Chehalis Basin Partnership
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Meeting Summary – July 22, 2005
A. GENERAL PARTNERSHIP BUSINESS
Introduction
Chair Bob Spahr welcomed everyone and opened the meeting. Fifteen of the Partnership's twenty-eight member organizations had a representative or alternate at the meeting. Five additional citizens, alternates, or visitors were at the meeting. (See attendance list on the last page of this summary).
Chairman Spahr asked everyone to introduce themselves.
B. Special Projects
Phase IV /Plan 2 Fund
Lee Napier and Jim Hill led this discussion which included a report of the July Steering Technical Committee (STC) meeting and further side discussions between Napier and Hill.
During the STC meeting, the group discussed ways to engage the CBP in the development and acceptance of the work plans. One idea included identifying a work plan lead. The group later called this position the work plan coordinator. After some discussion, the group developed a job description for the coordinator.
For each work plan, a person would be asked to serve as the coordinator to help organize and potentially initiate the implementation. In the capacity as a coordinator they would help to identify people and/or organizations to accept the implementation tasks. The STC offered the following guidance:
- The coordinator’s work is intended to help the STC and the CBP to develop detailed implementation plans.
- Tasks were developed by the STC, no need for new tasks.
- The coordinator, either working with a group or independently, would help to further define how to accomplish the task and develop the timeline and milestones.
- Host focus meetings to identify interested parties to take the lead on a task.
- The group also agreed on a ground rule for action. If a meeting is called and no one shows, then indicate no interest to accomplish the task(s). This might become a decision rule for task ranking through the model.
The STC reviewed the list of work plans and named a coordinator for each work plan. Lee will make contact with each person named before releasing the names.
After the STC meeting, Napier and Hill discussed and then presented to the CBP the possibility of hosting a spring and fall workshop designed to facilitate multiple work plan discussions simultaneously. The group was willing to host workshops, but asked that if it meant longer CBP meetings, then they would prefer night time meetings. This topic was referred back to the STC for further refinement.
The group briefly discussed the future of the CBP with respect to morphing into a non-profit type of group. Napier and Craig will invite representatives from the Nisqually River Council to an upcoming CBP meeting.
Monthly River Flow Report
Jennings distributed flow charts he created by downloading data from the USGS monitoring sites with real time data. The graphs describe data from the USGS gage sites at the Newaukum, Skookumchuck at Bucoda, Chehalis at Grand Mound, Chehalis at Porter, Satsop, Wynoochee and Humptulips Rivers. The graphs show the regulatory flow, the actual flow, and the median flows for the 15th day of the month and measure the flow in cubic feet.
Coordinated Water Quality Monitoring Plan
Jennings distributed copies of the draft Chehalis Basin Water Quality Monitoring Plan, dated July 14, 2005. This document was developed with input from the Water Quality Committee. The intent is to supplement the information presented in the Chehalis Watershed Monitoring Plan and Quality Assurance Project Plan Framework, December 2003, and to provide implementation guidance for the Watershed Management Plan and the TMDL Detailed Implementation Plan. He also projected subbasin maps prepared by the Department of Agriculture.
After a brief presentation, the group provided the following comments:
- How if fecal coliform monitored? Does the plan prescribe monitoring for composition? If you don’t determine the source how can you determine the cause of the problem? A suggestion was made to modify the table beginning on page 3 by added that more rigorous sampling would be necessary under the level 3 section.
- What about a strong emphasis on biological indicators? Kahle can add a description of the types of monitoring. The introduction to Section 3 might be an appropriate place.
- What about surface water indicators? Department of Health has information related to groundwater. They have GIS data for wells and long term data for water quality. Kahle responded that this project had less emphasis on groundwater water quality because during the development, the technical expertise was not present to provide guidance. John Blacklaw will further discuss this comment with Kahle.
- Why aren’t the low quality waters identified? The 303(d) list shows the impairments. All other waters are potentially high quality waters. Although this is an assumption and show be verified.
- Will groups be expected to share water quality monitoring data through CBP forums? Ecology may add a grant contract stipulation that requires coordination with watershed planning units.
- Concern was expressed that some groups are independently collecting data and not sharing the information with the CBP. The intent of this document, and the development of a water quality monitoring coordinator, are to encourage and facilitate the sharing of that information.
Kahle will continue to work with the Department of Agriculture to modify the maps and the Water Quality Committee to address the CBP comments. The Water Quality Committee will bring a revised draft back to the CBP.
The group briefly mentioned a grant proposal by Lewis Conservation District to fund the establishment of a water quality coordinator position for the Chehalis Basin. This individual would work to help implement the recommendations, related to water quality, in the watershed plan. The CBP would like to hear more about this proposal and will consider submitting a letter of support. Lewis Conservation District will be asked to present their idea during the August meeting.
C. Open Comment
None
The next meeting of the Chehalis Basin Partnership will be held on August 26, 2005 from 9:30am to 12:00p.m. at the Lucky Eagle Casino near Oakville.
Decisions
§ The CBP directed the STC to further the work plan coordinator proposal
§ Referred the Coordinated Water Quality Monitoring Plan back to the Water Quality Committee.
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Chehalis Basin Partnership Attendance Record |
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Commissioner Beerbower & Lee Napier |
Grays Harbor County |
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Commissioner Macleod & Mark Swartout |
Thurston County |
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Kernen Lien |
Lewis County |
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Bob Fink |
Mason County |
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Mark White |
Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis |
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Art Lehman |
Port of Centralia |
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Kahle Jennings |
City of Centralia |
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David Weiser |
City of Ocean Shores |
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Jim Haslett |
City of Napavine |
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Lyle Hojem |
Lewis County CAC member |
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Jim Hill |
Lewis County CAC member |
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Chad Stussy |
Department of Fish and Wildlife |
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John Blacklaw |
Department of Health |
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Steve Craig |
Department of Ecology |
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Bruce Jones |
Quinault Indian Nation |