By GARRET JAROS/Lincoln Chronicle
Communities and water districts across the Lincoln County are uniformly asking customers to curtail water use as drought conditions persist and promise to worsen before fall rains arrive.
While a smattering of rain Wednesday will help gardens, it will not make a dent in the overall conditions across Lincoln County where water suppliers are requesting customers take steps immediately to reduce the amount of water used for everything from showers to laundry.
While Siletz is the only city in the county to formally enter into water restrictions, nearly every other water district and municipality – with the exceptions of Depoe Bay, Waldport and Panther Creek Water District in Otis – has sent or will send customers notices this week to voluntarily reduce use.
“Right now we are making as much water as we are using every day,” said Waldport city manager Dann Cutter. “We might put something out next week. But we are not going to issue at this time. I think almost certainly we will toward the end of August beginning of September.”
Statistically, when Waldport issues curtailment notices, the city sees an uptick in water use, Cutter added.
“It’s maddening and frustrating but when we tell people things are fine, they go about their day,” he said. “When we say we are going to restrict usage they get worried and start doing things like washing their cars and power washing their houses while they still have a chance.”
Depoe Bay and Panther Creek officials say there are no plans to issue water curtailment notices to customers.
“We are in pretty good shape with our water supply from Rocky Creek,” said Depoe Bay public works director Brady Weidner. “Plus, we have two backup aquifers that are in good shape.”
Panther Creek reached out to community members to offer conservation tips on a local Facebook page but like Depoe Bay also has a steady water supply.
“We are in a unique position with our stream — Panther Creek — in that it doesn’t change levels seasonally at our inlet,” said Panther’s general manager Jeff Hume. “And we don’t have anyone downstream of us.”
Most rivers and creeks throughout the county are below, and in some cases extremely below historic flow levels, according to U.S. Geological Survey data. The Siletz River, which a multitude of users rely on, is at a 130-year low.
Based on low water levels in streams and rivers combined with dry soils, Lincoln County commissioners declared a drought emergency July 2, which was followed by a July 10 executive order by Gov. Tina Kotek officially designating a state drought emergency in Lincoln and Baker counties.
NOAA’s national drought monitor puts Lincoln County and 30.9 percent of Oregon in the “severe drought” category – up from 22 percent in mid-July. June was the 10th driest on record dating back to 1895. Currently 3.4 million Oregon residents are in drought-stricken areas.
Yachats water doing OK
In south county, both Waldport and Yachats continue to draw enough water from their respective sources, which in Yachats is Reedy and Salmon creeks.
Yachats water supervisor Rick McClung says the runoff from those two creeks is still enough to keep the city’s 1.75 million gallon water tanks topped off.
“The creeks are doing good enough,” McClung said. “We need to get down to 225 gallons (of flow) a minute to issue Stage 1 restrictions. And we are at 325 gallons right now. So, we have about one-third more to lose before it’s a problem.”
Summer water use during a typical Tuesday in Yachats is about 175,000 gallons a day. With weekend visitors that number bumps up to about 250,000 gallons, McClung said.
“But weekdays have been pretty busy,” he said.
Yachats’ total monthly use in January is about 3 million gallons. During summer months it’s about 4.5 million gallons – which makes the average daily use about 150,000 gallons. Hotels, businesses and the city’s sewer plant account for approximately 40 percent of the water used, McClung said. The average single-family home uses between 100 and 200 gallons a day.
McClung’s advice as the coast heads toward the super dry period between the end of August into mid-September is to “Keep your fingers crossed.”
Tips on how to save
Conservation advice sent to customers from municipalities and water districts for Lincoln City, Kernville-Gleneden Beach-Lincoln Beach, Newport, South Beach, Toledo, Seal Rock and Yachats, while nearly identical, can vary slightly. Customers should follow advice from their specific utility.
A general breakdown of requested measures, including from the Mid-Coast Water Conservation Consortium, whose members include Lincoln City, Newport, Toledo, Waldport, Seal Rock and Yachats, are:
- Limit watering lawns and plants. Some suggest watering only once a week while others ask to water only during set hours. Yachats is restricting watering to specific days – houses with addresses ending in even numbers on even-numbered calendar days and houses ending in odd numbers on odd numbered days;
- Avoid washing cars;
- Check faucets and toilets for leaks and fix them immediately;
- Shorten showers;
- Wait to run the dishwasher or laundry until you have a full load;
- Use a broom instead of a hose on surfaces such as patios and driveways;
- Fix irrigation leaks;
- Aim sprinklers away from paved surfaces;
- Use garbage disposal sparingly. Compost vegetable food waste;
- Drop tissue in the trash as opposed to flushing it;
- Make sure swimming pools, fountains and ponds are equipped with recirculating pumps. Delay filling and draining pools, hot tubs and fountains; and
- Monitor water bills for unusually high water use.
- Garret Jaros covers the communities of Yachats, Waldport, south Lincoln County and natural resources issues for Lincoln Chronicle and can be reached at GJaros@YachatsNews.com
The City of Yachats is so fortunate to have Rick McClung as their public works water supervisor. He is all over our water supply issues. Thank you Rick.
That is so true, David. He’s the best.