Skagit Public Utility District
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Low Flows Threaten Salmon, PUD Asks 10% Water Cut
The minimum instream flow for the Skagit River in August is 10,000 cubic feet per second, measured at the U.S. Geological Survey gaging station near Mount Vernon. Flows dropped below that level in the last week of July and have declined since. The Washington State Department of Ecology sets these minimums month by month to protect fish habitat, and a 1996 agreement requires Anacortes and the PUD to notify customers when the river falls short of them.
That agreement was signed by the PUD, Anacortes, Skagit County, the Upper Skagit, Swinomish, and Sauk-Suiattle tribes, and the state departments of Ecology and Fish and Wildlife. The instream flow levels themselves came out of field studies the PUD and Anacortes funded under that agreement, using a standard method that models how much usable fish habitat exists at different flow levels. Ecology adopted the resulting numbers into state rule in 2001.
The river drops below these levels most summers. This year, it follows a statewide drought declaration that Ecology issued in April, prompted by a low snowpack, above-average temperatures, and missing spring rains. Skagit County was included.
The conservation request is not a sign that the PUD is running short of water. The utility has an adequate supply and holds senior water rights on the river. The request addresses how much water remains in the river channel during the weeks when fish depend on it.
Late summer is the most difficult stretch for salmon. Lower flows mean less water to absorb summer heat, and as water temperatures climb toward 70 degrees, conditions become dangerous for spawning fish. The Skagit is the only river system in Washington that supports all five salmon species and supplies roughly 30% of the freshwater entering Puget Sound.
Judy Reservoir works like a battery for the PUD's largest system. During the wetter months, the utility fills it with water from the Skagit River and four creeks in the Cultus Mountain watershed, then draws on that stored water during the dry months. The creeks carry their own instream flow limits, and once flows drop below those levels, the PUD cannot divert from them at all. That leaves the river as the only source through the driest part of the year, which is why customer conservation matters most in these weeks.
Customers are asked to save 15 to 20 gallons a day, which is about what it takes to reach the 10% goal. Outdoor watering offers the largest savings this time of year. Letting lawns go dormant, watering plants deeply and less often, and shortening showers all help.