DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICES
F. Paul Easter
100 W. BROADWAY, SUITE 31
MONTESANO, WASHINGTON 98563-3614
PHONE (360) 249-4222
FAX (360) 249-3203
GRAYS HARBOR COUNTY
STATE OF WASHINGTON
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To: Chehalis Basin Partnership From: Lee Napier, Deputy Director of Community Development Date: 7/22/04 Re: Chehalis Watershed Detailed Implementation Plan (DIP) The attached pages are excerpts from the Draft DIP for the DO, Temperature, and Fecal Coliform Bacteria in the Chehalis/Grays Harbor Watershed. This information is forwarded to you with a request for the Partnership to consider acceptance of the DIP. Initially, when the Partnership began reviewing the Total Daily Maximum Load (TMDL) work by the Department of Ecology, the group expressed concern that the state was not adequately involving the stakeholders. The Partnership agreed to collaborate to further the TMDL and associated tasks with the state. The state (Dave Rountry) responded with a willingness to interact with the Partnership, the Water Quality Committee (Committee) and any stakeholders willing to share insight or information. Beginning in late 2002 and continuing into 2003, the Committee worked with Dave to revise the DIP. This included suggested changes to the language that better described current water quality activities in the watershed, roles, activities, schedules, performance measures and targets. Last June, the Committee recommended presenting the DIP to the Partnership for action. This did not occur because the Partnership's focus was on another task completion of the Chehalis Basin Watershed Management Plan (Plan). After adopting the Plan, which contains fifteen recommendations that complement the TMDL/DIP work, the Committee resumed work on this task and met earlier this month to revisit their June 2003 recommendation. Those present reaffirmed that the DIP should be presented to the Partnership for consideration. The Committee and the state request that the Partnership members familiarize themselves with the excerpts between now and the August meeting. During the August meeting, the Partnership will be asked to consider accepting the DIP. |
RCW 90.82.090
Water quality component.
If the initiating governments choose to include a water quality component, the watershed plan shall include the following elements:
(1) An examination based on existing studies conducted by federal, state, and local agencies of the degree to which legally established water quality standards are being met in the management area;
(2) An examination based on existing studies conducted by federal, state, and local agencies of the causes of water quality violations in the management area, including an examination of information regarding pollutants, point and nonpoint sources of pollution, and pollution carrying capacities of water bodies in the management area. The analysis shall take into account seasonal stream flow or level variations, natural events, and pollution from natural sources that occurs independent of human activities;
(3) An examination of the legally established characteristic uses of each of the non-marine bodies of water in the management area;
(4) An examination of any total maximum daily load established for non-marine bodies of water in the management area, unless a total maximum daily load process has begun in the management area as of the date the watershed planning process is initiated under RCW 90.82.060;
(5) An examination of existing data related to the impact of fresh water on marine water quality;
(6) A recommended approach for implementing the total maximum daily load established for achieving compliance with water quality standards for the non-marine bodies of water in the management area, unless a total maximum daily load process has begun in the management area as of the date the watershed planning process is initiated under RCW 90.82.060; and
(7) Recommended means of monitoring by appropriate government agencies whether actions taken to implement the approach to bring about improvements in water quality are sufficient to achieve compliance with water quality standards.
This chapter does not obligate the state to undertake analysis or to develop strategies required under the federal clean water act (33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq.). This chapter does not authorize any planning unit, lead agency, or local government to adopt water quality standards or total maximum daily loads under the federal clean water act.
Issue Statement: It is important to support and monitor high quality waters that presently exist in the Chehalis Basin and to evaluate the feasibility of establishing an overall water quality-monitoring program.
Recommendation: A basin-wide water quality-monitoring program is needed. The Partnership recommends that further evaluation be made for implementing such a water quality-monitoring program in the Chehalis Basin.
Suggested actions: The following table contains the methods or processes required in total or in some combination to achieve the recommendations of the Partnership.
| ACTION # | ACTIONS ACCEPTED BY THE CHEHALIS BASIN PARTNERSHIP | SOURCE |
| 31. | Protect healthy waters of the Chehalis Basin so they do not become impaired or need Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) reporting. | Water Quality Section, Water Quality Impairment Issue Paper, Action 2.1 |
| 32. | Implement the basin-wide water quality-monitoring program developed as part of this planning process. | Water Quality Section, Water Quality Impairment Issue, Action 2.2 |
| 33. | Develop a program to clean up water quality impairments before TMDLs need to be implemented. | Water Quality Section, TMDL Issue Paper, Action 2.3 |
| 34. | Develop programs to address nonpoint sources of pollution in the Chehalis Basin so there can be a more equitable system for improving water quality. | Water Quality Section, TMDL Issue Paper, Action 2.4 |
| 35. | Propose a 'package" of improvements to the State to nonpoint pollution (not a single approach). | Water Quality Section, TMDL Issue Paper, Action 2.5 |
| 36. | Develop approaches to keep forestry and agriculture on the land. | Water Quality Section, TMDL Issue Paper, Action 2.6 |
| 37. | Develop sources for funding water quality improvements. | Water Quality Section, TMDL Issue Paper, Action 2.10 |
| 38. | Prevent the introduction of detrimental plant and animal species (aquatic and terrestrial) and control or eliminate species designated by the state or county as noxious, invasive, quarantined, or nuisance species. | CBP suggestions, Action 2.11 http://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weed_list/prohibited.html |
| 39. | Develop and distribute public information on inspection and care of septic systems. | CBP suggestion, Action 2.12 |
| 40. | Develop a prioritized list of TMDL projects where 303d impairment listings already exist. | Water Quality Section, TMDL Issue Paper, Action 2.13 |
| 41. | Encourage proactive voluntary approaches to protect or improve water quality. | Water Quality Section, Protection of Existing Areas of High Quality Waters Issue Paper, Action 2.16 |
| 42. | Create an inventory of high quality waters that meet or exceed water quality standards of the state. | Water Quality Section, Protection of Existing Areas of High Quality Waters Issue Paper, Action 2.17 |
| 43. | Determine which entities (local, state, tribal, or federal) are best able and willing to provide the required protection for identified high quality waters. | Water Quality Section, Protection of Existing Areas of High Quality Waters Issue Paper, Action 2.18 |
| 44. | Expand the scope of the Partnership's Water Quality Committee to add a "Good Water Initiative." The Water Quality Committee would be an ideal group to assist in developing and carrying out such an initiative. | Water Quality Section, Protection of Existing Areas of High Quality Waters Issue Paper, Action 2.19 |
| 45. | Raise public awareness regarding the importance of protecting high quality waters, and to increase its priority among governments at all levels (local, state, tribal, and federal). | Water Quality Section, Protection of Existing Areas of High Quality Waters Issue Paper, Action 2.20 |