It’s time to Spring into the Water! As the weather gets warmer, Washingtonians flock to our waterways, enjoying the wonders of the waters that surround us. As we step into these waters we call home, we also remember that a home takes maintenance and care. Spring provides us with an opportunity to participate in water clean-ups, and to also take action to ensure that we are caring for our waterways. Get on your PFDs, get into the water, and remember to also jump into action! Read on for ways to stay informed.
Your Access & Conservation Committee Chair,
Merkys Gómez (merkysg@gmail.com)
FEDERAL
Update: Endangered Species Act (ESA) Amendments of 2025: We shared in the summer of 2025 about a comment period regarding the proposed rulemaking rescinding the definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The bill that resulted (H.R. 1897) was scheduled for a House floor vote on April 22, but was pulled from the floor. We do not yet know if the bill will return to the House floor for a vote in its current form, but at least for now the bill is not moving forward.
WASHINGTON
Region 4 Water Access Management Planning Advisory Committee Update*: The most recent R4 Advisory Committee meeting focused on boating (motorized and non-motorized). Tom O’Keefe (from American Whitewater) and I (Merkys) were invited to moderate the meeting portion focused on non-motorized boating. Most of the conversation centered around 3 issues:
- Types of Launches & Associated Parking: The terms being used haven’t had a formal definition and it’s not clear what one will encounter when arriving at a site. Current examples are: concrete ramp, gravel ramp, unimproved ramp and hand launch. This was a productive discussion and will hopefully lead to a clear definition that will aid users.
- Funding: Fishing was a major focus for how these lands were acquired. However, funding and use type has changed over the years. Funding now also comes from other sources (like the Discover Pass, which gives access to state lands for all). Understanding funding sources and their impact on these lands, particularly in relation to a changing use landscape, is a critical point for moving forward.
- Amenities: Bathrooms were a big conversation point here. Another point that was well-received was a request for a staging area for non-motorized boats.
We are now done with the topic specific meetings. The next round of meetings will focus on the watershed level. As always, feel free to reach out to me (Merkys) with comments/questions/suggestions and visit the Advisory Committee website to learn more: https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/advisory/wampac#meeting-calendar
*As a reminder, the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) formed the Region 4 Water Access Management Planning Advisory Committee during the summer of 2025 as part of a 24-month planning period to address recreational and other uses on WDFW water access sites in 6 counties (Island, King, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom).
Drought Conditions in WA: It will come as no surprise to anyone in Washington that we are in a stateside emergency drought declaration. Yes, we received precipitation this winter but, with above average temperatures, we had rain rather than snow. A snowpack sustains water supplies and stream flows through the drier summer and into early fall until the rains come again. The impact will be felt from fish populations (which face significant threats to their survival from low streamflows and rising water temperatures) to humans on land with the heightened risk of wildfires. This is the fourth consecutive year of a statewide drought declaration. These droughts are becoming our new normal given the impacts on our shared climate, and they do not bode well for our future.
You can read the report from the Washington Department of Ecology here.
The Impacts of AI on Our Waters: AI is proliferating our world. You can’t run a search these days without getting AI results. It seems everything is building in AI functionality. Data centers (enormous buildings filled with thousands of computers to power artificial intelligence) require electricity and chilled water to keep the computers cool. This results in a surge in water use. Few know or truly understand the impacts that AI has on our waters because it is not generally tracked. No federal nor state regulations for AI currently exist. No legal nor regulatory framework exists requiring the disclosure of energy and water consumption. What we do know is that water is a necessary component for data center maintenance.
According to a 2025 study by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, “Approximately 80% of the water (typically freshwater) withdrawn by data centers evaporates, with the remaining water discharged to municipal wastewater facilities.” When you think about how much water is used by a data center and the limits of freshwater on our planet, that remaining wastewater is not a small percentage. Freshwater is critical for the survival of our species – and others.
To prevent the harm to our shared world, our lawmakers need to create the necessary boundaries. Some federal legislators have tried to introduce federal bills. Some states are also working to introduce their own bills. In Washington, H.B. 2515 would have provided data center transparency and accountability. The bill also contained water protections. Unfortunately, the water protections were stripped from the bill before it passed the House. Despite efforts to reintroduce the language into the bill as it moved into the Senate, the short session limited the work being done. As least for now, the bill did not advance into law.
As we face our fourth year of a drought declaration in Washington, the reality of protecting our waters is more and more pressing. Stay informed and stay tuned for calls to action around this critical issue.
Remembering Jim Whittaker (1929-2026): We would be remiss if we didn’t share the loss of Jim Whittaker, who passed away on April 7, 2026 at the age of 97 in his home in Port Townsend. Jim was a great outdoorsman and an avid conservationist. He inspired many, fiercely advocating to protect our public lands and connect people to the outdoors. The Mountaineers posted a piece sharing Jim’s extraordinary life that you can read here.