HAZARD: Area farmers may have to keep tighter rein on livestock after state blames animals for high levels of fecal coliform in Chehalis River, its tributaries
By Mai Ling Slaughter, The Chronicle, 8/19/2000
Along Lewis County rivers and creeks, it's not unusual to see cattle wandering through the water to soothe their thirst or to meander onto the opposite bank.
But the future of those shoreline activities looks somewhat bleak for dairy and beef farmer, as well as for those who raise other animals, such as chickens and rabbits, near the Chehalis River and its tributaries.
"It's going to affect our farmers, and anybody that's got any kind of animals that are kept outside," said Chehalis Mayor Bob Spahr of a proposed cleanup project. "I just want the people in Lewis County to be aware that this is coming down and it's going to have some impacts."
Last month, the state Department of Ecology announced plans to clean the Grays Harbor watershed, citing fecal coliform pollution it attributes largely to water from the upper portion of the Chehalis River.
According to the study, more than half of the contamination comes from the Chehalis River upstream of Porter, which is about 8 miles northwest of Oakville.
'There's pretty strong belief that livestock are a significant form of Contribution to the fecal coliform load," said Dave Rountry, who coordinates development of water cleanup plans for Ecolo
The agency is now is working with the county's Natural Resource Conservation Service to encourage residents responsible for the contamination to voluntarily withdraw animals from the shoreline. But if problems persist Ecology may be forced to impose fines and other enforcement measures, he added.
"It's going to take a lot of voluntary cooperation," Rountry said. "And I think it's going to take, primarily, significant recognition and agreement among the community that's affected by this to recognize the beneficial uses of that watershed and agree that those beneficial uses need to be preserved and protected."
Other potential sources of the coliform pollution may include failing septic tank systems and wildlife feces', but Ecology officials do not plan to prevent wildlife from using the river, Rountry said.
"It's not practical for us to try to manage that or reduce that load," he said.
However, Ecology officials do plan to work with property owners who live near the river and may have outdated or failing septic systems.
In addition, Rountry said the agency will probably not target municipal wastewater treatment plants and other permitted facilities unless they fail to meet their own standards and threaten water quality.
"I don't really think that the (project) itself is going to trigger any special or new mandates on the permitted facilities," he said.
Rountry predicts one of the solutions to reduce fecal coliform in the harbor may involve the addition of plant cover on river streambanks to reduce erosion.
"It's taken years for the watershed to get into this condition," Rountry added. "We're not going to get out of it overnight, or in the next few years."
Spahr is among Lewis County residents who are speculative about Ecology's actions, and their effects.
"We don't know what's going to happen," Spahr added, "but it's frightening to me. Clean water is great, but how clean is clean?"
To view Ecology's Grays Harbor fecal coliform total maximum daily load study online, go to http://www.wa.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0003020.html. Its appendices and animations may be viewed at http://www.wa.ecy.wa.gov/eils/wrias/tmdl/ghfc/results.html.
Copies are also available at the Centralia and Chehalis Timberland Libraries, or by waiting Rountry, Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47775, Olympia, WA 98504-7775. He may also be reached at (360) 407-6276, or at drou461@ecy.wa.gov
Mai Ling Slaughter covers municipal government for The Chronicle. She can be reached by e-mail at mslaughter@chronline.com or by telephoning 807-8237.
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