider river flows, water temperature, aquatic habitat, the river's failure to meet Washington's instream-flow level, and the scientific questions surrounding the dry reach.
We also ask the State to implement a broader, basin-wide process to address the changing conditions affecting Spokane River flows. This effort should build on existing and emerging science while taking action to protect the river now. It should use an adaptive-management approach that can respond to immediate threats, incorporate new scientific information, and adjust as climate and water conditions change.
The Spokane River cannot wait for perfect information or another crisis. Governor Ferguson, direct Washington's agencies to begin this work now, before another summer of extreme low flows causes further harm to our river, its ecosystems, and the communities that depend on it.
Protect the Spokane River. Start now.