From the PWR-LIO. The Puget Sound Partnership recently updated the Vital Sign indicator of summer low flow in streams and rivers. The indicator report is the result of a year-long effort to improve the analysis and reporting in order to better describe the regional condition of stream flows during dry months when flows are at their lowest. Some key takeaways:

• The occurrence of below normal summer flows is increasing in unregulated streams and rivers across Puget Sound. In 2021, summer flows were below normal most of the time at three-quarters of the indicator gages.
• Consecutive years with below normal summer flows have increased since 1985 and especially since 2015.
• Accelerated glacial melt may temporarily offset diminishing low flows in some rivers. Substantial glaciers are present around basin headwaters of five of the indicator gages. These systems have generally maintained stable summer streamflows, at levels similar to the 1948-1998 baseline period.