Informed of the spill, Washington state's representative on the Northwest Power Planning Council said nothing. Simultaneously, the state Department of Ecology was sending letters to water users along the Columbia River, informing them that if drought conditions persist their water will be cut off to maintain what the state considers the river's necessary level of flow. The letter went to farmers, cities, golf courses, representing hundreds of millions in investment, supporting the livelihoods of thousands of people. These situations offer a warning. There are public officials in the Northwest who have absolutely no idea how to deal realistically with the tradeoffs forced on all of us by this very severe drought and related energy crisis.
Water is a scarce commodity.
It will be rationed, but some thought must be given to the effects of the allocation. Apparently, no one has a plan to do that. We'd better get one. Submit a letter to the editor for consideration in our Safety Valve. Download a free copy Swimmin' holes along the Columbia News and media links in Washington state.