FRESH SHEET #5

August 2003

This fresh sheet includes:

• Watershed Plan Update
• Pilot Projects
• WRIA-wide programs
• Instream flow action plan
• Implementation Strategy
• Long term monitoring program

Watershed Plan Update

The Watershed Plan is now being developed by local staff from the Initiating Governments. A draft will be circulated to the caucuses for review in the fall, with a public draft anticipated this winter. Among other sections, the plan will include chapters on pilot projects, WRIA-wide programs, a program for selecting instream flow levels, a strategy for implementing the plan, and a long-term monitoring program.

Pilot Projects

The purpose of the pilot projects is to test the effectiveness of the most promising management actions at a limited scale, to help determine if they could provide solutions applicable in many areas of WRIA 1. It is anticipated that the projects will demonstrate successful outcomes of watershed planning throughout the WRIA. For each project there are a range of issues that will have to be resolved before successful implementation can occur, including how they will operate within existing state water laws. Presently four projects are being considered for implementation:

• East Hemmi Neighborhood Wetland Restoration and Storage. This pilot would provide an opportunity to restore wetlands, improve habitat and water quality, and reduce flooding by storing more water in Tenmile Creek near E. Hemmi Rd.
  
• CIDMP Governance Structure. This pilot will develop a prototype management and implementation structure that may be used for pieces of the Watershed Plan. The pilot will propose the formation of a Watershed Improvement District (WID) that provides a framework for water-rights holders and property owners within the watershed to cooperatively manage their water and land resources for maximum benefit to the resources and individuals. In addition to providing the management structure, the WIDs will gather technical information to be used for initiating and monitoring on-the-ground projects. The first pilot will be in the Bertrand Creek area. A similar effort in the Tenmile Creek drainage will be undertaken in 2004 or 2005.
  
  The pilots are based on the framework described by the Comprehensive Irrigation District Management Plan (CIDMP). For more information, see the Guidelines for Preparation of CIDMPs at http://afw.scc.wa.gov/files.
  
• Low Impact Development. A low impact development pilot project would test the effectiveness of practices designed to decrease impervious surfaces. (Impervious surfaces such as roads, driveways or roofs, can channel pollutants into nearby streams and lakes, and contribute to flooding problems during heavy rain.) Alternatives allow for rain water to be absorbed into the ground. Some low impact development tools also involve reclaiming and reusing stormwater and/or wastewater, which could also help with water quality and quantity problems. The proposed project will focus on design for County government facilities and roads.
  
• Groundwater Augmentation of Stream Flows in Dakota Creek. Late summer fish kills are nearly an annual occurrence in Dakota Creek (near Blaine) due to low water flows. The project would involve supplementing the creek flows with pumped ground water during this critical time.

WRIA-Wide Programs

This plan element will recommend ways to improve the effectiveness of existing water-related programs, as well as new programs to fill needs that aren’t being met by ongoing activities. These programs are in addition to the instream flow selection strategy, the long-term monitoring plan, and the adaptive management plan, which will be other elements of the Watershed Plan. The programs may be applicable WRIA-wide.

The programs will be:

• Natural Resource Policy Integration. The program’s purpose is to identify and resolve conflicts, overlaps, and gaps among the various plans and policies related to water issues, such as the various Comprehensive Plans and upcoming stormwater regulations.
• Compliance. The objective is to improve compliance with existing water-related laws using approaches ranging from education to enforcement, before creating new laws.
• Public Education. This program will be designed to build the community’s capacity to understand water resource issues, with the eventual goal of engaging citizens in policy decisions.
• Water Use Efficiency. The goal of the program is to encourage conservation and more efficient use of water.
• Low Impact Development The low impact development program focuses on reviewing existing government regulations to identify potential impediments to implementation. Based on the review, suggestions for changes to existing regulations may be made.

Instream Flow Action Plan

In 1986, the state Department of Ecology set instream flows (a minimum flow level for a given stream at a given time of the year) for WRIA 1. The 1986 flows, which are still in effect today, are not being met in many instances. The natural flow of the rivers and streams often doesn’t satisfy those flows. The flows established by Ecology were not intended at the time to indicate how much water Ecology wanted to see in those streams and rivers, but were intended to prevent further appropriation of water. Where it was clear that sufficient water did not exist to satisfy the flows, Ecology closed the water bodies to further water rights.

A critical element of the Watershed Plan will be the Instream Flow Action Plan, a strategy for reaching agreement on new instream flows for streams, using the results of the five-year study conducted by Utah State University. The Action Plan proposes negotiating new flows on a drainage-by-drainage basis and may involve some balancing of these flows against other water demands in the basin. Where there is not enough water in streams to meet the new required levels, the WRIA 1 Watershed Management Project would work with local landowners to come up with solutions. The draft Action Plan is currently being reviewed by the WRIA 1 caucuses and by attorneys for the Initiating Governments.

Implementation Strategy

A key part of the plan, the implementation strategy, will describe how projects and activities will be funded and who will actually do the work. Part of this strategy is described in a draft proposal for transitioning the management of the project from the current Joint Board/Planning Unit/technical team structure to one where a single organization is dedicated to implementing the Watershed Plan. The Planning Unit is currently reviewing the proposal.

Long-Term Monitoring Program

The purpose of the long-term monitoring program is to evaluate the effectiveness of the projects and programs described in the Watershed Plan and, ultimately, the extent to which overall project goals are being met. It will also provide information on the status of water resource issues, potential trends, and the causes or sources of problems.

There are currently a number of different monitoring efforts in the WRIA for water quantity, quality, fish habitat, and instream flows. The WRIA 1 monitoring program will build upon these existing programs, and will propose other efforts as necessary.

The WRIA 1 Watershed Management Project brings together citizens, local governments, tribes, and state and federal agencies to develop plans for allocating water, protecting water quality, and ensuring quality fish habitat. The fresh sheet provides a brief update of project activities. To join the mailing list, contact Scarlet Tang at (360) 676-6876 or e-mail stang@co.whatcom.wa.us. You can also read fresh sheets at http://wria1project.wsu.edu.