The major reason behind the reduced water flow in Salmon Creek is the continued diversion of rural farmland to residential and industrial use.
Each new subdivision or warehouse complex in the Salmon Creek drainage area is required to have “stormwater effluent systems.” The water that used to flow from agricultural, or undeveloped grass or woodland, is being diverted into the storm drainage system and flushed through the sewage treatment plants.
The more residential and industrial development of roofing, streets, roadways, parking spaces and “mandated bio-swales,” the less rainwater actually reaches Salmon Creek.
This is another example of governmental agencies generating “unforeseen consequences” for immediate revenue gains. The continual expansion of residential communities and warehousing complexes will eventually result in Salmon Creek being an intermittent seasonal dry gulch. Unfortunately, the lower portion of Salmon Creek has already progressed beyond the recovery point.
