A. GENERAL PARTNERSHIP BUSINESS
Introduction
Chairman Spahr welcomed everyone and opened the meeting.
Citizens' Advisory Committee
The Citizens Advisory Committee will review the work of the Steering and Technical Committee in setting basin priorities. J Roach will be the voting member from the Citizens Advisory Committee.
Water Quality Committee
The WQ Subcommittee is to convene by September. Participants are needed. Anybody who is interested in participating should tell Dave Rountry at the August meeting of call him at (360) 407-6276, or e-mail him at drou461@ecy.wa.gov.
Other Business
Future Meeting Location: The location of CBP meetings was discussed. People seem to like the central location of the Lucky Eagle, but felt the bingo room is too large. Lee Napier will investigate the possibility of meeting in a smaller meeting room at the casino.
B. SPECIAL PROJECTS
Watershed Planning under RCW 90.82
Steering/Technical Advisory Committee
The STC acknowledged Lee Daneker's contribution to the partnership. EPA is considering
reassigning Lee to other work. The Lead Agency will urge EPA to reconsider this reassignment.
The Steering Technical Committee met July 12 and 19 and plans to meet July 26. The agendas for these meetings have focused on watershed planning issues that will be discussed later during this meeting.
Margaret Rader has resigned from the STC. Thanks to Margaret for her great work! Chanele Holbrook will take her place.
The STC plans no meetings in August.
Water Quality Committee
Dave Rountry of Ecology's Water Quality Program discussed integrating water quality (WQ) standards with the watershed plan. He noted that the WQ subcommittee was formed at the beginning of the planning process to integrate TMDLs into the watershed plan and to advise the full partnership on WQ components of the plan. The WQ subcommittee needs to complete work on Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLS) for dissolved oxygen (DO) and temperature. The purpose is to protect the quality of water for future use. Dave says the partnership has until October 2003 to complete this work.
The WQ Subcommittee will begin with two priorities:
1. A comprehensive monitoring strategy will be developed to assure EPA and Ecology that WQ improvements will be demonstrated and documented.
2. Financial resources that are needed to implement the plan will be identified
The partnership discussed the issue of changes to water quality standards that might impact the watershed plan under development. Mayor Bob Spahr asked whether Ecology is keeping local planning units or cities informed about these changes. He and other City representatives objected to the fact that water quality standards present a "moving target" that forces the cities to continually upgrade wastewater treatment plants at great expense. Dave Rountry noted that Ecology is open to public input in any of the agency's standard setting processes.
John Penberth said there is a lack of connection between Ecology and local planning. He said the Partnership needs to draft a letter to Ecology requesting inclusion in the water quality standard setting process and requesting more and better communication with local planning bodies affected by Ecology's standards. Phil Miller of the Salmon Recovery Office encouraged people to keep asking questions about the relationship between state programs and watershed planning. He said the state is not going to stop conducting business while the watershed plans are completed, but he realized better connections between the two would be beneficial.
Ron Wisner noted that the selection of parameters is important for planning purposes. As water quality standards change, the chemicals and organisms identified to measure water quality might also change. It is important to know how these parameters will change as a monitoring plan is developed.
Lee Daneker suggested that if state and federal direction is not working, the Partnership should invite standard setters to explain why they are doing what they are doing. Dave Rountry said it is Ecology's intent to make the measurement regimen for dissolved oxygen more flexible and practical. Phil Miller reinforced this approach. He said TMDL policy advancement recognizes that it is in the state's interest to involve local interests.
The CBP will send a letter to Ecology attempting to gain clarification of the ramifications of new WQ standards for watershed planning. John Penberth expressed concern that the letter should address the larger issue of the disconnection between Partnership and Ecology activities.
Mayor Spahr said the letter will incorporate John's comments.
CONTRACT ISSUES
Bob Wheeler reviewed the work that the Triangle consulting team has completed so far. This includes helping the partnership set the mission, goals and objectives of the watershed plan, and conducting study area meetings to get public input. Triangle helped the STC compile
issues that will be included in plan. Instream flow work was discussed. Gauging work has begun. The group discussed the need to extend the contract with Triangle so the watershed plan can be completed. By consensus, the contract with Triangle was extended.
The STC recommended and the Partnership agreed to develop for funds to complete water quality and storage projects. The proposed scopes of work will be presented to the partnership and discussed at the August 23rd meeting . The water quality project would
develop a level 1 assessment of Grays -Harbor, including water circulation, coastal erosion and shellfish health, and design a locally managed monitoring system that could be used to alert local interests if there is a water quality problem in the Chehalis River or any of its tributaries. Terry Willis suggested that a locally managed monitoring system might give local constituents an indication of water quality problems and corrective actions. This could preclude enforcement actions by the state.
C. SPECIAL PRESENTATION
There were no special presentations.
D. OPEN COMMENT
The next meeting of the Chehalis Basin Partnership will be at 9:00 a.m. on August 23.
The location will be identified in the agenda that is sent out before the meeting.
Decisions
.The Lead Agency will send a letter to the Department of Ecology requesting the agency include the Partnership's input when considering changes in water quality standards and other issues that could impact the Partnership's watershed plan.
The contract with Triangle Associates, Inc. will be amended to cover Phase 3 Watershed Plan development.
Triangle will work with the STC to revise the scope of work for water quantity evaluation in order to present it for a decision by the Partnership on August 23.
Triangle will develop project proposals for grant funding on water quality and storage. These will be considered by Partnership on August 23rd
This page created and maintained by Chehalis River Council
Send comments or questions to the: Chehalis River Council