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Outlook: Eugene Drinking Water Supplies <br />Water availability has been in the news a lot lately with California facing another year of drought conditions and Oregon <br />experiencing record low snowpack levels. What does all this mean for the McKenzie watershed and Eugene’s drinking <br />water supply? <br /> <br />Recent modeling suggests the McKenzie River will be at 60 percent of normal flow. It is unlikely that Eugene Water & <br />Electric Board (EWEB) will be required by the State of Oregon to restrict water use. However, depending on weather <br />conditions later this summer, voluntary reductions or restrictions are not out of the question. EWEB staff will monitor <br />several key criteria throughout the summer that could trigger the need for water restrictions. The criteria include daily <br />water consumption, daytime temperatures and stream flows. <br /> <br />Whether or not mandatory restrictions are put in place, wise water use is especially important this year to keep as <br />much water in the river as possible for fish and other users downstream. For this reason, EWEB is asking customers to <br />be more vigilant about water consumption. <br /> <br />To support water conservation, local water utilities have an established Green Grass Gauge (GGG) program that has <br />become a popular and effective tool to manage outdoor irrigation (typically the largest demand for summertime water <br />use). Weekly watering recommendations are posted on Facebook and Twitter, from mid-June through late-September, <br />to help avoid overwatering. The public may subscribe to a weekly watering recommendation e-mail update sent <br />directly to a personal mailbox at eweb.org/ggg. <br /> <br />For more water conservation tips, and other resources regarding water supplies, visit eweb.org/2015drinkingwater. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 <br />June 25, 2015 <br />