Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout20171109_CWDACminutesAlways working for a safer and healthier community 615 Sheridan Street Port Townsend, WA 98368 www.JeffersonCountyPublicHealth.org Community Health Environmental Health Developmental Disabilities Water Quality 360-385-9400 360-385-9444 360-385-9401 (f) (f) 360-379-4487 Jefferson County Clean Water District Advisory Council Pacific Room, Jefferson County Public Health 615 Sheridan Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 Thursday, November 9, 2017 3:00 to 4:30 pm Attending: Al Cairns, Dave Steele, David Sullivan, Richard Hull, Richard Wojt, Trevor Swanson Absent: Amy Leitman, Deborah Stinson, Eric Kuzma Staff: Michael Dawson, Anna Bachmann The November 9, 2017 meeting of the Clean Water District Advisory Council was called to order at 3:05 pm by Mike Dawson. AGENDA AND MINUTES APPROVAL Richard Wojt moved to approve the meeting agenda. David Sullivan seconded the motion. No further discussion. The motion was unanimously approved. David Sullivan moved to approve the meeting minutes for August 10, 2017. No further discussion. The motion was unanimously approved. FOUNDATIONAL MONITORING PLAN PROPOSAL Mike Dawson referred to the 2012 Clean Water District Advisory Council recommendations to focus on leveraging Clean Water District funds as a match for Centennial Projects. Since then, operations have consistently revolved around this principle and a monitoring plan was established in 2014. However, recently grant funding has not always proved to be reliable. Last year two applications were submitted for the fiscal year 2018 Centennial grant period for the Northern Hood Canal PIC and Oak Bay Mats Mats projects. The applications were put on the draft offer list and were ranked for funding through the Department of Ecology. The Washington State capital budget not being passed has caused the draft offer list to be put on hold. JCPH put on hold hiring an environmental health specialist to help with these projects and created a 2018 contingency plan that involves half of the planned work to be done through the current water quality budget. Instead of creating contingency plans when state or federal funding is fickle, it may be prudent to have a foundational monitoring plan that can cover the Clean Water District. The mandate from the state as a shellfish protection district is to prevent shellfish areas from being downgraded and correct already downgraded areas. The focus of a foundational plan should be on the core parts of the mandate which are monitoring streams and shorelines draining to shellfish areas. Foundational monitoring could also be more efficient than creating new quality assurance project plans for each grant and all of the associated grant filing and reporting. Al Cairns asked to clarify that this would be a baseline level of monitoring that would meet the mandate and that JCPH would identify a portion of the Clean Water District funds to support that element that make this immune to the whims of the state. Dawson agreed. Dawson distributed a printout of the monitoring areas and sampling sites from the Monitoring Plan and pointed out how there was a lot of territory to cover. Focusing only on stream mouths and shorelines with shellfish beds would reduce the number of sites in a Foundational Plan. Other efficiencies could be Page 2 of 3 gained by concentrating primarily on dry season and early wet season and by using E. coli as a less expensive analyte than fecal coliform. Dawson asked for comments and feedback about the concept. David Steele asked whether monitoring in places such as the head of Quilcene Bay that are not approved growing areas would serve to inform private landowners about the safety of their shellfish. Dawson stated that such areas are currently monitored in grant-funded projects although there is no ability to guarantee the health of shellfish from such sampling. Instead the goal is to locate pollution sources. Richard Hull commented that he liked the concept of a baseline survey but that it would be important that the cost wouldn’t be so high that it would diminish the ability to match grants. Al Cairns commented that past matching amounts should be used as a reference to judge proposed foundational monitoring costs. Steele wanted to make sure there would be enough matching funds to cover the proposed new Centennial projects if they came to be funded. Dawson commented that implementing a Foundational Monitoring Plan would have to be done in stages around existing grants that are typically 3 years long and will expire at different times. David Sullivan commented that the legislative year is not what is used to be and that keeping funds in reserve is important. Several members commented on the state budget process and what the chances were for a resolution in coming months. HOOD CANAL #3 CLOSURE RESPONSE PLAN TIMELINE Signs were posted “Closed Due to Pollution” at Duckabush due to the September 13 downgrade. Because the closure only goes through the end of September, on November 1 the signs were removed. The Central Hood Canal PIC project is the main JCPH response to the closure, with Anna Bachmann as the lead. The project QAPP has been approved and sampling is now underway. The PIC work will be discussed in the next agenda item. For efficiency, sampling is being coordinated between JCPH and Trevor Swanson, Kelly Curtis, and Jennifer Doughty of DOH. Swanson stated that the closure response plan draft is due by March 12, 2018 to the state, 180 days from the downgrade. Swanson gave a review of recent marine water quality data which he said confirmed that the months that were chosen for the closure were correct and that the high hits happened during the closed part of the year. CENTRAL HOOD CANAL PIC SAMPLING PLAN AND DUCKABUSH COMMUNITY OUTREACH Dawson outlined the Central Hood Canal PIC sampling plan which includes shoreline, marine, and monthly stream monitoring. The QAPP has been approved. After attending an Olympic Canal Tracts homeowners association meeting Anna Bachmann submitted an article to the HOA about the shellfish downgrade and general information for the community. In this area failing septic systems are the main concern, there isn’t much agriculture to contribute bacteria. Bachmann mentioned the large number of cases already being tracked by JCPH in the area. Most of the sanitary survey work will be done in the summer due to the area being a vacation destination. River sampling will begin the week of Thanksgiving. Outside of the downgrade area in another part of the project area, there is currently a failing septic system near Walker Creek. It dries up in the summer but could be an issue in wet season. Bachmann stated that she is conducting dye testing at the Duckabush Park Association community onsite system. There are concerns because it was designed for 15 bedrooms and is now being utilized by 15 residences, some of which are more than one bedroom. The test found no dye reaching the Page 3 of 3 shoreline, however the county may place a notice to title on the property so that no more structures are built without increasing capacity of the OSS. Anna will be posting the QAPP on the project webpage for anyone interested. HOOD CANAL PRIORITY BASINS FINAL DATA PREVIEW Bachmann gave a synopsis of the Hood Canal Priority Basins project, which covered Chimacum and Ludlow basins. Stream monitoring was a primary component of this project, there was also shoreline monitoring in Ludlow and trend analysis for the monitoring in Chimacum. Overall, about half the stream stations failed state fecal coliform standards. During previous monitoring in 2013, Naylor’s Creek at W Valley Rd was the highest hot spot. In this round of monitoring the downstream portions of Egg and I Creek (near W Valley Rd) and Putaansuu Creek (the drainage stream for Anderson Lake), were the highest hot spots. Upstream sampling of Putaansuu and Naylor’s Creek passed standards for fecal coliform. Naylor’s Creek has improved according to the trend analysis, possibly due to some septic corrections in the area. Anna stated final reports are being put together and will be finalized and posted on the website by the end of the year. A public meeting and open house is being held at the Tri Area Community Center. The Jefferson Conservation District, Land Trust, Craft3 and USDA Rural Development will also be attending to discuss what they have been doing. Over 300 sanitary surveys were completed and over 500 properties were researched during this project. Cairns stated it would be interesting to identify on a map where volunteer work is done so property owners can see the progress. Cairns discussed a W Valley Rd property; there was limited fencing and improvements on site that will be highlighted in the annual newsletter. There wasn’t much cattle exclusion due to lack of funding. Dawson stated that Chimacum 7.8 site is downstream of the property and it failed state standards in this monitoring year. Cairns stated that when doing annual review looking at what projects need to be implemented health staff should help coordinate decision making. ANNOUNCEMENTS The final public meeting for the Hood Canal Priority Basins project will be held on November 16, 2017 at the Tri-Area Community Center in Chimacum. Water quality team member Alisa Hasbrouck took a position in Sequim and her position has been filled internally by Cassandra Allen. Al Cairns suggested a future possible agenda to discuss beaver management and flooding due to habitat restoration. An adaptive beaver management plan has been developed by the Conservation District. There are innovative farmers interested in experimenting with beaver co-habitation. Further implementation will require funding. Solving these issues would benefit any Conservation District doing habitat restoration. PUBLIC COMMENT: There was no public comment. ADJOURN The November 9, 2017 meeting of the Clean Water District Advisory Council was adjourned at 4:20 p.m. by Michael Dawson. NEXT MEETING: February 8, 2018, 3:00 - 4:30 pm.