Whatcom County is blessed with abundant water – but not at the right times. We have rain and snow in the winter, when water use is low. But in the summer, use is high and streams often run too low to support healthy salmon. This supply/demand imbalance will get worse because of population growth and climate change, leading to less water for people, fish, the environment, and recreation. Lead by Eric Hirst,  we will discuss: (1) who uses water, when, and for what purposes; (2) what might happen in the future as glaciers continue to shrink and summer streamflows and rainfall decline; and (3) various options to address our water-quantity problems.

Eric Hirst holds a doctorate in engineering from Stanford University and worked for 30 years as an energy policy analyst at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Since moving to Bellingham more than 12 years ago, he has served on three advisory committees for the city of Bellingham, was involved with the formation and early operation of the Whatcom County chapter of Futurewise and served on the board of RE Sources for Sustainable Communities.