From the Washington State Department of Ecology Drought Response On April 8, 2026, Ecology issued a drought declaration for all watersheds in the state due to low snowpack and multiple years of precipitation deficits. This is the state’s fourth consecutive drought declaration – a record under the current drought framework established in 1989. Drought emergency…
Category: Utilities
Do you have a septic tank in Spanaway?
Sewer or septic? Each has its drawbacks. The sewers are sending far too much fresh water into Puget Sound. The septic tanks put liquids back in the ground, but also with contaminants from detergents, chemical cleaners, and drug use – legal or not. The past thirty years have seen water quality in our rivers, streams…
Wetland. Watershed. Drought.
These are important words this year. If you love to ski, you know there is hardly enough snow in the mountains this season. If you drive over the pass frequently, you probably haven’t been stuck in snow. If you live on Clover Creek, you know it was a dry ditch from May to December. For…
Watershed Roundup Nov 18
Pierce County has four state designated watersheds. The Chambers Clover Watershed (WRIA12) includes Lakewood, University Place, most of Tacoma, Dupont, Spanaway, Parkland, Frederickson, Midland, Elk Plain, and the northwest part of Graham. This watershed is dependent on rain. For the past three years, the area has been under drought conditions. In October, it was at…
Watershed Festival looking for participants
Cities, Environmental organizations, water companies, anyone with a connection to water and environment is welcome to come to the first Chambers Clover Watershed Festival on Saturday, October 11. Of course, the public is also invited to see all the resources designed to use and protect our water supply. The festival will begin with a work…
The spring at Camp Montgomery
By Marianne Lincoln It is a hidden place on private property now, but when the Naches Trail hosted wagons from Eastern to Western Washington in the 1850’s, the spring near the Trail’s end was a valuable resource. Officially, the Naches Trail ended at the Mahon Farm. Most of that farm later became the Brookdale Golf…
Learning to be drought aware
By Marianne Lincoln How much water do you use when you wash your hands? How much when you brush your teeth? Laundry, showers, and flushing the commode all take water too. The average person uses 80 to 100 gallons a day. Multiply that by the houses in your neighborhood and the houses in your community….
Is There Enough Water for 48,000 More Residents Moving to Spanaway this Decade?
By Kirk Kirkland and Al Schmauder Will Pierce County be able to meet future demand for clean drinking water required by increasing population and development in the Chambers-Clover watershed? Two years ago, Pierce County altered zoning along Pacific Avenue, 112th Street, Meridian, and 176th Street to allow up to 5 story buildings within one quarter…
Our Watershed, “WRIA 12” January 15
It is called a Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) by the Department of Ecology. The Chambers Clover Watershed includes Parkland, Spanaway, Midland, Collins, Frederickson, part of South Hill and NW Graham as well as Lakewood, McChord Field, Fircrest, Steilacoom, Dupont, and University Place, Below is a map of the WRIA’s in Washington State. Look for 12….
Neurotoxicologist opposes water fluoridation
From NYSCOF Toxicologist Steve Gilbert, PhD, and his non-profit organization, the Institute of Neurotoxicology & Neurological Disorders, have produced a statement opposing fluoridation. It’s at his “Connecting the Dots” website at https://www.asmalldoseoftoxicology.org/library. Steve is the founder and director of the Institute of Neurotoxicology and Neurological Disorders (INND) and is a Diplomat of the American Board of…
When the faucet is dry…
By Marianne Lincoln Where did the water go? That is a question a lot of us have been asking for years. It is the end of November. Clover Creek is still dry in From Brookdale Golf Course to Midland and Spanaway Loop Road. The Chambers Clover Creek Watershed is based on a Sole Source Aquifer….
BRT, Cross Base, and other fictitious creatures
EDITORIAL OPINION Around 1995, folks living on 174th Street wanted some traffic control measures added to their street due to high traffic and safety issues. The County Council promised to put $2 million into the issues. That $2 million was reallocated to a project in Gig Harbor a couple weeks later. Spanaway and Frederickson had…
Pierce Prairie Post 