Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018 Water QualityJefferson County Water Quality – Planned Performance Measures 2018 1 of 6 PROGRAMS: Clean Water District (DOH Shellfish Protection), Clean Water Projects (Ecology Centennial, EPA National Estuary Program, Puget Sound Partnership), Lakes Cyanobacteria (Ecology Freshwater Algae), Shellfish Biotoxin Monitoring (DOH), BEACH (EPA/Ecology/DOH) MISSION: The mission of the Water Quality Department is to protect public health by monitoring and responding to threats to water quality for protection of human health by using available local, state, and federal funding effectively and efficiently. Goal Objective Task Performance Measure 2013 Actual 2014 Actual 2015 Actual 2016 Actual 2017 Projected 2018 Planned Goal 1: Recreationalists at popular lakes such as Anderson Lake, Gibbs Lake and Lake Leland will be increasingly aware of toxic algae threats to human and animal health. Monitor all lakes with public access from April through September for toxins. Maintain and improve JCPH water quality webpage and other outreach activities. Sample public access lakes for presence/ absence of algae blooms and biotoxins. Update website with pertinent information when found. # of lakes monitored for cyanobacteria # of website updates 3 14 3 18 3 14 3 13 3 23 3 20 Goal 2: Better understand water quality trends for parameters such as fecal coliform, dissolved oxygen and temperature. Use funds awarded by the state Centennial Clean Water Fund to carry out Clean Water projects. Monitor stream flow data from high priority streams. Sample existing water quality stations for fecal coliform, dissolved oxygen and temperature and conduct trend analysis. Sample freshwater discharges to beaches in wet season and dry season. Review data collected by other agencies. # of marine water quality stations monitored # of water quality stations monitored: Chimacum & Ludlow # of water quality stations monitored: Salmon & Snow Creeks # of water quality stations monitored: Hood Canal watershed Miles of shoreline surveyed for pollution 0 0 19 19 60 0 0 0 20 94 0 31 0 44 94 0 52 0 19 37 16 20 20 17 57 28 0 20 21 144 Jefferson County Water Quality – Planned Performance Measures 2018 2 of 6 Goal Objective Task Performance Measure 2013 Actual 2014 Actual 2015 Actual 2016 Actual 2017 Projected 2018 Planned Goal 3: High priority sites for pollution identification and correction will be identified and corrected. Goal 3.5: Land use and its effects on water quality in project areas will be better understood. Condition, status and use of approximately 300 more septic systems will have been surveyed in project areas. Investigate public complaints about water quality or septic systems within 72 hours. Incorporate agricultural survey data from JCCD into sanitary survey process. Conduct educational outreach to septic system owners in the form of sanitary surveys of septic systems. Update PIC protocol and sanitary survey form. # of sanitary surveys completed Pass/Fail 506 Pass 390 Pass 349 Pass 348 Pass 470 Pass 450 Pass Goal 4: Improve Leland Creek habitat and water quality. Initiate Leland Creek restoration actions. Choose a site on Leland Creek to conduct restoration activities. Pass / Fail Pass Pass Pass -- -- -- Goal 5: Residents in eastern Jefferson County will be more aware of project activities and actions they can take to protect water quality in their neighborhood. Prepare reports on the status and trends of water quality in Jefferson County. Maintain and improve JCPH water quality webpage and other outreach activities. Send newsletters to project area residents. Distribute literature in person during fieldwork. Post informational materials, water quality results and reports on website. # of newsletters published # water quality brochures/fact sheets published # of water quality reports posted on JCPH webpage 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 2 2 5 2 2 4 2 Jefferson County Water Quality – Planned Performance Measures 2018 3 of 6 Goal Objective Task Performance Measure 2013 Actual 2014 Actual 2015 Actual 2016 Actual 2017 Projected 2018 Planned Goal 6: Recreationalists at Jefferson County marine beaches will be notified of the status of water quality in a timely and efficient manner. Monitor water quality at public swimming beaches on a weekly basis during the swimming season to protect public health. Continue public education on the importance of clean water in Jefferson County focusing on actions citizens can take to keep our water clean and productive. Take water samples of marine beaches and test for water quality Interact with the public and partners in order to efficiently deliver information Issue press releases when relevant information needs to quickly disseminated. # of swimming beaches monitored 3 3 4 3 3 3 Goal 7: The public will stay informed about the safety of recreational shellfish beaches relative to biotoxin threats and will be educated on how to get more information. Organize a volunteer network of shellfish samplers to monitor for shellfish biotoxins in a timely and cost effective manner. Coordinate with Washington Department of Health to communicate risks from the recreational harvest of shellfish to the public. Take shellfish samples from marine beaches and test for biotoxins. Interact with the public and partners in order to efficiently deliver information. Issue press releases and post signs when relevant information needs to quickly disseminated. # of beaches monitored for shellfish safety # events attended for outreach % press releases issued within 24 hours of receiving notice about biotoxin closures 7 1 7 1 7 2 7 2 100% 7 2 100% 7 1 90% Goal 8: Stormwater inputs into Port Townsend Bay will be better known. Monitor stormwater discharges to Port Townsend Bay for pathogens. Conduct Pollution Identification and Control activities in program areas. # of shoreline stormwater outfalls screened for pollution 6 43 0 0 0 24 Jefferson County Water Quality – Planned Performance Measures 2018 4 of 6 Goal Objective Task Performance Measure 2013 Actual 2014 Actual 2015 Actual 2016 Actual 2017 Projected 2018 Planned Goal 9: Clean Water District activities will be evaluated for effectiveness and recommendations for future work will be made. Clean Water District Advisory Council meetings will be held and evaluation and recommendations submitted to the Board of County Commissioners. Use funds awarded by the state Centennial Clean Water Fund to carry out Clean Water projects. Facilitate Clean Water District Advisory Council Meetings. Prepare annual report for Washington Department of Health. # of Clean Water District Advisory Council meetings held Annual report posted on website 1 3 4 ✓ 4 ✓ 4 ✓ 4 ✓ STUDY/ANALYSIS The Water Quality Division plans to continue to implement the above listed programs to accomplish its mission to protect surface water quality in Jefferson County. The primary focus remains on leveraging state grant funds with Clean Water District funds to perform Clean Water Projects in areas of need. Project areas are prioritized based on water quality monitoring hot spots, the Washington State Department of Health shellfish early warning system, and Ecology Clean Water Act 303d listings according to the 2015 Clean Water District Prioritized Work Plan. The number of concurrent Clean Water Projects has increased over previous years; four are active in 2017. The Hood Canal Priority Basins project has met or exceeded all deliverables to date and is on track to finish at the end of 2017 on or slightly under budget. The Quilcene-Dabob PIC project, although slightly delayed in 2016, has caught up on the water quality monitoring schedule. Good progress has been made identifying pollution sources which have included both septic and agricultural sites. Some septic repairs have been completed and others are in progress, but is too early to tell if these have resulted in water quality improvements. Some delays have occurred in the Central Hood Canal PIC and Strait Priority Areas projects, but overall timing is still on track to achieve project milestones. Two projects that were on Ecology’s draft offer list to begin in Fall 2017, the Northern Hood Canal PIC and Oak Bay-Mats Mats projects, are on hold due to the lack of a state capital budget. An approved staff position is also on hold pending outcome of the Ecology budget. In the meantime, the Water Quality Division is planning a scaled back project for 2018 at existing staffing levels that combines elements from the two unfunded projects and about half of each geographic area. Lakes funding will be used in 2018 to support baseline monitoring in Gibbs Lake and Lake Leland and also be used as matching funds for an Ecology grant covering Anderson Lake. No changes are anticipated in the Shellfish Biotoxin and BEACH programs. Jefferson County Water Quality – Planned Performance Measures 2018 5 of 6 Jefferson County Water Quality – Planned Performance Measures 2018 6 of 6