Oak Harbor issued what is likely its first-ever stage one winter water conservation notice this week, about one month before the first day of spring.

“This is the first time I can recall the City of Oak Harbor implementing stage one conservation measures in February,” said 30-year city employee Rhonda Haines, water services coordinator. “Usually stage one hits in late August and September.”

Warmer than normal temperatures, lighter-than-normal sparse rainfall and insufficient snowpack is to blame for the Skagit River’s current low-flow level. The measurement trigger for stage one water conservation occurs when the Skagit River height falls under 10-feet and flows 10,400 cubic feet per second or less, Haines said.

As of this week, the river fell below that level, which is a requirement for salmon habitat protection based on an agreement between the local Native American tribes and the Washington State Department of Ecology. Oak Harbor buys Skagit River water from Anacortes. As a result, the City of Anacortes asked the City of Oak Harbor and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island to conserve water resources by cutting their use by 10 percent during this time.

Rainfall in the Mount Vernon area measured 5.37 inches to date this year as of Thursday, according to WSU precipitation records, compared to a normal year of 6.71 inches.

City officials have called for a stage one water conservation, which is a voluntary measure to educate and encourage the community to cut back on household water usage because the potential for future drought conditions exist, said Haines.

For now, the city encourages water conservation through small lifestyle changes that can add up in a big way. Some of the suggestions include the use of low-flow devices, shorter showers, turning off the faucet while washing up or brushing teeth, reduce flushes, run full loads of laundry, fix leaks, and reduce irrigation or irrigate at dusk or dawn to avoid evaporation.

The city is doing its part by slashing water use at Oak Harbor parks and facilities and has alerted large water customers, including the Oak Harbor School District, North Whidbey Water District, Deception Pass State Park and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island of the situation.

Stage one is voluntary; however, if the current weather conditions continue the city may have to call for a stage two notice. This next level of water conservation requires city officials to enforce even and odd watering days and restricts the time of day that irrigation is allowed.

Oak Harbor last implemented stage one water conservation measures last August and has never had to enforce stage two, Haines said, although the city came close during the 2006 draught.

Early September 2005 the city called for a emergency stage due to a sewer main break, however such a stage has never been enforced to to low levels of the Skagit River.

For now, Haines said she can’t predict what the future weather conditions hold. No one can predict if the sun will hold or if April showers will bring peace of mind to water monitors this year.

The only sure thing, said Haines, is the city needs to educate the community of the importance of water conservation.

And it wouldn’t hurt to do a little rain dance.

For more conservation tips, call 279-4500, visit www.oakharbor.org, or tune into Channel 10.