Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 7, Issue 1, January 2003

Copyright 2002 Seattle Sun. Please feel free to use the article and photos below in your research. Be sure to quote the Seattle Sun as your source.

Don't let the typhoon fool you!

By SUSAN PARK

The wind is howling, the streets are pooling with knee deep water, but Seattle is facing a serious water and hydroelectric crisis.

Warm El Nino breezes and a high pressure jet stream have caused little snow to fall in the Cascades. Without a deep snowpack melting slowly throughout the late Spring and early summer, Seattle's water supply could fall short in late summer.

As a result, Mayor Greg Nickels is asking Seattle residents to reduce water use this winter, setting a goal of five million gallons in daily water savings.

Seattle has so far been able to meet residents' water needs, despite only receiving about one-third of the normal rainfall through November in the Cedar River Watershed, the City's primary water supply. However, unless the weather gets colder and wetter, abnormally dry conditions could cut stream flows during the spring, threatening chinook and other salmon.

"The Seattle area is a national leader in long-term water conservation," said Nickels at a Dec. 9 press conference "Right now, we need to further reduce our water use in order to provide for the needs of people and fish."

Nickels is asking citizens and businesses to cut their daily water use.

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More information about water conservation is available at www.savingwater.org or by calling 684-SAVE (7283).