HomeMy WebLinkAboutWater Quality Program (PDF)Jefferson County Water Quality Performance Measures
2014 Year-end Report
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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 and wildlife habitat by using available local, state, and federal funding effectively and efficiently.
This department implements the following strategic objectives for the 2014 Budget:
Addressing locally identified public environmental health issues.
Protecting and ensuring adequate clean water supplies for citizens, the shellfish industry and wildlife.
Protecting and enhancing natural resources.
Operating within a business plan based on sustainable resources, measured performance, and outstanding customer service.
Goal Objective Task Performance
Measure
2011
Actual
2012
Actual
2013
Actual
2014
Planned
2014
Actual
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
Pass/Fail
6
Pass
6
Pass
3
Pass
3
Pass
3
Pass
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 Creek
# of water quality
stations monitored:
Salmon & Snow Creeks
# of water quality
stations monitored: Hood
Canal watershed
Miles of shoreline
surveyed for pollution
# of stream gauges
maintained
17
0
19
0
89
7
9
28
0
18
45
0
0
0
19
19
60
0
0
0
0
17
60
0
0
0
0
20
94
0
Jefferson County Water Quality Performance Measures
2014 Year-end Report
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Goal Objective Task Performance
Measure
2011
Actual
2012
Actual
2013
Actual
2014
Planned
2014
Actual
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
418
--
414
--
506
Pass
300
Pass
390
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 mailed
# water quality brochures
distributed
# of water quality reports
posted on JCPH webpage
6,000
1
12,250
6
1,300
0
1,000
1
500
500
1
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
Take water samples of
marine beaches and test
for water quality
Interact with the public
and partners in order to
efficiently deliver
information
# of swimming beaches
monitored
6 3 3 2 3
Jefferson County Water Quality Performance Measures
2014 Year-end Report
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Goal Objective Task Performance
Measure
2011
Actual
2012
Actual
2013
Actual
2014
Planned
2014
Actual
focusing on actions citizens
can take to keep our water
clean and productive.
Issue press releases when
relevant information
needs to quickly
disseminated.
Goal 7:
The public will stay
informed about the
safety of recreational
shellfish beaches relative
to biotoxin threats and
will be educated on
emerging threats such as
Diarrhetic Shellfish
Poisoning.
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.
Maintain and improve JCPH
water quality webpage and
other outreach activities.
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.
Update website with
pertinent information
when found.
# of beaches monitored
for shellfish safety
7 7 7 7 7
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
0 0 6 6 43
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.
# of Clean Water District
Advisory Council
meetings held
0 4 1 2 3
Jefferson County Water Quality Performance Measures
2014 Year-end Report
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STUDY/ANALYSIS
2014 was somewhat of a watershed year for the department as a stable funding source was secured for departmental operations and projects from a
parcel fee. Significant time was spend on this activity by both program staff as well as management in 2014. This stable funding will allow for long-
term strategic planning as well as an expansion of activities throughout the Clean Water District rather than segment by segment operations.
Water Quality work was primarily focused on Clean Water Projects in 2014. Clean Water Projects are funded using Clean Water District funds as
match to Ecology Centennial Clean Water grant funds. This allows Clean Water District funds to be leveraged at a 1 to 3 ratio with state funds,
allowing projects a much greater scope of work. The Hood Canal Watershed Clean Water Project was completed at the end of 2014. All grant
deliverables were met or surpassed, although more staff time was needed in the final quarter than had been anticipated. This slowed work somewhat
on the Northeast Jefferson Clean Water Project temporarily, but most tasks are nearing completion on that project. The Northeast Jefferson project
will finish at the end of 2015. Work began on the Hood Canal Clean Streams project with water quality monitoring and riparian restoration plantings.
The Water Quality team engaged the Jefferson County Conservation District in several projects through the Hood Canal Watershed grant: The final
phase of stream monitoring in the Hood Canal area was completed in 2014; An agricultural survey was completed with farms prioritized for pollution
reduction work; One agricultural best management practice implementation project was installed in Quilcene resulting in 2,000 feet of stream
protections.
The Jefferson County Lakes Toxic Cyanobacteria project completed all monitoring and sampling goals in 2014. Anderson Lake closed for most of
the season due to high toxin levels. No illnesses were reported and the public seems to have become more aware of the potential risks. The Seattle
Times did an in-depth article on the dangers of cyanobacteria in Washington lakes including Anderson Lake. The project ends in 2015.
Phase 1 of the Hood Canal Regional Pollution Identification and Correction project was completed in 2014. This is a joint effort of the Hood Canal
Coordinating Council, and the Kitsap County, Jefferson County and Mason County health departments to create a regional framework for similar
pollution control projects. Phase 1 was a planning phase that resulted in 9 reports posted on the Hood Canal Coordinating Council website at:
hccc.wa.gov/AquaticRehabilitation/Regional+PIC The Phase 2 Implementation Project began at the end of 2014, but most of the work will be
completed in 2015.
The Recreational Shellfish Biotoxin Monitoring project exceeded its budget during the summer of 2014 due to the number and frequency of harmful
algae blooms encountered in Jefferson County. Luckily, the Washington State Department of Health was able to find additional funding to cover the
rest of the year. 2014 saw record levels of biotoxins in Quilcene and Dabob Bays, where the toxins had never been found before. A large outreach
and education effort was made by Jefferson County Public Health, and no biotoxin-related illnesses were reported from Jefferson County. The Water
Quality intern used her previous experience with shellfish resource management to add more organizational tools and outreach events to program.
The BEACH monitoring project has been funded by the state at a minimal level in the last few years, however Jefferson County Public Health was
able to monitor 3 beaches by adjusting the monitoring schedule to sample lower-risk beaches every other week.
Jefferson County Water Quality Performance Measures
2014 Year-end Report
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The Clean Water District Advisory Council met and began work on a comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring Plan for the county, to be finished in
2015. Other projects that were begun in 2014 include the development of a water quality database, planning for needed GIS updates and a prioritized
water quality work plan, all to be completed in 2015.
Staff turnover in water quality was high in 2014 and is anticipated to also be high in 2015. This presents challenges in terms of time needed to replace
staff and train new hires, but also presents an opportunity to recruit individuals with new skills and abilities.
Hood Canal Watershed Septic System Sanitary Survey Results
Figure 1, Survey Status; Number and Percent Completed Figure 2, Survey Results
Jefferson County Water Quality Performance Measures
2014 Year-end Report
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PROGRAM STATISTICS
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Planned
2014
Actual
Lakes monitored for cyanobacteria 9 9 9 4 3 5 4 3 3 3
Water quality stations monitored: Chimacum Creek 0 40 40 28 28 0 28 0 0 0
Water quality stations monitored: Salmon & Snow Creeks 0 17 0 19 19 19 17 19 0 0
Water quality stations monitored: Hood Canal watershed 0 0 0 0 0 17 17 19 17 20
Miles of shoreline surveyed for pollution N/A 5 49 76 77 89 11 60 60 94
Marine water quality stations monitored N/A 7 7 7 17 17 9 0 0 0
Sanitary surveys completed N/A N/A N/A 259 241 350 553 506 300 390
Beaches monitored for shellfish safety 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
Swimming beaches monitored 0 2 3 4 3 6 3 3 2 3
Stream gauges maintained 8 8 9 8 8 7 0 0 0 0
Clean Water District Advisory Council meetings held 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 2 3