Outstanding Resource Waters designations will boost salmon recovery, preserve clean water
Olympia, WA – A diverse group of community members and organizations are celebrating the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology)’s decision to designate segments of three river systems as Outstanding Resource Waters (ORWs). The groups – including Tribes, local elected officials, hunters and fishermen, outfitters, local businesses, faith leaders, and civic and conservation organizations – are praising the agency for protecting segments of the Cascade, Green, and Napeequa Rivers systems for future generations to enjoy and benefit from. Over the past two years and throughout an extensive public comment process, a coalition of more than 240 Tribes and local stakeholder organizations have supported proposed designations for the Cascade River (Skagit County), Green River (Skamania and Lewis Counties) and Napeequa River (Chelan County) as ORWs.
“My fly-fishing business is dependent on conservation of our waters so that all of us, and those that come after us, can continue to enjoy fishing as a beloved Northwest past-time,” said Dave McCoy, owner of Emerald Water Angler. “Now, thanks to Ecology’s Outstanding Resource Waters designation, we can better ensure that we pass on a legacy of clean water and fish stocks, as good or better than was left to us.
For over two years, Ecology solicited comments and feedback from interested community member
- In July 2021, the agency highlighted an initial 30-day opportunity for public comment as part of its Triennial Review.
- Due to the strong local support for this process, in August 2022, the agency announced that it would pursue Outstanding Resource Water designations for the river systems.
- For over a year, Ecology held webinars and reached out to Tribes, local elected officials, and surrounding communities for feedback on the proposal.
- On July 18, 2023, the agency initiated a rulemaking which included four public hearings and a 70-day public comment period.
Under the Clean Water Act, ORW designation will safeguard portions of the Cascade, Green, and Napeequa Rivers – some of Washington’s most pristine waterways – by prohibiting future water degradation. The designations were established based on local input so that they will not impact private or state timber lands.
Finally, in a meaningful step to creating a more inclusive and just public process for future water quality policymaking in the state, as part of the new rule Ecology is expanding Tribal consultation requirements to include all Tribes in the state. This change will create space for greater Tribal involvement and opportunity for elevating Tribal interests and values in regulatory decisions moving forward.
Cascade River
The Cascade River is a major tributary of the Skagit River and contributes to one of the most productive strongholds of salmon, steelhead and bull trout in Puget Sound and provides 30 percent of the freshwater that feeds into Puget Sound. As a source of freshwater and chinook salmon, the Cascade is crucial in aiding the recovery of the endangered Southern Resident Orca Whale population.
Additionally, the City of Anacortes’ drinking water comes from the Skagit River (which is fed by the Cascade). Local communities eat salmon caught in the Cascade River and swim, recreate, and earn a living from the river and its tributaries.
”The Cascade River and its watershed are significant to the Tribe, including a historic large fishing village located at the Skagit confluence near modern-day Marblemount. This connection continues today as Upper Skagit Families still reside on the banks of the Cascade River on their historic tribal allotment properties,” said Scott Schuyler, Policy representative for the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe. “Ensuring that the Cascade River and its benefits to the watershed are protected as an Outstanding Resource Water is a priority for the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe.”
Green River
The Green River, a main tributary of the North Fork Toutle River in the Cowlitz River Basin, is a shining example of landscape recovery and ecosystem resilience, having rebounded since the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. It is an eligible Wild and Scenic River, a state designated gene bank for wild steelhead, and provides excellent and important spawning habitat for endangered salmon. The Green River Valley is prized by locals and tourists alike for its recreational opportunities, including the popular Green River Horse Camp, the Goat Mountain Trail, and the Green River Trail.
“As a hiker, birder, and botanist, I value the Green River’s unique landscape, wildlife and native plants recovering from the impacts of the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, and I want to thank the Department of Ecology and Governor Jay Inslee’s administration for designating it as an Outstanding Resource Water at the highest level of protection,” said Susan Saul, conservation chair of the Vancouver Audubon Society.
Napeequa River
The Napeequa River is notable for its geologic history and features. Because the Napeequa carves through a narrow, rugged canyon, a variety of ecosystems coexist—glaciers, alpine forests, old-growth forests, meadows, wetlands, and river frontage all sit side-by-side. Due to its remoteness, the river has not been impacted by centuries of human development. Its cold, pristine waters provide critical habitat for species, such as endangered Spring chinook and threatened bull trout. Both the White River and Lake Wenatchee rely on critical inputs from the Napeequa as a major tributary to provide high-quality water and habitat for downstream salmon and trout. The abundance and diversity of species present in the area underline the vital interconnectedness of the river systems.
“As a small business owner whose livelihood depends on the free-flowing waters of the Wenatchee River, the protection of headwater streams like the Napeequa is important for both my business and my family,” said Lance Reif, Owner of Wildwater River Guides in Leavenworth. “ Protecting wild waters now before they need to be restored is not only cheaper and easier but also the right thing to do.”
Every year, Washington is experiencing more and increasingly severe impacts due to climate change. Preserving these important waterways will help mitigate these risks by ensuring that the waters are not impacted by future development or pollution. Washingtonians are thanking Ecology and Governor Jay Inslee for protecting segments of the Cascade, Green, and Napeequa rivers for generations to come.
Broad Support for Washington’s Outstanding Rivers
“As a brewery, we depend on clean water to make our delicious lagers and ales. Protections like Outstanding Resource Waters ensure that our waterways remain pristine for generations. We applaud the Department of Ecology for going through the process of protecting the Napeequa River through ORW, a waterway that is beloved by our community in Leavenworth.
– Pam Broulette, Owner, Icicle Brewing Company (Leavenworth)
“To truly protect the Skagit we need to protect its tributaries too, and the Cascade River is a very significant one. This designation specifically focuses on protecting the unusually pristine water quality of the Cascade watershed within the lands managed by the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service.”
– Tim Manns, Conservation Chair for the Skagit Audubon Society
“As a major tributary to the Skagit, the Cascade River is an important contributor to the source of safe and clean drinking water for the residents of Anacortes and many other communities in Skagit County. An Outstanding Resource Water designation would be a welcome and appropriate way to protect this important resource.”
– Carolyn Moulton, Anacortes City Council Member
“Protecting the Cascade River as an Outstanding Resource Water will ensure that it, and the mainstem Skagit River, continue to provide 30% of the freshwater input to the Puget Sound. These benefits to salmon orca recovery are just as important to Whatcom County residents as they are to our neighbors in Skagit County.”
– Kaylee Galloway, Whatcom County Council Member
“My father, Robert Keller, purchased property on the Cascade River in 1974 in the spirit of Aldo Leopold’s ethic, that land (and River) is to be loved and respected. The land has been a special place for family, friends, and students. I am deeply supportive of the Cascade River being designated as an Outstanding Resource Water to protect its biodiversity and natural processes, and to ensure its legacy touches future generations as it has mine.”
– Donna Keller of Bellingham and Marblemount, and Senior Associate Faculty of Social Sciences, Skagit Valley College
“As an avid outdoor recreationalist, a huge part of this region’s value to me is in the rivers and forests which are used for hiking, rafting, and fishing. And likewise, as an expectant father, I feel responsible for the protection of these resources for future generations to experience and enjoy. Designating the Cascade River as an Outstanding Resource Water is a meaningful step towards this goal.”
– Mark Mueller, Mount Vernon Resident & Regional Sales Senior Manager, Yakima Chief Hops
“The Green River and the Green River Valley offer exceptional recreation access, opportunities, and experiences for both land and water-based recreation. Permanent protection of these waters ensures long-term preservation of both recreation access and conservation of salmon and aquatic species. The Evergreen Mountain Bike Community enthusiastically supports the Department of Ecology’s efforts to find balance between increasing recreation demands and the crucial need to protect water quality, cultural resources and tribal customs. We look forward to partnerships in future habitat protection and sustainable recreation investments.
– Yvonne Kraus, Executive Director, Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance
“The Green River is an important source of clean, cold, and connected water for fish, and its designation as an outstanding resource water is well deserved. Additionally, the Green River is a state designated wild steelhead gene bank, and provides high quality spawning and rearing habitat for ESA listed salmon and steelhead.”
– Michael Golob, President of the Clark Skamania Fly Fishers (Vancouver)
“Enjoying experiences along water is a defining attribute of what it means to live, work, and play in the Evergreen State. Washington State’s rivers are known for their high water quality and the Cascade, Napeequa, and Green rivers are all among the highest tier of rivers with exceptional water quality. Protecting these headwater streams and the natural resource they represent supports the state’s $21.6 billion outdoor recreation economy with more than one third of this economic activity occurs along water,”
– Thomas O’Keefe, Pacific Northwest Stewardship Director for American Whitewater
“We appreciate the Washington Department of Ecology’s implementation of this new statewide conservation. The designations for the Cascade, Napeequa and Green Rivers are balanced protections that both protect water quality for salmon, drinking water and tribal treaty rights and lifeways while responding to local input to not impact private and state lands.”
– Tom Uniack, Executive Director of Washington Wild
“We applaud the Washington Department of Ecology in their designations of the Cascade, Napeequa, and Green Rivers as Outstanding Natural Resource Waters. There is no question that salmon and steelhead, and the communities that depend on them, need cold clean waters to thrive. This is a great step in protecting water quality in some of the state’s outstanding rivers.”
– Jessica Helsley, Government Affairs Director for the Wild Salmon Center
“Trout Unlimited members across the evergreen state are grateful to Washington’s Department of Ecology for designating the Cascade, Green and Napeequa Rivers as Outstanding Resource Waters. This important conservation and protection designation under the Clean Water Act will help ensure our precious Salmon, Trout and Steelhead stocks that call these waterways ‘home’ will have cold, clean water and better habitat to endure the effects of climate change long into the future”
– Dean Finnerty, Manager of Trout Unlimited’s Wild Steelheaders United
“The upper reaches of the Green River flow from the foothills of Mount St. Helens and support critically important populations of wild steelhead. This area is much loved by backcountry hunters and anglers, foragers, hikers, mountain bikers, and others who come for the solitude and opportunity to see the power of a cascadian volcano up close. We’re very glad that Washington State has recognized the incredible ecological and recreation value of the Green River by designating it as one of the first Outstanding Resource Waters in the state’s history. This is a historic step, and one that brings much needed protections to this incredible place.
– Molly Whitney, Executive Director, Cascade Forest Conservancy
“By classifying these incredible rivers as Outstanding Resource Waters, Ecology has recognized their exceptional values and the need to preserve them as required under the Clean Water Act. It is imperative that we preserve the best rivers of the state like these to ensure they will continue to provide clean water and nature to future generations of Washingtonians”
– David Moryc, River Protection Director, American Rivers
“The Outstanding Resource Waters designations announced today for portions of the Cascade, Green, and Napeequa rivers are an important line of defense against climate change and biodiversity loss and come as freshwater ecosystems worldwide are declining at a faster rate than terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Protecting healthy rivers before they degrade will benefit these watersheds and the people and wildlife that rely on them. The Pew Charitable Trusts joins communities, small businesses, and others in supporting this historic action to safeguard these waterways.”
– Brett Swift, Senior Manager, U.S. Conservation, The Pew Charitable Trusts