Spring 2001 Table of Contents

You can help fish during water, energy shortage in your backyard
By Jeff Koenings, WDFW Director

Low snow-pack in the mountains and low precipitation in general this past winter has resulted in water and energy shortages and problems for fish in the northwest.

Inadequate flows in rivers and streams means anadramous fish like salmon and steelhead cannot reach spawning waters or migrate to the ocean.

Inadequate water levels in reservoirs, lakes, and ponds means resident fish like trout and kokanee will not grow or survive as well as they should.

The situation is exacerbated by our own human lifestyle demands for electricity, generated largely by water in the northwest.

Although the overall situation must be addressed by many levels of government, hydropower industry, and business, there IS something that Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS) managers like you can do to help.

Try “xeriscaping” your property. That’s pronounced “zeer-i-scaping” and it’s from the Greek word “xeros” which means “dry.” It’s a way to lessen the effects of water shortages by using drought-tolerant plants in a design and maintenance plan that uses less water. And that ultimately means more water for fish and energy production

Your original BWS packet’s list of plants includes many of these drought-tolerant species that are used by wildlife, like ocean spray (Holodiscus discolor), wild rose (Rosa spp.), chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), mountain ash (Sorbus spp.), western sandcherry (Prunus bessyi), Basin big sage (Artemisia tridentate), red-flowered currant (Ribes sanguineum), and Oregon grape (Mahonia spp).

Planning and designing where to group these plants in your yard is important. You’ll need to look at drainage, sun exposure, soil type, and slope. You can save water, too, by improving your soil with compost, mulching plant beds, and irrigating efficiently.

You can learn details of xeriscaping in many good books and Internet websites on the subject. You’ll find that this kind of gardening can save you maintenance time and costs, but still look beautiful and attract wildlife.

I encourage you to consider devoting a large portion of your sanctuary to a xeriscape.

You may never have thought that your efforts to help and enjoy songbirds in your backyard could ultimately help fish, but remember the old adage: “Everything is connected to everything else.”

Thanks for whatever you can do to help both fish and wildlife in Washington!

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