Reduce Your Fork Print

This is a Christmas present that I received from my dear friend, Kathleen.  I love the “reduce your fork print” tagline. The tagline reminds me that reducing my fork print relates to how I reduce my Water Footprint.

I routinely pass out information about how to save water in and around our customers’ homes. Turn off the water when you brush your teeth . . . install water saving fixtures and appliances. . . Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your sidewalk . . . . You get the idea. However, I learned that only 3% of water is used around the house. A whopping 97% of the water that we use is invisible. Everything that we consume requires water to grow, transport or manufacture.  For example, some hidden uses of water are:

•          One sheet of paper -2.6 gallons
•          One glass of beer- 19.8 gallons
•         One glass of wine-31.7 gallons.
•          One hamburger - 634 gallons
•          One cotton t-shirt – 713 gallons
•          Morning Latte – over  50 gallons

 It is no surprise to learn, especially during the holiday season, that we from the USA have the largest water footprint.  What we consume in our part of the world often impacts water resources in another place as most of what we buy is manufactured out of country.  Indeed, 65% of our hidden water use lies abroad. The global principles of water use are explored at the Water Footprint Network website where you can find a calculator to determine your water footprint.  

It’s sometimes overwhelming to think about our direct water use! How can we deal with the added weight of invisible water?  Since it’s time for resolutions, I will try to make small changes. One pair of blue jeans takes 1,800 gallons of water to manufacture.  I will seek out gently used jeans at a thrift shop before buying new. Also, serving meat, especially beef, is probably is my greatest use of invisible water. I pledge to make at least one meal per week meatless.  

So, you could say that I will be reducing my water footprint and my fork print this year!

Salmon Link Songbirds to the Sea

Winter begins this week. Leaves are off the trees. The salmon run is over- leaving salmon carcasses littering the stream banks.  My garden’s summer blooms have degenerated into seed pods, vertical stems and brown leaves. The somewhat stark habitat of my winter garden makes it easier to watch my resident winter wren as she forages for bugs, spiders and other delicious crawling creatures. A bird article recently caught my eye. The subject was how Salmon increase the population of songbirds, like the Winter Wren*.

 Biologists from the University of Victoria, BC looked at two coastal rivers in British Columbia. Both of these rivers have Salmon returning each fall. Both rivers, however, have waterfalls that act as Salmon barriers partway upstream. They sampled the songbird population on the reach each side of the waterfalls on both rivers. They found that on both rivers Winter Wren were more abundant where Salmon were more abundant. 

Two reasons for this phenomenon are:

1. Though Winter Wrens do not eat salmon, the decaying salmon carcasses provide rich food for midge and fly larvae. Insect eating birds, like Winter Wrens, may do better in areas where Salmon cause these particular insects to be abundant.  
2. The second possibility is that the salmon help the birds more indirectly. The nutrients from the dead and dying salmon enrich the entire riparian habitat. These fish are full of minerals and nutrients found only out at sea. The Salmon transport these rich nutrients from the upstream increasing the productivity of plant growth and fruit production. This plant growth attracts more plant eating insects that become a banquet for the Winter Wren.  When biologists studied tissue samples from Winter Wrens living along the salmon streams, they found that these Winter Wrens carry a distinctive molecular signature that is characteristic of nutrients derived from the sea. This tells of the important link salmon play in the relationship between the sea and the Winter Wrens of the forest. 

A note about Winter Wrens
 In 2010 the American Ornithology Union split the species, Winter Wren, into three:
Troglodytes hiemalis – Winter Wren (range from BC to the East Coast)
Troglodytes troglodytes – Eurasian Wren (found outside North America)
Troglodytes pacifica – Pacific Wren (resides on the west coast from BC to California)

*Christie and Reimchen. Presence of salmon increases passerine density on Pacific Northwest streams. Auk 125:51-59 (2008).

On-site Septic Systems - A Link to the Aquifer

Many of KPUD customers are not served by public sewer systems and depend on on-site septic systems to treat and dispose of waste water. A well designed and maintained septic system can provide years of low-cost service. On-site septic systems keep the water you use on your property, use natural materials to filter wastewater and gradually return the water to the aquifer.

 If you have a septic system, it makes good sense to follow these tips.

• Practice water conservation. The more wastewater produced the more the system must treat and dispose. Decreasing the amount of water use can extend life of the system and help to avoid costly repairs. One easy and inexpensive way to save water is to install low flow showerheads. They are available free from our office.
• Inspect the system and pump out your septic tank when needed. Don’t wait until you have a problem. Check the sludge and scum levels in the tank regularly. Using a garbage disposal will require the tank to be pumped more often.
• Flush only waste into the tank. Chemicals are harmful to the system and pollute groundwater. Grease, paper towels and coffee ground cannot easily decompose in the tank.
• Protect your system from damage. Keep vehicles, heavy equipment and livestock off your drainfield. Do not place impermeable materials like plastic or concrete over your drainfield. Grass is the best cover for your system.

Kitsap Health District has a homeowner's manual that can help you understand and care for your septic system.