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Home My WebLink AboutJefferson County Clean Water District Annual Report 2025Jefferson County Clean Water District ANNUAL REPORT 2025 Figure 1. East Beach, Marrowstone Island. Photo by A. Jauhola. February 12, 2026 Prepared by: Michael Dawson, Jefferson County Public Health 615 Sheridan St, Port Townsend WA 98368 360-385-9444 www.jeffersoncountypublichealth.org Distribution List: Trevor Swanson Public Health Advisor Shellfish Growing Area Section Office of Environmental Health & Safety Washington State Department of Health PO Box 47824 Olympia, WA 98504-7824 trevor.swanson@doh.wa.gov Pinky Mingo Environmental Public Health Director Jefferson County Public Health 615 Sheridan St Port Townsend, WA 98368 pmingo@co.jefferson.wa.us Jefferson County Clean Water District 2025 Annual Report p. 1 Reporting Period: January 1 - December 31, 2025 Name of Shellfish Protection District: Jefferson County Clean Water District Name of County: Jefferson Primary Point of Contact: Michael Dawson, Water Quality Manager Number of Meetings in 2025: Four Clean Water District Advisory Council meetings 1 FUNDING The Jefferson County Clean Water District (CWD) is funded by a $23 per-parcel fee assessed by the Jefferson County Assessor. In 2025, the Water Quality division of Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) received a net of $510,486 from the CWD assessment, which JCPH used to support Clean Water Projects. The Water Quality division has continued to pursue the Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC) strategies outlined in the 2012 Clean Water District Advisory Council recommendations, such as applying for grant funding for Clean Water Projects. This strategy allows JCPH to leverage district fees as matching funds for state-funded projects. The Chimacum-Port Hadlock PIC Project was active during this reporting period (Figure 2) and continues through the end of 2026. JCPH utilized the CWD fee to provide 25% matching funds in conjunction with 75% from Ecology’s Centennial Clean Water program to fund this Clean Water Project. During 2025, the Chimacum-Port Hadlock PIC project received $62,122 in state funds matched with $20,707 in CWD funds. Project partner Jefferson County Conservation District (JCCD) received $22,577, who supplied their own in-kind matching funds at 25% or greater. The Foundational Monitoring project began as a grant- funded project in 2020 and continued throughout 2025 with support from CWD funds. This monitoring program maintains the baseline water quality data needed for shellfish protection in the entire CWD, which encompasses all of eastern Jefferson County. It also supports all PIC activities in the CWD not covered by the Chimacum-Port Hadlock project (see section 5. PIC Implementation table). In 2025, the CWD fee covered $403,207 in expenses to execute this project. The Water Quality indirect rate in 2025 was 25.9%, down slightly from 2024. JCPH retired the Water Quality 17-foot boat used for shoreline sampling and replaced it with a smaller 15-foot boat costing $34,575, including trailer. The 17-foot boat will be surplussed in 2026, bringing some funds back to the program. JCPH provided temporary sanitation at a total cost of $617 at the Big Quilcene River during the fishing season in 2025 to avoid emergency closures of shellfish beds in Quilcene Bay. JCPH did not use CWD funds for additional programs of the Water Quality department, including the BEACH program, Recreational Shellfish Biotoxin program, Lakes program, Hood Canal Regional PIC project, and the Natural Resources programs. Figure 2. Chimacum-Port Hadlock PIC Project Area. Jefferson County Clean Water District 2025 Annual Report p. 2 2 PROGRAM STATUS/CHANGES There were no major changes to the Water Quality division in 2025. The Foundational Monitoring plan continued in 2025 with the following staff assignments: Monitoring Area Receiving Waters Description Staff 1 Strait of Juan de Fuca Discovery Bay Brad Stone 2 Puget Sound Port Townsend to Port Ludlow Andrew Jauhola 3 Hood Canal Duckabush and Dosewallips Rivers Shared 4 Hood Canal Quilcene and Dabob Bays Sage Ince 5 Hood Canal Coyle to Paradise Bay Jacquelyn Stenman Monitoring Area 3 is jointly monitored by all staff. Figure 3 shows the commercial shellfish growing areas and their relation to the Monitoring Areas listed above, and the prioritized shoreline. JCPH prioritized shoreline reaches by the presence of commercial and recreational shellfish beds, recreational beaches, and past monitoring history. Details about the water monitoring performed by JCPH during 2025 are available in the Annual Water Quality Report, along with other reports at http://www.jeffersoncountypublichealth.org/713/Clean- Water-District. Jefferson County Clean Water District 2025 Annual Report p. 3 Figure 3. Foundational Monitoring areas map. Jefferson County Clean Water District 2025 Annual Report p. 4 3 PROGRAM SUCCESSES The DOH annual shellfish growing area review found that water quality was threatened at one station (#125) in the Quilcene growing area. Station #125 is located in the Point Whitney Lagoon. However, by the time the report was published, water quality had improved. JCPH staff investigated the area, completed a sanitary survey and discovered no human sources of pollution, nor continuing high bacteria levels. Hood Canal #3 water quality improved slightly, though greater improvements over a longer time period are needed before DOH considers any changes to the Conditionally Approved area at the mouth of the Duckabush River. JCPH researched the status of O&M inspections of OSS and focused sanitary survey outreach in the Duckabush area. JCPH had discussions with DOH about the potential for a future upgrade of the Restricted area at the mouth of the Dosewallips River, and the JCPH Natural Resources program applied for grant funding for the Brinnon community to assess options for flood protection, habitat improvements and restoration of river function, including sites of current water quality and septic system concern along the Dosewallips River. JCPH completed most water quality monitoring targets in 2025, especially in dry season. JCPH and JCCD worked together on the Chimacum-Port Hadlock PIC project. JCPH published the Annual Water Quality Report to the JCPH webpage. JCPH coordinated with Ecology on two watershed studies: a Chimacum watershed study and a Quilcene-Tarboo study. JCPH deployed four new iPads to use for field data collection and mapping with GIS. 4 CHALLENGES/BARRIERS Adequate laboratory services available in close proximity to JCPH remained a challenge in 2025. Existing services were inconsistent, with operational difficulties and limitations that occasionally impacted JCPH monitoring schedules. JCPH continued to explore options for in-house laboratory analysis capacity and hopes to implement laboratory plans in 2026. JCPH began planning for additional septic code enforcement support for the Water Quality division in 2026. In addition, JCPH is exploring 2026 grant funding opportunities for a cost-share program for septic repairs. Although not funded through the Clean Water District, Jefferson County eliminated the budget for Lakes Cyanobacteria Monitoring in the 2026 budget passed at the end of 2025. It was subsequently restored in early 2026, but not to the requested amount. Jefferson County Clean Water District 2025 Annual Report p. 5 5 POLLUTION CONTROL IMPLEMENTATION TABLE SPD Information Number Outcomes Comments Miles of shoreline evaluated (WY2025) 63 wet season; 78 dry season Wet season 74% of goal Dry season 92% of goal Discharges/streams monitored (WY2025) 30 Bacteria standards: 100% stations passed wet season 33% stations passed dry season 15 regular stations 15 Chimacum-Port Hadlock PIC Project stations Marine stations monitored 0 See also BEACH monitoring Sites with elevated bacteria or “hot spots” (WY2025) 33 Wet season high hits: 6% E. coli, 17% Entero Dry season high hits: 29% E. coli, 30% Entero This includes 11 previous year hot spot sites Parcel/property evaluations 46 4 failures found during surveys 14 attempted-denied or no response OSS in the Shellfish Protection District 11,663 Permitted and non-permitted known OSS; 90 previously unknown OSS found OSS with current inspection report 2,387 (20%) 30/350, or 9% in the Duckabush watershed O&M warning letters N/A OSS dye tests 0 Failed OSS 10 From O&M, and Water Quality sanitary surveys OSS repairs 33 finaled, 10 in progress 40 decommissioned and/or connected to sewer 31 connected to new Port Hadlock sewer Low interest OSS repair loans/cost share (Craft3 or other) 3 grants 4 loans $136,033 in grants $194,034 in loans Craft3.org Farms with animals in the Shellfish Protection District N/A Surveillance flights 0 Jefferson County Clean Water District 2025 Annual Report p. 6 Farms evaluated 4 Farms assisted, BMPs planned or implemented Reed canarygrass removal from Chimacum Creek and tributary ditches. Agriculture BMPs installed 1 Livestock exclusion fencing E Chimacum Creek Agriculture warning letters 0 Utilized new source tracking technology No Incentives/rebates 5 (PIC) 1,050 (O&M) $12,247 paid in rebates Penalties N/A Public complaints 32 septic; 4 WQ Closed: 38 septic, 7 WQ Public Meetings/ workshops/events 4 O&M program: 4 Homeowner Septic Classes, serving 120 people 1 Chimacum Watershed meetings O&M: https://www.jeffersoncountypublichealth.org/670/Septic- In-Person-Class-Schedule JCCD: www.jeffersoncd.org/chimacum-creek Mailers/flyers sent 101 Sanitary surveys in hot spots; 41 return cards were received back Did you conduct a social marketing survey? In process Questions included on mailer, results not yet analyzed Newsletters/outreach sent Unknown Water Quality social media posts, Water Wednesday posts www.facebook.com/jeffersoncountypublichealth www.instagram.com/jeffcopublichealth_wa Letters of support/ recommendations/ grants received 1 Hood Canal Regional PIC Phase 5 subaward (2026 implementation) Are there stormwater activities occurring? No Riparian restoration 1 (JCPH) 5 (JCCD) Dosewallips River habitat restoration planning; JCCD: 23,270 native trees and shrubs and 32.73 acres planted; www.co.jefferson.wa.us/1435/Dosewallips-River-Project JCCD: Chimacum, Ludlow, Tarboo Creeks Jefferson County Clean Water District 2025 Annual Report p. 7 Removal and disposal of old tree protection tubes. 860 lbs of plastic removed from riparian buffers at 16 sites Reports 2 Water Quality Annual Report WY 2025 Clean Water District Annual Report 2024 www.jeffersoncountypublichealth.org/713/Clean-Water- District Data/mapping 1 Maintained public GIS portal gisweb.jeffcowa.us/Water_Quality_Monitoring Jefferson County Clean Water District 2025 Annual Report p. 8 6 ACRONYMS AND SPECIAL TERMS USED BEACH Beach Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health BMP Best Management Practices CWD (Jefferson County) Clean Water District DOH Washington State Department of Health Ecology Washington State Department of Ecology GIS Geographic Information System HCRPIC Hood Canal Regional Pollution Identification and Correction JCCD Jefferson County Conservation District JCPH Jefferson County Public Health O&M (Septic) Operations & Maintenance OSS On-Site Septic Systems PIC Pollution Identification and Correction SPD Shellfish Protection District WQ Water Quality WY Water Year (October 1 – September 30)