5.1 Climate Impacts on EWEB Introduction and Policy Language from SD15
EWEB Climate Change Policy SD15: Climate Impacts on EWEB - Resiliency & Adaptation Section
Consistent with resiliency initiatives included in EWEB’s approved strategic plan, the Board directs the General Manager to evaluate and enact measures, as necessary and appropriate, to prepare for and minimize the effects of climate change that could impact EWEB’s water and electric supply and infrastructure, damaging EWEB’s resiliency and reliability.
What is resiliency? EWEB defines resiliency as, “the ability to reduce the likelihood, magnitude, and duration of sudden or gradual disruptive events through risk mitigation, emergency preparedness and response, and recovery strategies.” The U.S. EPA, within its Regional Resilience Toolkit[1] says, “Resilience is about building the capacity of the community, at various scales, to prepare for, withstand, recover, and maintain its identity in the face of actual or anticipated hazard occurrences, allowing for continuity of community and quick recovery if a disaster occurs.”
When thinking about resiliency to both sudden and gradual disruptive events, it’s helpful to remember EWEB was created back in the early 20th century to enable local control of vital community resources in the face of a specific public health threat. When a typhoid epidemic struck Eugene in the early 1900s, the outbreak was traced to the privately owned water company. In response, outraged citizens voted in 1908 to buy the system and create a municipal, citizen-owned water utility. The Eugene City Council ordered the construction of a hydroelectric power plant that would power the pumps necessary to bring water to the people and then transferred control of the utility to a separate citizen board in early 1911. When the Walterville Power Plant (still in operation today) generated surplus electricity beyond what was needed for the water pumps, EWEB took the necessary steps to become the full-service electricity and water provider that it is today.
More than one hundred years later, EWEB continues to be forward-thinking in its long-range planning. The utility strives to continually serve our community with life-sustaining water and electricity every minute of every day, and into the future forever. Flexibility and adaptability in our plans and operations will be necessary to remain resilient to a wide-variety of natural and human-caused threats if we are to maintain this level of reliability for the next 100 years.
While there are many threats the utility must prepare for and work to avoid that are not directly due to climate change (such as domestic terrorism and/or cyber security threats), we know that climate change is already impacting our physical environment, our human capital, our public health, our policy landscape, and our resource availability in new and challenging ways. Often, stresses from these new challenges are layered on top of one another, and deciphering cause and effect to determine effective responses is becoming more complicated. The layering of simultaneous challenges taxes the capacity of any organization’s response. Never was this more apparent as our community struggled to respond to the intense stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic and the devastating Holiday Farm fire simultaneously in September 2020. While everyone in our community will be impacted by the physical effects of climate change in one way or another, EWEB also recognizes that the most vulnerable members of our community will be least able to prepare and adapt to this wide range of changing conditions. No matter where the challenges originate, EWEB must find new ways to increase redundancy and resiliency across the organization and throughout our infrastructure. In doing so, EWEB must consider how to support members of our community who have been historically under-served and/or are most vulnerable to service disruption, bringing an equity focus to the work.
Climate Policy SD15 requires the General Manager to evaluate and enact measures to prepare for and minimize the effects of climate change on EWEB’s water and electric supply and infrastructure. Therefore, in the Climate Guidebook, this chapter will focus on resiliency initiatives related to expected changes to our physical environment in Lane County, our drinking water quality and water availability for both drinking and hydropower production, and the ability of our EWEB-owned infrastructure to adapt to changing physical conditions. This section will be expanded over time in response to stakeholder needs and feedback and as our programs grow and change in response to where the need is greatest.
Content currently included in v2.0:
- Expected physical changes for Lane County, via Oregon Climate Change Research Institute
- Eugene-Springfield Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (NHMP)and other planning efforts at the State and County levels
- EWEB’s Wildfire Mitigation Plan
- EWEB’s Watershed Protection Program
- Second Source of Drinking Water Development on the Willamette River
- Appendix C – EWEB’s Resiliency Policy (SD22)
Content planned for future Guidebook Versions:
- Research results from EWEB’s Forest Carbon Lab investments in partnership with University of Oregon
[1] EPA Regional Resilience Toolkit, July 2019: Regional Resilience Toolkit: 5 Steps to Build Large-Scale Resilience to Natural Disasters (epa.gov)
Explore this Webpage: 5.2 Expected Physical Changes for Lane County | 5.3 Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan | 5.4 EWEB’s Wildfire Mitigation Plan and Associated Policies | 5.5 Watershed Protection Programs | 5.6 Second Source of Drinking Water Development
5.2 Expected Physical Changes for Lane County
In July 2022, the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute (OCCRI) finished a report for the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development called, “Future Climate Projections: Lane County, OR.” The study evaluated 12 natural hazards and related climate metrics (Table 2 in the OCCRI report) to determine if the risks in Lane County from those hazards was increasing, remaining unchanged, or decreasing and the confidence level of each. The Executive Summary of this report states:
“Climate change is expected to increase the occurrence of many climate-related natural hazards. Confidence that the risk of heat waves will increase is very high (Table 1 – see below) given strong evidence in the peer-reviewed literature, consistency among the projections of different global climate models, and robust theoretical principles underlying increasing temperatures in response to ongoing emissions of greenhouse gases. Confidence that the risk of many other natural hazards will increase as climate changes is high or medium (Table 1), reflecting moderate to strong evidence and consistency among models, yet these risks are influenced by multiple secondary factors in addition to increasing temperatures. Confidence in changes in risks is indicated as low if projections suggest relatively few to no changes or evidence is limited.
This report presents future climate projections for Lane County relevant to specified natural hazards for the 2020s (2010–2039) and 2050s (2040–2069) relative to the 1971–2000 historical baseline. The projections are presented for a lower greenhouse gas emissions scenario and a higher greenhouse gas emissions scenario and are based on multiple global climate models. All projections in this executive summary refer to the 2050s, relative to the historical baseline, under the higher emissions scenario. Projections for both time periods and emissions scenarios are included in the main report.”
The report provides ranges of impacts from the above projected hazards in tangible form. For example, related to the very high confidence of the increasing risk of impact from heat waves, the report states, “In Lane County, the number of days per year with temperatures 90°F or higher is projected to increase by an average of 18 days (range 5–30 days) by the 2050s, relative to the 1971–2000 historical baselines, under the higher emissions scenario.”
Links and Relevant Resources:
- Oregon Climate Change Research Institute (OCCRI): Future Climate Projections for Lane County, Oregon
- Oregon Climate Change Research Institute (OCCRI): Oregon Climate Assessments
5.3 Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan
The Eugene- Springfield Area Multi-jurisdictional Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (NHMP) serves as a comprehensive natural hazard mitigation framework for the Cities of Eugene and Springfield, as well as the Sub-Plan Holders including EWEB, the Springfield Utility Board (SUB), and Rainbow Water District. Natural hazard mitigation is defined as permanently reducing or alleviating the losses of life, property, and injury resulting from natural hazards through long and short-term strategies. The NHMP for Lane County was most recently updated in 2023.
The NHMP examines and prioritizes hazards to help focus risk reduction activities to protect critical infrastructure and public safety. Once approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, plan holders can qualify for federal and state funds appropriated specifically for NHMP mitigation projects.
EWEB has evaluated the probability of potential natural disasters occurring and its response capabilities to develop a natural hazard risk rating. Highest on this list are the threat of:
- Earthquake
- Windstorm
- Winter storm
- Wildfire
While climate change is not defined as a natural hazard, it is a contributing factor that elevates the probability and severity of different natural hazards. Risk mitigation action items identified in the NHMP include seismic upgrades to existing infrastructure, emergency water distribution equipment, and watershed recovery activities to mitigate future wildfires. These activities are typically reflected and funded through EWEB’s ten-year electric and water capital improvement plans.
Links and Relevant Resources:
- City of Eugene Emergency Plans: Eugene Springfield Multi-Jurisdictional Emergency Operations Plan, Eugene Springfield 2020 Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan, Oregon Resiliency Plan, and Neighborhood Radio Communications Response Guide
- Lane County, Oregon’s Office of Emergency Management
- Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan for Lane County, 2023-2028
- Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan for Lane County, 2018-2023
- Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan for Oregon, 2020-2025 - Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development
5.4 EWEB’s Wildfire Mitigation Plan and Associated Policies
EWEB’s first Wildfire Mitigation Plan (WMP) was adopted in July 2022 and was updated in July 2023. The plan meets legislative intent outlined in SB 762 and more detailed rules from the Public Utility Commission to protect public safety and reduce risks to utility customers and infrastructure.
Understanding areas of high wildfire potential across the electric system is critical to effectively target key locations and mitigation investments. Most of EWEB’s electric infrastructure is in urban areas with relatively low risk for wildfire. Areas currently deemed to have heightened risk include the McKenzie River Valley and a portion of southeast Eugene. EWEB plans to update this map in 2024 after conducting a comprehensive wildfire analysis using the most current risk data.
EWEB’s WMP’s comprehensive approach to wildfire risk reduction includes:
EWEB has allocated $1M as a funding floor specific to wildfire mitigation activities, including wildfire cameras, weather stations and forecasting, enhanced inspections, and multi-hazard reliability projects. Community engagement and interagency coordination is an essential component to the planning effort. In 2023, EWEB launched a new program to offer extra support to customers who rely on electricity for medical equipment and mobility devices during a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event. The WMP is updated annually and includes metrics to track progress and/or identify gaps in meeting the plan’s risk reduction objectives.
Links and Relevant Resources:
- EWEB website: Wildfire Safety and Prevention
- EWEB Wildfire Mitigation Plan, 2023-2024 (adopted July 11, 2023)
- EWEB Wildfire Mitigation Plan, 2022 (approved July 5,2022)
- Oregon SB 762: Wildfire Preparedness
5.5 Watershed Protection Programs
The overarching goal of EWEB’s Drinking Water Source Protection (DWSP) program is to maintain our community’s exceptional water quality. We do this by maintaining the balance between watershed health and human use over time. To meet this goal, we aim to:
- Prevent or reduce activities that have known or likely harmful effects on source water quality.
- Promote public awareness and maintain our healthy watershed in partnership with others.
Activities included in the Drinking Water Source Protection program include:
- Water Quality Monitoring
- EWEB has developed a Continuous Monitoring Network that operates year-round to measure a variety of parameters and alert EWEB staff of upstream water quality issues that could impact watershed health and/or impacts at the drinking water intake.
- Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring from April to October.
- Baseline Water Quality Monitoring quarterly to track spatial and temporal watershed trends.
- Storm Data Monitoring during first fall flush, large winter events, and spring rain on snow events in the watershed and from urban outflows.
- Hazardous Materials and Spill Releases
- Tracking Hazardous Spills to respond for mitigation, assess watershed impacts, and notify water treatment operations of potential impacts.
- Conduct Annual Spill Drill with a wide array of partners.
- Illegal Camping
- Conduct Illegal Camp Surveys in coordination with Willamalane, City of Springfield, and Lane County to remove trash and waste from riparian areas immediately upstream of the intake.
- Pure Water Partners
- Working with landowners to restore and protect riparian areas as well as those impacted by the Holiday Farm Fire in the McKenzie Watershed through watershed stewardship agreements.
- Private land-owner treatments include riparian planting, invasive vegetation removal, fire fuels reduction, and erosion control.
- Septic System Assistance Program
- EWEB offers a rebate program for maintenance, and a loan program for septic repair or replacement withing the Holiday Farm Fire footprint, and a zero-interest loan program for septic systems outside of that footprint.
Links and Relevant Resources:
- EWEB Website: Fire Recovery and Watershed Restoration
- 2020 EWEB State of the Watershed Report
- 2021 EWEB State of the Watershed Report
- 2022 EWEB State of the Watershed Report
5.6 Second Source of Drinking Water Development
For more than 100 years, the community of Eugene has relied on the McKenzie River as our only source of drinking water. Some other cities in the valley get their drinking water from the Willamette River. After years of careful planning for the future, EWEB will join Corvallis, Wilsonville, Hillsboro, Beaverton, and other communities by tapping into this high-quality water source.
Of the 20 largest cities in the Northwest, Eugene is the only one with a single source of drinking water. While the McKenzie River will continue to be Eugene's primary water source, EWEB is in the early stages of developing an additional water supply on the Willamette River.
EWEB has made numerous attempts to build a second water treatment plant over the last several decades. In 2017, Commissioners directed staff to postpone planning and funding for the project, and instead focus short-term efforts on developing Emergency Water Stations. Since then, EWEB has worked with community partners to construct five emergency water distribution sites throughout the community, see the map for locations.
Accessing the Willamette River as a redundant source is an important next step to ensure we can provide drinking water to our customers in case an emergency impacts the Hayden Bridge Filtration Plant or McKenzie River supply.
Links and Relevant Resources:
