Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has released its State of the Waters Report, the result of years of research and the agency's first comprehensive scientific assessment of the region's five major creeks: Fauntleroy, Longfellow, Taylor, Thornton and Piper's. SPU intends for the report to serve as a readily accessible reference for residents and policymakers and guide restoration efforts.

"This is about how do we come up with realistic expectations: Scientifically, what is the foundation upon which we can build a plan for restoring the health of our watersheds?" said Julie Hall, project leader for SPU. "We are never going to get back to 100 years ago. Today these places are supporting a lot of residences and transportation uses and jobs. What we learned is the land and water are completely connected, and what happens on the land plays a large role in what happens in the water."

Among the report's key findings:

• Stream habitats have degraded due to the armoring stream banks with concrete and rocks, upland paving, wetland filling and development of floodplains.

• Extensive damage has resulted from 150 years of development. Up to 60 percent of the land in Seattle watersheds is paved, affecting migratory fish populations.

• Seattle's stream flows are extremely affected by bursts of storm water runoff, resulting in flash flooding and the degradation of fish habitats. Even moderate rainfall multiplies stream flows by four or five times what they would have been when trees covered the landscape rather than pavement.

• The majority of creeks studied fail to meet state water quality standards for temperature or cleanliness. Pet and wildlife waste, as opposed to chemical toxins or leaky sewer pipes, are the largest pollution source.

• Wildlife is paying a hefty price for water abuse. In some watersheds, including Thornton Creek, nearly 79 percent of adult coho die before they can reproduce. Also, the diversity of invertebrate life in stream bottoms--a key element of the food chain--has experienced significant reductions.

Assessing Seattle's streams with limited data has proven a challenge. The report suggested the city establish a monitoring program to track stream health status and trends. "A livable city goes right along with an ecosystem that works," said Chris May, a freshwater ecologist with SPU.

Source: Seattle Times