The Campbell Creek limbo: How low will it go?

Ecology scientists help keep water flowing to 450 homes

The Cowlitz County city of Ryderwood is facing dangerously low water supply caused by the drought we’re experiencing in Western Washington. To help water managers, our scientists have installed a stream gage to help make decisions about residential water conservation measures.

Ryderwood's water system serves 450 homes

Campbell Creek is the only source of water for Ryderwood’s municipal water system. Approximately 450 homes rely on the system for their residential water needs. In southwestern Washington’s severe drought conditions, Campbell Creek’s water flow has slowed to a trickle.

A history of low stream flow

Even in non-drought years water availability can be scarce by late summer. Last year, Campbell Creek did run dry. That forced emergency water restrictions where people limited their time in the shower and brushed their teeth without running the tap. Water managers were on the verge of having to truck in water when a rainstorm got things flowing again.

Our water scientists say that officials have tried to drill wells in the past, but they’ve been unproductive. The only other available water source would be the Cowlitz River. That would mean pumping water from over five miles away through rugged terrain – a cost-prohibitive option.

Campbell Creek is nearly dry

Part of the problem with water availability lies in Campbell Creek’s source, the Willapa Hills. This low-elevation coastal range doesn’t get snow pack like the higher Cascade or Olympic Mountains. Springs and rainfall are the only sources of water for the creek.

Providing valuable data

Thanks to funding from our Water Resources Program, we were able to have our scientists install a stream gage (Read the story of why it's spelled gage and not gauge here.) on Campbell Creek this summer. The gage will provide water managers with real-time data on stream flow and water and air temperature. This information will help to more accurately predict when the stream might go dry, giving water managers more lead time to implement water conservation measures.

A town with two histories

Ryderwood has a unique background and has been called the “town with two histories.” The first history, refers to its time from 1923 – 1953 as a company town created by the Long-Bell Lumber Company. They called it the “world’s largest logging camp” and it provided a variety of services including a theater, bowling alley, drugstore, and school.

By the early 1950s, the trees and the loggers were gone, and that ushered in Ryderwood’s second history which runs from 1953 to present. The entire town was sold for $90,000 and became what is believed to be the earliest “planned community for retired persons” in the United States.

Critical funding for our communities

Scientists Andy Bookter and Tyler Buntain installing the gage

The Campbell Creek stream gage story is just one of hundreds like it across Washington. An astonishing 70 percent of our budget is passed through to local communities like Ryderwood. From toxic cleanup to stormwater retention ponds, we’re making a big difference both for people and the environment.

By Jeff Zenk, Southwest Region communications manager

Wait, how can there be a drought when it’s raining?

While recent rain is helping many parts of the state, more than a
few scattered showers are needed to fix Washington's drought.

For the past few months, Washington’s weather has been all over the map.

Residents of Spokane and the south east experienced a relatively damp spring, while much of western and central Washington have seen warmer than normal temperatures and low precipitation since April.

And for most of the summer, the usually fire-resistant west side has had a higher risk of wildfires relative to historical norms than has most of Eastern Washington, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

As of July 11, the U.S. Drought Monitor still shows abnormally dry to severe drought conditions in all but the southeast corner of our state. Five percent of the state’s rivers are at record low, and many locations in western and north central Washington are expecting between 50 and 75 percent of normal stream flow through September.

So what does this all mean when more than half the state is in a declared drought emergency?

Jeff Marti, Ecology’s Water Resources Program drought coordinator, says recent precipitation has been a welcome change, but it hasn’t made up the deficit caused by warmer than usual conditions and a lack of snow pack.

“Over the last few days, some parts of the state have gotten some good shots of rain, and some places, like the Olympic Peninsula, have really needed it," Marti said. "Some rivers have rebounded nicely, but about a quarter of our rivers are still experiencing flows much below normal. It will take continuing rainfall to make that more than a temporary rebound. Our lowest flow season is still ahead.”

Conditions by region

While cooler weather and some rain has bumped up flows that supply irrigation water and support important fish migration in Central Washington, water supply remains in flux. Low reservoir levels in the Yakima Basin – the 7th lowest storage volume in 44 years – mean farmers must remain vigilant and fish managers on alert.

From arid areas to sudden downpours, weather patterns east of the Columbia River have meanwhile been wide ranging. The northeast portions of Pend Oreille and Stevens counties are in severe drought, while the east side’s midsection has seen thunderstorms and flash flood warnings several times over the past few weeks.

Crop damage from heavy rains was reported in Okanogan and Ferry counties, although NOAA’s National Weather Service shows total regional precipitation hovering just under average for the past month.

Conditions in the southeast have mirrored the majority of the U.S., and are wetter than in past years. Walla Walla basin water users have seen some low flows, but that’s mainly due to normal demand across the border in Oregon.

Taken as a whole, Washington’s lingering dehydration – the 13th driest July-June period ever recorded in the state – stands in stark contrast to the rest of the country. According to NOAA, the continental U.S. had its wettest 12 months on record, even as the Pacific Northwest became more parched. And with much of the summer yet to come, resolving this drought will require more than scattered showers.

Washington precipitation departure from average (inches), from July 1-15, 2019. Image courtesy of NOAA.

Drought in the rainforest

Known for rain, city of Forks struggles with water supply

You know something is wrong when one of the wettest places in the entire country is worried about water. That’s what’s happening in the city of Forks on the west side of the Olympic Peninsula. Forks, famous for the Twilight Series and rain, is experiencing a drought. 

One of the wettest places in the country

Nestled in the temperate rainforest, Forks is technically the third wettest place in the lower 48 with 119 inches of annual rainfall. By comparison, Seattle is 140 miles east and gets about 37.5 inches year—that’s less than Dallas, Texas.  And the wettest spot in the continental United States isn’t too far from Forks either. Just to the south in Grays Harbor County, the Aberdeen Reservoir gets a whopping 131 inches a year. Still, Fork’s massive amount of rainfall is certainly enough to justify its soggy reputation.

The Calahwa River in Forks has hit record low daily flows this spring

A warm and dry spring

So why is a place that gets so much rain concerned about water? Forks, along with the rest of the state’s Pacific Ocean coast, experienced the second driest spring on record since measuring started in 1895. In addition, we had the eighth warmest May on record which melted the mountain snowpack much faster and earlier than normal. The combination of the lack of spring rain and early snow melt has created a water double whammy for the Olympic Peninsula.

State and federal drought determinations

Gov. Jay Inslee declared a drought emergency for the area and the US Drought Monitor recently determined that most of the Olympic Peninsula was facing “severe” drought. Those determinations reflect what we’re seeing on the ground. Peninsula rivers and streams such as the Satsop, Hoh, Calahwa, Hoko, and Elwha have recently hit all-time record low daily flows.

Forks is feeling the heat

In Forks, where the city relies on wells to provide drinking water, officials are growing increasingly concerned about having enough water heading into the summer months.  Water levels in the city’s wells are dropping by about a foot a week and Forks has already asked residents to voluntarily begin to conserve water. Officials expect a decision about mandatory water conservation in coming weeks.

The Salmon River south of Forks has a fish hatchery and dangerously low flows

Ecology is working to find solutions

We recently held an informational meeting in Forks where Mike Gallagher, Ecology’s water resources manager for southwest Washington and the Olympic Peninsula,  gave a presentation about current and projected water supply conditions. Some attendees represented small water systems in the area and told us they are also experiencing dwindling water supplies. These small water suppliers are now discussing contingency plans that involve mandatory conservation, water rationing, and the need to truck water to their customers.

Forks officials are submitting applications in hopes of taking advantage of grant funding recently made available by Ecology to address hardships caused by the drought. In 2019, state lawmakers appropriated $2 million to Ecology for drought response. Grant funding is used for projects such as drilling emergency standby wells, or helping hatcheries maintain cool and clean water for fish. 

By Jeff Zenk, Southwest Region communications