Groundwater is the sole source of drinking water for the population of Bainbridge Island. Increased use of groundwater supplies on Bainbridge Island as the population has grown over time has created concern about the quantity of water available and whether saltwater intrusion will occur as groundwater usage increases. A groundwater-flow model was developed to aid in the understanding of the groundwater system and the effects of groundwater development alternatives on the water resources of Bainbridge Island.


The full report can be downloaded at: http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2011/5021/weeblylink_new_window
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Year 3 of the Cooper Creek Salmon Supplementation Program has begun! To read more about this program and how you can get involved, click here.
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March 7, 7 - 9pm, Bainbridge Commons, Bjune Drive
The March Sustainable First Monday, organized by the Bainbridge Island Watershed Council and Sustainable Bainbridge, presents “The Scoop on Poop”.  Presenters will discuss environmental impacts of human and pet waste and how to reduce these impacts on our watersheds and Puget Sound.  Robert Johnston of the US Navy Marine Environmental Support Office will share his studies of pollution runoff and its effects on Sinclair and Dyes Inlets.  Randall Samstag will discuss the efficiency of waste breakdown in septic tanks versus treatment plants, with emphasis on nitrogen removal.  Steve Pyke of the BI Wastewater Treatment Plant will discuss our BI wastewater effluent, and Mark Hufford, director of PAWS of Bainbridge, will the discuss pathogens associated with pet waste and proper disposal techniques.
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We are initiating Year 3 of the Cooper Creek Salmon Supplementation program, a 4-year effort to restore a run of chum salmon to Cooper Creek at the head of Eagle Harbor. To find out more about this program and how you can help, click here.
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Our Annual Report is out! Click the link below to read a summary of all of 2010s projects and activities.
/uploads/3/2/9/0/3290/biwc_2010_annual_report.pdf
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On Saturday, May 15, 2010, 30 riders participated in the inaugural “Bike Your Watershed” ride on Bainbridge Island.  Riders from age 7 to 74 took part in the 12-miler under sunny skies and with temps in the high 60s.  Thirteen of the riders received extra credit for their middle and high school science classes.  

The route began with registration at the high school, and riders stopped at four educational stations along the way: the Filipino-American Hall parking lot, the Schel-Chelb estuary, Fort Ward State Park boat launch, and Blakely Harbor parking lot.  Activities at the four stations included, respectively, defining a watershed, having each rider figure out what watershed they live in, and looking at art made from found plastic beach litter; defining an estuary, observing animal life, and collecting plastic beach litter; examining aquatic life and locating a freshwater seep; defining invasive weeds and seeing examples.  Those who returned to the start made an edible aquifer, entered a raffle, and received a free bar of petrol-free WASH soap.

We would like to thank the following donors for this event:
Classic Cycle - gift certificate
WASH soaps,“the eco-friendly soap” – free samples and gift baskets
Still Hope Productions - DVD of “Return of the Plankton” (seasons underwater in Puget Sound)  
B.I.Cycle - gift certificate

For more information, or to find out how you can help us "gear up" for next year's bike ride, please contact Diane Landry, fallschurchbiker@yahoo.com.

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Each summer, the Historical Museum sponsors a cruise around Bainbridge Island aboard the steamship Virginia V, the last of the historic Mosquito Fleet boats. This year’s cruise is scheduled for Sunday, July 25, leaving the City dock at 3 p. m. and returning at 6.




The cruise offers a panoramic view of our shoreline, and an opportunity to observe not only the traces of our history, but also the present-day conditions that are coming under scrutiny as the Shoreline Management Program is revised.  The cruise conditions will provide opportunities to talk with friends and meet people you don’t already know.




The cost of the cruise is $65. A mid-afternoon snack will be provided, and the cash bar will quench your thirst.  Space is limited, so call the Museum (842-2773) or stop by to secure your reservation.  




 




You’ll have a pleasant afternoon on the water, and your participation in this fund-raising event benefits a worthy cause, the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum!



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We have wrapped up the second year of our Cooper Creek Salmon Supplementation Program! The 2010 Report is available on our Cooper Creek Salmon Program Page.
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The Watershed Council hosted an Edible Aquifer activity at this year's Enviropalooza environmetal festival at Islandwood. This activity uses a sweet approach to teaching kids about how aquifers (areas underground that store large amounts of water, on Bainbridge we get all our drinking water from aquifers) work and why it is important to protect them.
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The edible aquifer
To build an edible aquifer, the kids layered "rocks"- ice, chocolate chips, and gummi worms" and added soda to put water in their aquifer. We then added whipped cream, which represents the confining layer, a dense layer of rock/soil that slows the passage of water into the ground. On top we added more "rocks" and "soil" (sprinkles). Then, Kool-Aid is added at the top, and soda is poured over to represent rain. The kids watch as their confining layer slows the passage of pollutants into the aquifer, and then punch a "well" (straw) in to suck out the groundwater (and speed up the pollution process). 
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With over 80 kids and their families (and a few hardy adults with enough of a sweet tooth to brave it!) making aquifers, we spread the word to a lot of people about how aquifers work and why its important to protect them- and had a great time doing it!


Thanks so much to the wonderful volunteers who organized and ran this event: Rose Defawe, Diane Landry, Jeanne Huber, and Ardy Sacrozie, and to the Suquamish Tribe, whose funding of the Watershed Council this year helped make this activity possible.
For directions for making edible aquifers, see: www.deq.state.id.us/water/educ_tools/edible_aquifer_lp.pdf


More information about Bainbridge Island Aquifers is available in our groundwater handout.
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There are a huge number of earth day events offered on Bainbridge this April in celebration of the 40th Earth Day! Plays, talks, demonstrations, environmental fairs, hands-on volunteer opportunities, and more offer something for everyone. Please click here for the full calendar of events brought to you by Sustainable Bainbridge.
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