Water Resources
The Conservation Land Bank stewards water resources across San Juan County. Surface waters such as streams, wetlands and lakes result from precipitation within a drainage basin or watershed. They are critical to aquatic and upland species alike and recharge the ground water resources that we all rely upon for domestic use and agriculture. The amount of surface and groundwater present throughout the year is influenced by local precipitation and evaporation rates, soil permeability and storage capacity, and runoff characteristics of the land. Water quality is influenced by land uses, stormwater runoff and nutrient loading, vegetation cover and other factors.
The Land Bank’s management of water resource is informed by local, state and federal rules as well as by specific habitat goals, anticipated budget, staff capacity. Increasingly, climate change projections also influence decision making. In some cases, Land Bank staff have sought to further inform and prioritize water resources stewardship actions by delineating wetlands or studying fish populations.
In recent years, the Land Bank has increased the scope and scale of riparian forest planting and wetland restoration. For information about specific projects, please visit the links below:
Coho Preserve (flow restoration)
Turtleback Mountain Preserve (watershed study and culvert replacement)
North Shore Preserve (wetlands restoration)
Coffelt Farm Preserve (riparian fencing and planting)
For additional information about protecting and restoring Washington’s water resources and the species that depend on them, please visit:
Water Resource Management – San Juan County
Water Resources – Washinton Department of Ecology
Wetlands – Washington Department of Ecology
Riparian Areas – Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife