The Dungeness: a river at risk . . . .

All that is really needed for approval of the [Wal-Mart] project is a non-discretionary building permit, "even if it kills all the fish."
      -- The Sequim city attorney
 

Parking-lot runoff and healthy marine life don't mix.

• The Dungeness River is home to almost every species of anadromous fish in the Pacific Northwest.  Unfortunately, three of these species are EPA-listed as "Threatened," two are "Critical," while all the rest are "Depressed."

• An expert who has studied the Dungeness River for 50 years recently stated that even a slight amount of additional pollution will mean the end for many of these fish.

• Over the past 20 years, the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe and other interested groups have poured considerable time, money, study, and effort into the river.  As a result, it has begun to recover - but it is by no means a healthy river.

• In the past, the Dungeness has been:

  • mismanaged by the Army Corps of Engineers, which tried to control it with rip-rap.

  • abused by logging, which dumped large amounts of sand, silt and sediment into the water, and damaged its banks.

  • drained by takings for irrigation.

  • polluted by nitrates from farming and septic systems.

• At present, the Dungeness River is 303(d) listed for low instream flow.  Low flow has many harmful effects on a river.  All of them serve to weaken fish which are already struggling.

• Organic and heavy-metal pollution will run off the parking lots and roads associated with the proposed developments.  These toxins will flow into the area's shallow aquifer, contaminating nearby water wells.  The aquifer is believed to communicate with the Dungeness River.  Once in the river, low flow will make the impact of pollution even worse because:

  • The level of the river will be lower than the level of the aquifer for a greater percentage of the time.  More water, and hence more pollutants, will flow from the aquifer to the river.

  • With reduced flow, the river is less able to clean out pollutants, which is difficult under the best of conditions.

  • Reduced flow increases the concentration of any pollutants.

• Finally, the Dungeness River empties into Dungeness Bay, which connects with the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound.  This area is home to one of the most diverse populations of marine life on earth.  Unfortunately, like the river itself, this entire water system is in poor health.