Ecology draft report targets Budd Inlet’s poor water quality. Here’s how you can comment
The state Department of Ecology has released a draft report detailing the steps needed to protect Budd Inlet — which for decades has suffered from algae blooms and low oxygen levels — and provide relief to fish and wildlife, while also helping the inlet meet state water quality standards.
The single largest cause of the problem is stagnant and shallow Capitol Lake in Olympia, which stimulates algal and aquatic plant growth, according to the report, called the Budd Inlet total maximum daily load water quality improvement plan.
“We are committed to working with Budd Inlet stakeholders and residents to address water quality impairments in Budd Inlet and improve the health of the entire watershed,” said Vince McGowan, manager of Ecology’s Water Quality program, in a statement accompanying the release of the report.
Capitol Lake isn’t the only factor affecting the inlet’s water quality.
Pollution from homes and businesses that flow into the Deschutes River contributes to the problem, and the region’s wastewater treatment plants are another source of nutrients that can feed algae blooms and reduce oxygen, according to the release.
The water quality plan sets a “total maximum daily load,” limiting how much nutrient pollution can enter Budd Inlet each day. It imposes new, seasonally adjusted requirements for wastewater treatment plants, and relies on nutrient reductions and corrective actions to address impacts from Puget Sound and the Deschutes River.
The draft report is available for review and comment through July 8 before it is submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for federal approval.
Ecology will host two informational webinars to explain the research and findings in the draft report at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 21, and 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 22.
The report and the links to sign up for a webinar or submit comments are available on the Department of Ecology website where you should search for Budd Inlet. To comment by mail, send letters, postmarked by July 8, to Ben Watson, Washington State Department of Ecology Water Quality Program P.O. Box 47775, Olympia, WA 98504-7775.
This story was originally published June 9, 2022 at 5:15 AM.
