(c) Michael S. Nolan

Food Availability and Orca Survival

The primary food of the southern resident orcas is chinook salmon. We have identified the following watersheds to be important for chinook salmon productivity and areas where you can make a difference.

The entire Skagit River watershed is heavily impacted, especially in drought years, by Seattle's and Western Washington's use of energy. It is here that significant dams producing hydroelectric power compete with salmon spawning for water. In 2001, chinook salmon egg redds (nests) dried up and died for lack of water used for hydroelectric power in a drought year - even though chinook were listed as a threatened species in March, 1999 under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). According to a Seattle Times story, about half of the 1,200 chinook salmon redds dried out early in 2001. Each redd holds about 4,000 to 5,000 eggs. That means 2,400,000 to 3,000,000 hatchling smolt who would have begun a journey to sea were lost to orcas. This loss reflects only a fraction of redds destroyed by power consumption in the northwest.

When orcas lack food, they must rely on their fat reserves. Unfortunately, much of the toxic chemical load of orcas is stored in fat. So when they are stressed by hunger, they metabolize their fat and release the toxic chemicals back into their bloodstream. This is thought to be one of the primary causes of the orcas' decline.

In each of the identified watersheds below, we cite specific actions you can take to reduce impacts and work with local watershed restoration organizations. If you want to actively reduce impacts to create optimum conditions for chinook salmon and the survival of the southern resident orcas, you must make a commitment to reduce your use of water and energy in your home and workplace. Reduce your use of hot water. Make it a priority in your conservation efforts, as it will have the greatest return. We discuss water/energy saving devices and provide links to web pages below that go into further detail.

Key Watersheds Needing Action

Skagit Watershed
Site of hydroelectric dams that compete with salmon for stream flow. The Skagit River and its tributaries (Baker, Sauk, Suiattle, Cascade Rivers) was the predominant system in Puget Sound containing naturally spawning chinook salmon. Contact People for Puget Sound, an organizational website valuable for tracking the overall campaign to keep Puget Sound environmentally healthy.

Elwah
If and when the Elwha and Gilnes canyon dams are torn down, they will open miles of prime salmon spawning habitat. This is likely the largest restoration effort that can be made in the short term. The federal government has bought the dams. Money has been appropriated by Congress to draw up engineering plans for the teardown. However, a major obstacle remains: congress has yet to appropriate the $70 million dollars for the destruction of these dams. Some salmon runs may become extinct if Congress continues to drag its feet. Write your Congressional Representative and Senators and tell them you want the money for the Elwah dam removal. To keep abreast of the progress, and to make sure progress continues as promised, visit Friends of the Earth.

Duwamish
This river system, its tributaries and the remnants of its estuary are receiving a fair amount of needed attention, but the restoration needs are immense. A 1993 National Marine Fisheries Services Study documented the uptake of toxic PCB's by outmigrating juvenile in this (and the Puyallup River) river. Go to: People For Puget Sound and (http://dnr.metrokc.gov/Wrias/9/index.htm).

Nisqually River, Nooksak River, Puyallup River, Cedar River
Please utilize the links below under Watershed and Salmonid Restoration Volunteer Contacts to support and restore healthy salmon populations essential for the survival and restoration of the southern resident Orca community.

Watershed and Salmonid Restoration Volunteer Contacts

There are dozens of major efforts and many more local groups of people working selflessly to protect and restore salmon in Washington State. Given that there are many rivers to consider, if you do not live conveniently close to the watersheds we have identified above, go to the following websites. They will provide additional information on volunteer opportunities.

Conservation Tools and Resources to Protect Watersheds Essential to Orca Survival

The great thing about water-saving showerheads, compact fluorescence and other conservation tools is that first, they pay for themselves within months, and second, they then pay you for years and years with the money you'll save on your utility bills. For detailed information simply visit any of the web sites we have supplied below.

Water Conservation

If you are unfamiliar with the choices before you, consider the following before making purchases or visiting the web sites we are providing. ORCa asks you to add a water-saving device to every water fixture in your home. Since some fixtures, such as showerheads, vary in design and spray pattern, we encourage you to shop around and ask your friends. Most importantly, since many showerheads are set to 2.5 gpm, we urge you to purchase a showerhead that has a built-in flow control handle. This gives you the option of reducing flow further and turning it off momentarily while you soap up. With a simple change in showering habits, you can be using half of the industry water use standard. The campaign coordinator of ORCa highly recommends the Europa Elite (model ES-271) that uses 2.0 gpm even without using the built-in on/off control. If you already have a low-flow showerhead of 2.5 gpm, you do not need to buy another showerhead. Many manufacturers sell an on/off flow handle for less than $5.00 that you can easily install between the showerhead and the water source.

According to the Washington Department of Ecology, flushing the toilet is the largest use of water inside the typical home - a whopping 26.7%. So the additional and easy no-cost change you can make to save cold water is the, "If it's yellow, let it mellow" philosophy. Urine does not need to be flushed every time. You can easily reduce your water consumption at home by over 10% by just flushing less frequently. You can also experiment with putting in a quart or half gallon container full of water into your toilet tank to take up the space and therefore use less water per flush.

Energy Conservation

Before going to the web sites below or out to the store to make your purchases, keep in mind that bulbs come in variable wattage/brightness, are available for three-way lamps switches and halogen-type lamps without the use of energy-wasting halogen bulbs. Remember, since bathing accounts for the third-largest use of indoor water and the second-highest use of energy in the Puget Sound area, first purchase water saving devices that lowers your household hot water use. Then, purchase compact fluorescents if your budget does not allow you to do both at the same time.

Conservation Related Web Sites

Tons of information about regional government programs, compact fluorescents, water-saving devices, lighting design for businesses and more. Lots of links at each site.

Other Threats Facing the Orcas

300 Broadway, suite 28
San Francisco, CA 94133
415/788-3666 or fax 415/788-7324
marinemammal@earthisland.org