KECP: Living with Finite Water | 5.17.26

Living with Finite Water

Despite living on the wet side of the Cascades, we are not immune from another year of drought in Washington state. Join us on May 17 when a series of presenters will cover the science of where our water comes from, what regulatory protections are in place, the impact of increased development, and what you can do to Keep Kitsap Green.

For Kitsap Peninsula residents groundwater drawn from wells is the primary—often the only—source of drinking water. As our population grows, demand on this limited resource increases. Because the peninsula is surrounded by seawater, it is particularly vulnerable to declining groundwater levels and seawater intrusion—risks that intensify as withdrawals rise.

Joe Lubischer will give the lowdown on how the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and the County's Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO) are applied in Kitsap County. Ben Harrison, Environmental Scientist for the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, will discuss watersheds, and Don Fenton, Island Lake resident, will share the history of dropping lake water levels and the receding aquifer below, considered a local “canary in a coal mine” for water health in Kitsap.

Also featured are two local artists, John Williams, and Edward Frodel.