Our Icicle Creek project reached a major milestone after more than a decade of work, collaboration, and negotiation. Upon its completion, this project will restore more than 1.3 billion gallons of water annually forever to the lower part of Icicle Creek!

In January, we welcomed the return of snow to the mountains. Since those storms, however, snow has not accumulated as we had hoped. While there is still time for the snowpack to build up, our team is preparing for what could be a dangerously dry summer.

It takes a stellar team to restore and protect rivers and streams in Washington. Our people are how Washington Water Trust has made such an incredible impact for more than 25 years. We've welcomed three new staff members to WWT in the last year. Meet them in this blog post!

Climate change is putting our snowpack at risk. We need to restore and protect as much water instream as we can now. A key piece to ensuring healthy flows and climate resilience is using more sustainable water sources like recycled water. Learn how WWT is testing recycled water for farm irrigation in the Sammamish Valley.

From enhancing flows for fish during drought to protecting water instream forever and advancing new conservation methods, 2023 was a big year in our work to restore and protect rivers and streams across Washington. Check out some of our conservation impact highlights in this post!

At Washington Water Trust, we're laser-focused on what makes a stream a stream: the water! For 25 years, our supporters have helped us restore flows when and where needed most. With the growing demands on our freshwater and climate change, however, we need your help to do more. Give back to the rivers and streams you love by making a tax-deductible gift to WWT. All donations will be matched up to $15,000 through Dec. 31!

Washington Water Trust announced that Amazon Web Services, the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, and other community partners supported a drought relief program in Clallam County on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula that enhanced stream flows to help ensure healthy salmon runs in the Dungeness River. The Dungeness River is one of the most productive and critical salmon-bearing rivers in the Puget Sound region.

2023 began with promise for Washington’s rivers and streams. Reservoirs were full, soils were refilling with slowly melting snow, and Washington skiers were enjoying the slopes later in the season than usual. However, three months later, Washington was facing the reality of yet another extreme drought. What happened? And how would water resource professionals respond?

We have good news to report from eastern Washington! We recently closed a major water right acquisition in the Walla Walla River Basin and streamflow monitoring is showing that our long-term efforts to keep the Teanaway River flowing in the face of climate change and drought are succeeding.

Today, I am eager to tell you about Tida Rau, our Sustainable Waters Intern from The Bill Lane Center for the American West at Stanford University, who was nothing short of phenomenal in her role. A member of the Yakama and Lummi nations, Tida possesses a rare fusion of academic prowess and deep cultural understanding. Remarkable individuals like Tida are who will guide us on the path to a sustainable water future.