GENERAL PARTNERSHIP BUSINESS
Introduction
Chairman Spahr welcomed everyone and opened the meeting. Twelve of the Partnership's thirty-two member organizations had a representative or alternate at the meeting. Twenty-eight additional citizens, alternates, or visitor attended.
Citizens' Advisory Committee
Committee Chair Rob Schanz reported that the committee is meeting today at 1:00 in the L&I cafeteria. The committee is focusing its efforts for the next few months on the four study area meetings and getting the word out to the general public about the meetings.
Steering/Technical Advisory Committee
A summary of the January 11th Steering/Technical Committee (STC) meeting was included in the packet for this meeting. The STC meeting was organized around the same subjects that will be the focus of the Watershed Planning portion of this Partnership meeting.
One additional issue was discussed at the STC meeting on the 11th that isn't included on the meeting summary. The proposal to form a sub-committee of the Partnership that will focus specifically on water quality issues has bounced back and forth between the Partnership and the STC for a couple of months. A meeting to answer specific questions about the proposed sub-committee and develop a final recommendation has been scheduled to follow this Partnership meeting.
Other Business
Grays Harbor County has appointed Terry Willis to represent its citizens as a formal member on the Chehalis Basin Partnership. Terry is part of a family dairy business, has been active in the Citizens' Advisory Committee since she was appointed to that group, and has also been active in the Steering/Technical Committee. Terry is a Conservation District Supervisor for the Grays Harbor Conservation District.
SPECIAL PROJECTS
Watershed Planning under RCW 90.82
Bob Wheeler of Triangle Associates provided a brief review of the Partnerships' watershed planning effort. Phase I covered the initial effort to organize for 2514 watershed planning. Phase 1 is complete. The Phase II Level 1 assessment, completed last year, identified and evaluated existing data to determine what information/data exists, how much of it is useable, and what data gaps exist. The purpose of the Phase II Level 2 assessment currently under development is to fill the highest priority data gaps by conducting additional studies. Gathering new information under the Phase 11 Level 2 assessment has not started yet, but identifying projects is a priority activity for the next couple of months. Approximately 43% of funds have been spent and a balance of approximately $200,000 remains for Level 2 assessment studies. A budget summary was provided by Grays Harbor County, Lead agency for the project (attached). The budget summary for professional services includes the total amount of funds we have obligated for our current contract with Triangle Associates, however not all of them have been expended yet.
Bob Wheeler presented a list of potential Phase II, Level 2 projects. A copy of this list was included in the material sent out for this Partnership meeting. Some of these projects will help fulfill the minimum requirements identified in RCW 90.82. Others are needed but not to fulfill the minimum requirements. There are obviously more "needs" in terms of required or desired new studies than the Partnership currently has resources to fund.
The Steering/Technical Committee (STC) is in the process of reviewing project selection criteria and options, and will be bringing a recommendation to the Partnership. Two prioritization systems have been looked at, Benefits/Success and Risk/Knowledge. The first system selects projects based on their ability to be completed in a timely fashion with maximum benefits to the planning effort. The second system gives priority to projects that are in critical and for which there is currently little knowledge. The Partnership also indicated an interest in looking at a numerical rating system.
Phase III is development of the watershed plan. Bob suggested that developing the plan will likely involve some difficult choices. He also said the Partnership will likely need to made hard choices about competing needs. Most participants concurred with him. He suggested that the plan include areas where agreement can be reached, and that these recommendations be implemented. He said there will probably be areas where agreement is not reached, or areas where additional research and/or funding is needed before agreement is possible.
Four study areas have been identified for purposes of conducting public outreach and education workshops, and to solicit feedback from residents of each area. The study areas are 1) Sub-basins that drain directly to Grays Harbor, 2) Lower Chehalis sub-basins, 3) Middle Chehalis sub-basins, and 4) Upper Chehalis sub-basins. Chris Page from Triangle Associates talked about the four study area meetings planned for February - May. A summary of issues relating to geology and hydrology, water quality, water rights/in-stream flows and habitat will be prepared for each study area. Listening stations will be available to inform citizens about each issue and to gain their insights. Child care and snacks will be provided. Meeting dates and locations are shown on the table attached to this summary.
Cynthia Carlstad (TetraTech/KCM) reported on the progress that has been made towards creating a detailed summary and interpretation of the lengthy Level 1 assessment to make the information less intimidating. Summaries of information in the Level 1 assessment will be provided for the entire basin, for each WRIA and for each of the four study areas. Cynthia presented some of the highlights of the Level 1 assessment using a series of slides.
The Level 1 assessment did not include detailed analysis of minimum instream flows or work on preparing a water balance.
Salmon Recovery RCW 77.85
A meeting with the Salmon Recovery Funding Board Technical Review Panel is scheduled for February 20. Grays Harbor County, Lead Entity for salmon recovery in the Chehalis Basin will present the package of projects being submitted for the Chehalis Basin. Individual project sponsors are being asked to attend the meeting to support the Chehalis Basin proposal.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Work in the Chehalis Basin
Flood Damage Reduction Project sponsored by Lewis County
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is still working through the process of selecting the preferred alternative. That process is taking longer than planned. A report for the Partnership is being planned for the February meeting. Because of the potential for local interest in this Flood Damage Reduction project in Centralia, Chehalis and surrounding areas, another presentation may be scheduled for the Upper Chehalis Study Area meeting that will be held in Chehalis on May 21st.
Ecosystem Restoration Study sponsored by Grays Harbor County
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to hold a series of public meetings/workshops on this project and there appear to be some real advantages to holding those meetings in conjunction with the four study area meeting the Partnership is planning rather than holding a second set of separate meetings during the same time period. The Corps has been working on a literature review of similar projects to see what they can learn and will be checking with counties in the basin to see which ones are interested in partnering with the Corps on this project. The Corps will be talking with Grays Harbor County, the project sponsor, about the budget for next year.
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
A special presentation was not scheduled due to the full agenda.
OPEN COMMENT
Surface Water Temperature Standards
Ron Wisner, Grays Harbor Conservation District, attended a meeting at the Department of Ecology on the proposed changes to state water quality standards. The draft new standards propose to develop criteria for individual bodies of water linked to the requirements of salmon life-cycle stages that are found in the water body. Formal public hearings won't be held until later this year or early next year (2003) but the changes being proposed represent such a major shift in policy that people should be starting to follow the process and thinking about the implications now.
Chehalis Basin Fisheries Task Force
The Chehalis Basin Fisheries Task Force (CBFTF) representative asked if the letter the Partnership authorized at the December meeting was sent. The answer is yes, but a copy of the letter was not included with the packet for this meeting. A copy of the letter will be sent out with the packet for the February Partnership meeting. The Partnership has not yet received a letter from the CBFTF naming a representative from that group to the Partnership.
Other
The group discussed the need to track the multiple ongoing projects of different sorts that are going on in the basin. A suggestion was made that someone look into the potential for using the Uniform Environmental Reporting System maintained by the Environmental Affairs (EA) Office of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). Information about the system may be available at the EA WSDOT web site, or by calling Jim Park of WSDOT.
Sue Patnude said local government updates to the Growth Management Act (GMA) are due by September. She suggested the partnership work with local governments to update their critical areas ordinances.
Members discussed the possibility of holding a meeting in October 2002 in cooperation with other WRIAs for the purpose of identifying funding and legislative proposals related to watershed plan implementation.
The next meeting of the Chehalis Basin Partnership will be at 9:00 a.m. on February 22nd in the auditorium of the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries building located at 7273 Linderson Way SW in Tumwater Washington.
Recommendations
Partnership members should be paying attention to proposed changes in the state water quality standards.
The Partnership should contact DOT about the Uniform Environmental Reporting System to explore if it could be useful in helping the Partnership track multiple projects that are ongoing in the basin.
Future Presentations
Proposed changes to the state Water Quality Standards
How water quality monitoring relates to the water quality standards, 303d list of impaired waters and salmon recovery.
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and the Forest Reserve Enhancement Program (FREP).
Other
Terry Willis was appointed by Grays Harbor County Commissioners to be a member of the Chehalis Basin Partnership representing county citizens.
The Partnership should consider working with local governments on their updates to critical area ordinances under the Growth Management Act.
Consider working with other Local Planning Units to set up a joint meeting in the fall to look at funding issues and legislative proposals related to watershed plan implementation.
This page created and maintained by Chehalis River Council
Send comments or questions to the: Chehalis River Council