blame

Washington Farmers Blame Canada for Contaminated Water

Washington Farmers Blame Canada for Contaminated Water

A northern Washington farmer advocacy group is calling on Gov. Jay Inslee to act swiftly to address poor water quality in their region due to what they claim is contamination flowing from rivers originating in Canada. In their June 6 letter to Inslee, Whatcom Family Farmers Executive Director Fred Likkel and Northern Lynden Water Improvement District President Larry Stap described the Nooksack River Basin as contaminated with "extremely high levels of bacteria" coming from the other side of the Canadian border. "Given the current issues surrounding international flooding, as well as issues surrounding water rights and an impending adjudication of water rights in Whatcom County, immediate action is imperative on this subject," the letter states.