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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRivers for Life Vol. 2 No. 2rK • III Watershed Planning in WRIA 16 Vol. 2 No. 2 F A watershed connects people to one another and to the natural landscape.` The purpose of watershed planning in WRIA 16 is to manage this shared resource to benefit both people and the environment. Technical Studies & Hood Canal's South Shore Aspect Consulting Studies Hydrology of Lower Dosewallips The WRIA 16 Planning Unit selected Aspect Consulting to investigate the interactions between groundwater and surface water systems of the Lower Dosewallips River in, and around, Brinnon. "The goal of the studies is to de- termine the best wayto develop groundwater in Brinnon so the surface water in the Dosewallips River is not mi pacted.," reports Erick Miller, Aspect's project manager. The information from the studies of aquifers and ground- water- surface water interaction will facilitate the evaluation of water rights applications. The data from streamflow measurements will provide information on how much wa- ter there is in the Dosewallips for fish habitat. The Dosewallips provides high quality habitat for salmon. "Insuring stream flow for the Dosewallips is essential if we want to restore fish populations and protect Tribal treaty rights," says Ted Labbe, Habitat Biologist for the Port Gamble Sxlallam Tribe. "Our hopes are that when the WRIA 16 Plan is completed in mid -2004, the Department of Ecology can start issuing water rights again. Some of our applications from Brinnon have been in the system for over 10 years," reports George Sickel, a Brinnon citizen on the Planning Unit. Joe Lubsicher, Aspect Consult- ing, uses a Swoffer flow meter to measure the current velocity in the lower Dosewallips River. Velocity is measured by the speed of a small propeller at- tached to the end of the wad- ing rod. Approximately twenty readings are taken across the river to calculate the volume of water passing the point of measurement. :�1_3 Continued from Page 1 Wells Needed for Aquifer Mapping In order to find out where the aquifers are, and how deep they are, Aspect will take readings of the water level and temperature in a number of wells. Wells close to the river are of greatest interest. If you'd like to have data on your well by having it included in the study, contact Erick Miller, Aspect Consulting, (206) 780 -9370, email: emiller@aspectconsulting.com The work products Aspect will deliver include: Well location map, based on drillers' logs. Map of shallow aquifer location and depth. Groundwater level measurements summary table with well survey data. EnviroVision Studies Surface Water Impact on Marine Water Quality on Hood Canal's South Shore "We will be looking at the pollutant load to the Sound— from Union to Belfair," says Joy Michaud, project manager for EnviroVision in Olympia. "We'll start monitoring before the rains to determine which stream are still flowing. If a stream is still flowing af- ter the dry summer we had, it indicates good ground- water contribution to the stream's flow. Groundwa- ter is a good oxygen carrier, and is a positive for Hood Canal." "In the streams that are highly impacted by surface water," Michaud continues, "the flow increases a lot with the rains. These are the streams that are most likely to be carrying pollutants into Hood Canal." EnviroVision has been tracking down streams, and has identified 65 different drainages, so far. Each of these is a place where water enters the South Shore. They include streams, culverts and springs. The large number of drainages into the South Shore makes it hard to control pollution sources," reports Michaud. The drainages do not include bulkheads that contain pipes connected to upper catchment areas. EnviroVision will monitor 10 stations. The stations will represent a mix of developed and undeveloped areas. The goal is to monitor as much as 80% of the flow into the South Shore area. Several chemicals — phosphorus, nitrates /nitrites. ammonia— and fecal coliform bacteria will be monitored, as well as dis- solved oxygen. Nitrates are nutrients that can cause algae blooms. ay EnviroVision's Erin Britton measures stream flow for Big Bend Creek. EnviroVision will submit a report to the Planning Unit comparing pollutant load for small drainages and creeks, evaluating impervious surfaces and their pollutant loads, and comparing results with Washington water quality standards. Tracking down the drainages that carry pollutants into the waters of the south shore is an important step to restoring the health of Hood Canal. "The South Shore suffers from environmental deg- radation by cumulative effects— what the re- nowned ecologist William Odum called the `tyranny of small decisions.' This study will pro- duce information to help us understand how we can minimize our collective impact to Hood Ca- nal." says Constance Ibsen, of Union, who repre- sents local environmental issues on the Planning Unit. A beach on Hood Canal's south shore. If you would like a copy of the Scope of Work for either of these studies, please contact: Susan Gulick, (206) 548 -0469, or Soundres @earthlink.net. �,_ . ��EM E * ,A � " t & £3,.. a39? € 16 ",: �.. it • :�. „ (SI iPLE 1X/AY ` �. 1- eeor�s d r the rnoss� remover you use on .`. T. ;HEAP your roof and sidewalks Switch to `vartettes H�� =�►�1�1L th�t are "ass tic'` �• Keep p't was - es awa fron the ter, and dtpr�se: of then'. properly to a cat=. I ` rqw she sh i your r nt Ord By rail -t tified Iaatlditll :If y u l�ep dux fit. tng an' nirtutri shush on dour beach ort a deep over the mater, tt is easy to and,then itestutg then, you wtll help the; sprayth mess sway, but 3�uco that; Canal nattrallyrecycle jiurrhe nts a& lang; ; tt adds pathogensicl nuttnt to; ton. Sea ratfers orkshsapstid ft guides to Help hbrnettwiters grow shellifish ' on both a nrtal aid large. scale bats. Iona deadhead your floes ltd,; throw tlrn anz the analr dump 2 Don't allow fert�esUctdes, insect, rar the nedls fr�rs cides and herbicides t enter the water. fur gutters atufe can FQllow,the dtrettons ors the package .and hand braoches that fall. on use the`atx�ont presbed for dour u navy, i�ut nit if e sf we ; ituation Cons }der s ite tci to a d an t , , . ttao. 'The decay a i se i s ferrrtat will adhere rnoe to your vials ,on" the btorf tl Coal rep lartdseape..Alst3, s that you aren't rztove vitlble oxygen from the applying these'agents tiro close to the wa- tern edgy. 'Ist how-44r your fever will mart”— dye'tt with fobd color: Dtribhte it $, don't dump eves" bait at thensf of a as ytau n ©m do and =water in as di- tsh tg trip. "Freese d pit f ®r retied. Sit back and see ,if the dye runs off . the" next trip.eiut: the.land If it -does, ftgtrre out back you, need to fertile so the fertilizer 9. ah boats, deck acid docks with a little d ©en't dust rub o f clad into theIb eas n plsphate- #reeleteert, Canal. or waver: a. Don't :feed the seagulls or other critters: 10. Plant a buffer between yo buk dad mod, is should be able to suivtve, on the , the baeh. w help filter gut natty , focscl they find in nature By adding excess ; ents and ©thee punties before the water feed into the envrcxxrrirtent we are altering seps brut onto the beach : = .... their nu -n patterns -arid lifestyle, . Teri King 4. Have your septic system checked brine atcr C utility Spectahst. on a routine basis to snake sure Washinon Sea Grant Prtigtarn it is working properly and isn't University ofshrtgton dischatgin untreated'sewage into P, Box 488 the water. Filing septic systems Shelton; WA" ��584 -. can release —pathogens into the 60447335 Canal. Check out "Septic Sense" avu nwvsg. sbi ,",' � for more information and handytips. News from the Watershed The October Floods: Water Quality Problems The water quantity problems caused by the excessive rain- fall last October were probably evident to everyone living in the watershed — land, roads and homes were covered with water and debris, rapidly moving water carrying los and woody debris eroded soil and river banks. Brion had 6 inches of rain in 24 hours on October 20, Hoods - port had 7 inches. The flooding also created water quality problems caused by septic systems, runoff from lawns and farms, and silt and debris swept into the rivers and streams. The Depart- ment of Health (DOH) closed shellfish growing areas due to flood - related pollution. The growing areas in WRIA 16 that closed were: Annas Bay at the mouth of the Skoko- mish River, Hood Canal # 6— north of Hoodsport, and Hood Canal # 8 at Twanoh State Park and Diane Cooper at Taylor Shellfish explained, "Fresh water can contaminate marine water both physically and chemi- cally. The rush of fresh water into tidelands at low tide in- undates the shellfish. When septics fail because of satu- rated ground water, fecal coliform pollutants contaminate the shellfish. Fertilizer and chemical runoff from lawns and farms also create chemical pollution. It takes time for the water in the tidelands to come back to a safe level." According to Cooper, Taylor has many growing areas, so if one is closed, there are other areas where shellfish can be harvested. No one completely understands what is causing the extre out more about what scientists know about this problem, the "Hood Canal Dissolved Oxygen Program" website at Cindy Sund, owner of Sund Creek Seafood, reported: "Growing areas that are in coves, harbors or other areas that are not well- flushed by currents are more prone to problems. Our growing area is on the west shore of the canal where the water is fast - moving. Sund Creek is to the south, but it's a small creek and there's no development to speak of upstream, so we did not experience a problem from fresh water pollution during the recent storms." All growing areas closed in October were re- opened in early November, but Annas Bay was closed again on No- vember 19 due to heavy rainfall. The Mason Conservation District was awarded a Centennial grant from the Department of Ecology to provide technical assistance to landowners in the Skoko- mish Watershed, this grant will provide 75% cost share for approved Best Management Practices (BMP's). Some of the most common Best Management Practices funded in the Skokomish Valley include fencing, riparian plantings, and alternative watering facilities. "The Mason. Conservation District is excited about con- tinuing its efforts to work voluntarily with landowners to achieve water qualityin the Skokomish Watershed.," says Mason Conservation District's Shannon Kirby. Last year Kirby was awarded a Hood Canal Environmental Achievement Award from the Hood Canal Coordinating Council for her work with farmers in the Skokomish Val- ley. For information on Centennial Grant, or to find out if your property would benefit, please contact Shannon at (360) 427 -9436. if rockfish, striped perch and other fish on the beach. me low oxygen problem. If you're interested in finding and what they're doing to try and understand it, visit http:// www.pri sm. washington.edu/hcdop /index.html 3 -�? RIVERS FOR LIFE 1-'R-1 You can get information on progress on water rights changes, water conservation, Washington water acquisition program and other water topics at:: h ttp: / /www. ecy. wa. g ov /programs /wr /wrh o m e. Hood Canal's South Shore News from the Watershed & 3' Hood Canal Low Dissolved Oxygen Future Meeting Information 4 10 Things You Can Do to Help Insert Hood Canal & It's a Flood — What Should I Do For Water? All meetings are from 2:00 -4:00 p.m. RIVERS FOR LIFE is designed and edited by For i71foY7mdon on aW7das, wmzct Barbara Bowen, Natural Resources, Jefferson Co. Susan Gulick, (206) 548 -0469 or Soundres @earthlink.net. If you have ideas for future issues, please contact ' Barbara at (360) 379 -4498 or bbowen@co.jefferson.wa.us 4 di