South Puget Sound, the Nisqually, Chehalis, and Dschutes Rivers, and myriad lakes and streams offer Thurston County residents and guests wonderful water views and playgrounds, But, as Rochester resident Dale Grulke points out:

“You really don’t know how important water is until its not there anymore.”

Urgent factors face Thurston County’s water supply: longer and drier summers, shorter wet rainy periods, growing population, local streams that support fewer salmon, ground water reservoirs that can’t sufficiently recharge.

To understand the realities of water resources in Thurston County, attend five public meetings in early 2019: All are on Tuesdays: February 5, March 5 and 19, April 2, and May 7.

Where’s the Water?

Serious information about a life sustaining resource

Meeting 1 – Where’s the Water: Reality Check
Tuesday, February 5, Olympia Center, 5:30pm (program starts at 6pm)

Kevin Hansen, County Hydrologist, Thurston County Water Resources
Ground water and stream flows in Thurston Sounty

David Troutt, Natural Resources Director for the Nisqually Indian Tribe
The Nisqually River and estuary at I-5 as a dam

Meeting 2 – Where’s the Water: Water for People, Water for Fish
Tuesday, April 2, Olympia Center, 5:30pm (program starts at 6pm)

Meeting 3 – Where’s the Water: Rural Water Challenges and Solutions
Tuesday, March 19, at the Yelm Community Center, 5:30pm (program starts at 6pm)

Meeting 4 – Where’s the Water: Storm Water and Toxic Runoff
Tuesday, April 2, Olympia Center, 5:30pm (program starts at 6pm)

Meeting 5 – Where’s the Water: Streams, Salmon, and Orcas
Tuesday, April 2, Olympia Center, 5:30pm (program starts at 6pm)