WRIA 62 WMP 032305 - Washington State Department of Ecology

March, 2005 Citizens’ Summary - 1 023-1289-003.3040
CITIZENS’ SUMMARY
This section was written by Planning Unit members who are also residents and/or
landowners in WRIA 62 and is dedicated to summarizing their main concerns. In an attempt
to understand local concerns, citizens were given ample opportunity to submit their thoughts
via several means including questionnaires and public meetings. In addition, most of these
thoughts and/or concerns were openly discussed during the planning process and appear
throughout the body of the watershed plan.
Citizen Input
Local citizen input is essential to the success of watershed planning. Residents have firsthand
knowledge of the issues involved with the watershed in which they live. These are also
the people directly affected by the decisions of government agencies responsible for
managing watershed resources. In light of this, the Watershed Planning Act in Washington
State was passed to establish a collaborative process between local citizens, interest groups,
Tribes, and government agencies to identify and solve water-related issues. Unfortunately,
local citizens often perceive their concerns as being unimportant to government personnel
compared to agency objectives. Whether or not agency objectives are valued more than
citizen concerns, the perception of unimportance often negatively affects citizen attitudes,
thus reducing the effectiveness of the watershed planning process.
Protecting the Resource
The water resources of Pend Oreille County are relatively clean and unimpacted compared to
other watersheds in the state. The Pend Oreille River, lakes and streams also provide
residents with a seemingly infinite supply of water throughout the year. However there are
several factors such as flooding, erosion, development, and climate change that could
adversely impact water quantity and water quality without proper planning. Improper or
nonexistent planning has created critical water resource issues for numerous watersheds
throughout the world at irrecoverable expense. Taking the opportunity and responsibility,
now, to make positive planning choices will help maintain the quality and quantity of water
resources in Pend Oreille County.
Flooding
Flooding is a seasonal threat to the residents of Pend Oreille County, mostly occurring in the
spring and primarily along the mainstem of the Pend Oreille River. Calispell Valley farmers
talk of two flooding threats occurring during the spring of the year. In March and April the
local runoff within the Calispell basin occasionally causes localized flooding. As soon as the
local threat subsides a secondary and more ominous runoff comes from the headwaters of the
watershed including the Clark Fork, Flathead and Priest river drainages. Runoff from all of
these tributaries combines to flow down the Pend Oreille River in May and June. The
intensity of each of these threats is largely dependent on snowpack and weather. A rain on
snow event can exacerbate the effects of the spring runoff.
Erosion
Associated with flooding on the mainstem of the Pend Oreille River, is the threat of erosion
caused by the high flows during peak runoff periods. Some erosion is natural, but major
WRIA 62 WMP 032305