The 19th annual Palouse Basin Water Summit is scheduled from 4:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the SEL Event Center in Pullman. Like many of you, we believe this water conversation needs to happen every year. It’s vital for our communities, businesses, industries, universities and the water we rely on every day. The annual dialogue promises to be both fun and educational and provide great information about how our Palouse communities manage this important resource and plan for their future; and about how you can make a difference.
Joining us at the summit will be nationally recognized western water expert and award-winning author, Robert Glennon. The recipient of two National Science Foundation grants, Glennon serves as an advisor to governments, corporations, think tanks, law firms, and nongovernmental nonprofits looking to solve serious challenges around water sustainability and planning. Glennon is the Morris K. Udall professor of law and public policy in the Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona. He received a law degree from Boston College Law School and a master’s degree and doctorate degree in American history from Brandeis University.
Glennon is a sought-after speaker and analyst, helping reporters and the public understand current water policy to help build a sustainable water future. Glennon is the author of “Unquenchable: America’s Water Crisis and What to Do About It”; “Water Follies: Groundwater Pumping and the Fate of America’s Fresh Waters”; and “Shopping for Water: How the Market Can Mitigate Water Shortages in the American West.”
Glennon’s presentation, “Our Future in a Warming, Water-Stressed, COVID World,” will provide some powerful insights into the state of water across the globe, including here in the United States. In many parts of the American West, communities are confronting water shortages worse than they have ever known. Some of our nation’s biggest reservoirs have fallen to record lows. Whole neighborhoods have lost their water supplies as wells have gone dry. States along the dwindling Colorado River are negotiating water reductions that could bring dramatic disruptions to some of the country’s most important agricultural belts.
Water is finite but our demands are not.The U.S. water footprint is two times the global average. Everything we eat, wear, and buy takes water — sometimes a surprising amount. By better understanding how much water it takes to keep our lifestyles afloat, we can make some easy and wise choices to conserve — and help replenish our groundwater resources.
Here on the Palouse, groundwater provides the sole drinking water supply for nearly 65,000 residents in Whitman and Latah Counties. Every drop matters. Annually, the Palouse Basin uses more 2.5 billion gallons of water. While that’s a great deal of water, our per capita consumption continues to decline thanks to strong water conservation programs and an engaged citizenry. However, this level of engagement cannot be taken for granted and we know that there are plenty more water conversations to have. And like other parts of the West, a hotter and drier climate will require us to reckon with a future with far less water to waste.
The summit will also feature Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee Executive Director Céline Acord, with the Annual State of the Palouse Basin presentation. Additionally, Robin Nimmer, senior hydrogeologist with Alta Science and Engineering, will share her recent work on identifying additional water supplies within the basin. Jennifer Adams, associate professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Washington State University, will discuss the water supply and demand forecast for the Pacific Northwest, including the Palouse Basin. And most importantly, the summit will encourage and challenge us to engage in this important matter.
As we’ve written in past years, we are grateful for the efforts of the Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee — a governance model based on strong trusting relationships between our communities and universities committed to manage and protect this critical liquid asset moving forward. As part of the committee’s “Conserve, Stabilize, Thrive” campaign, it’s important to inform our communities of ways to conserve water, the work being done to stabilize aquifer water levels, and ultimately ensure our residents will thrive in the years ahead.
However, it takes more than the efforts of this organization. We are living in a moment of tremendous opportunity. Water challenges are receiving unprecedented attention. We all need to be engaged in this important conversation. Please visit palousebasinwatersummit.org for more information. Remember — the summit is free and a conversation we all need to be a part of! Join us.
Kimmell is a former Latah County commissioner and serves as regional business manager for Avista Corp. He is a member of the Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee and co-founder of the Palouse Basin Water Summit. Kimberling is a former Moscow city councilmember, owns Kimberling Insurance and is c-ofounder of the Palouse Basin Water Summit.
