The snoqualmie indian tribe (SIT) is a signatory to the treaty of point elliot in which the SIT ceded certain lands to the united states government in exchange for the right to fish, hunt and gather…

The snoqualmie indian tribe (SIT) is a signatory to the treaty of point elliot in which the SIT ceded certain lands to the united states government in exchange for the right to fish, hunt and gather on ancestral lands. The SIT depends on groundwater wells for water supply within the snoqualmie reservation, and from time immemorial, the SIT has also advocated for the preservation and enhancement of ecological functions of the snoqualmie river watershed. This watershed is home to ESA-protected salmon and steelhead, resident cold-water fish populations, and supports fisheries and traditional natural and cultural resources for coast salish people including the SIT. The watershed has been degraded over the years due to land clearing and development, stream and river channelization, dredging and drainage projects, and reduction in summer flows due to agricultural, residential, and commercial use of the basins water. Climate forecasts indicate increasingly frequent and severe droughts may be expected in the snoqualmie watershed, which, coupled with increasing demand for domestic, agricultural, and industrial water supply, may impact availability of water for tribal needs at the SIT reservation and further degrade the productivity of cold-water fish habitat throughout the snoqualmie basin. The snoqualmie drout project includes: characterize water needs for the SIT and other water users in the snoqualmie watershed. Use traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and other science to identify optimal drought indicators and evaluate the linkage between climate, groundwater, surface water, and fisheries. Conduct a drought vulnerability assessment. Use TEK and other science to develop and evaluate drought mitigation strategies for SIT and other water users in the snoqualmie watershed. Develop a drought dashboard and drout project communications plan.