Sound Stewards
DERT's Newsletter - July 2021
Go with the flow - Free the Deschutes!
DERT volunteer Al Schmauder collects a water sample from a culvert along West Bay
The DEIS is HERE!

The DEIS was issed on June 30th, beginning a 45 day public comment period that ends on August 13th. DERT is working hard to analyze the material within this massive document so that we may convey the important details to others.

There are many ways to learn about the DEIS. You can view the document at various locations, including the Olympia Timberland Regional Library or at our office in downtown Olympia. If you would like to review and discuss the DEIS with us, please contact Sue (olydert@gmail.com) or Matthew (mkaras@deschutesestuary.org) to schedule a time to visit. In addition, the kiosks around Heritage park and the pathway around the "Lake" have been updated with information extracted from the DEIS.

DERT will host public outreach events on July 25th, August 1st, and August 8th at the boardwalk pavilion located at the intersection of State Ave and Water St NW in downtown Olympia, from 11 AM to 4 PM each day. We will have a few interactive displays, the DEIS document, and merchandise, and will offer a walking tour that goes over the 5th Ave Dam and around the "Lake". As the date approaches we will send more information about this event, as well as a virtual community forum that we are planning.

Click on the links below to learn more.
Do you share our passion for restoring and protecting the Deschutes Watershed? If so, join our Board of Directors! We are looking for new energy as we increase our presence in the community and expand our programming. More information can be found here: Join the DERT Board

We are also seeking new members to join DERT's Volunteer Core Committee. As a member of the Core, you are expected to participate in at least one program activity (kayak patrols, water quality monitoring, public outreach, or others), attend monthly meetings, and inform program development. If interested, please contact Matthew Karas at mkaras@deschutesestuary.org
South Sound Healthy Watershed Program UPDATE
Matthew patrols West Bay with a few volunteers on our second kayak patrol (left); Al Schmauder and Diana Moore look on as Nathan Brown collects a water sample from the broken culvert of Garfield Creek (Right-Top), Saint Martin's student Emily Wonch waits patiently to move onto the next step of microplastic analysis.
We have conducted two kayak patrols in Budd Inlet thus far and are eager to get back out on the water. It has been a lot of fun exploring the South Sound with volunteers! In August we will host a kayak patrol along with Aimee Christy from Pacific Shellfish Institute, who will lead us in a plankton analysis. To learn more about our kayak patrols visit our webpage here.

The students at Saint Martin's University are finishing up their first analysis of sediment samples for microplastic contamination. At the conclusion of the summer quarter the students will review the process and assess what worked well and what didn't. In Fall quarter, we will test the method developed by NOAA alongside the method used by Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, to compare their relative effectiveness. As we grow more familiar with the method we will be able to process more samples and grow our data. In addition to microplastic analysis, we are developing a sampling plan for collecting water quality data using our YSI ProDSS water meter, turbidity device, and LaMotte test kits.

South Sound Healthy Watershed Program
Volunteer Registration

Interested in volunteering? If yes, please register using the volunteer application form below.


It will take no longer than one week to review and approve your application. Once your account is active, you will use the following link to log-in and sign up for events:


If you have any questions about registering or using your Volgistics account, please contact Matthew at mkaras@deschutesestuary.org.
JULY NEWSLETTER


  • WA Court of Appeals orders Dept. of Ecology to enact stronger permits for regulating concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs)
  • John Henry Coal Mine agrees to permanent closure.
  • $415,000 from two legal settlements are being directed towards community based environmental projects. PSKA and the Rose Foundation are fighting for the money to be equitably distributed to address persisting environmental racism.
  • PSKA is hosting their 18th annual gala and auction, Salute to the Sound, on October 15th. It will be in-person! Hooray!
DERT is a small non-profit committed to restoring and protecting the Deschutes Watershed for the benefit of fish, wildlife, and humans alike. Water weaves all living things together into a complex and profound web of interdependence. We fight tirelessly to protect this precious resource, but we can't do it without your support. Please consider making a donation to sustain our work and expand our presence in the community. Thank you!!