Brian Mittge, The Chronicle, 2/17/2001
The state Department of Ecology has released a new draft of a plan to solve summer water temperature problems on the Chehalis River.
The draft Temperature Total Maximum Daily Load plan is the groundwork for the state's attempt to make the Chehalis River cool enough during the dry summer months to support cold-water fish, including salmon, steelhead and trout, according to a DOE report.
Planting and protecting trees and vegetation that shade riverbanks is the cornerstone of the TMDL plan, which is the state's attempt to conform to the temperature clauses of the federal Clean Water Act.
The hottest months of the summer are the time when the amount of water in the river is also greatly reduced, further heating up the often stagnant remaining water.
The federal standard for a Class A river, such as the Chehalis, is 18 degrees Celsius, or 64 degrees Fahrenheit. During test periods in 1991 and 1992, parts of the upper Chehalis River between Pe Ell and Porter soared past 23 degrees Celsius (nearly 75 degrees Fahrenheit).
"These are temperatures that are near-lethal for cold-water fish," DOE Watershed Specialist Kahle Jennings said.
The newest version of the TMDL plan, which has been in the works for nearly a decade, incorporates the new Department of Natural Resources' forest and fish regulations to protect already standing trees that provide river or creek shade.
Flexibility within the forest and fish rules to harvest trees within a 75-foot buffer zone around fish-bearing streams would be reduced under the TMDL plan.
"We need to increase the amount of shade, so it doesn't make sense to take shade out," explained Jennings.
Under the forest and fish rules, timber harvesting could be allowed within the buffer zone if the landowner demonstrated a particular tree did not provide necessary shade.
With the TMDL plan in place, however, this possibility would not be allowed within much of the 2,660-square-mile Chehalis River Basin.
"Since this TMDL analyses (sic) concludes that all stream segments downstream of river mile 101.7 in the upper Chehalis watershed are shade deficient, existing shade may not be further reduced in the riparian buffers," reads page 34 of the Upper Chehalis River Basin Temperature TMDL document. The italics are in the original text.
River mile 101.7 is just downstream from Pe Ell.
The newest draft also includes more stringent temperature requirements for municipalities and industries that discharge into the river.
This could affect Chehalis and Centralia, both of which are planning construction of new wastewater treatment plants within the next seven years.
To comply with temperature requirements, as well as strict dissolved oxygen limitations, Chehalis is grudgingly planning to build a sewage treatment plant that would not discharge water into the river at all.
The public comment period for this TMDL closes March 16. After that time, the DOE will respond in writing to comments, and, eventually, will forward its final decision to the federal Environmental Protection Administration for approval.
The public may comment on the draft TMDL.
Public comments, which will be answered in written form and will become part of the DOE's final proposal to the EPA, must be received by March 16.
People may submit comments to Dave Rountry, Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47775, Olympia, Wash. 98504, or e-mail them to drou461@ecy.wa.gov.
The Upper Chehalis River Basin Temperature TMDL document is available for perusal at the Centralia and Olympia Timberland libraries, and on the Internet at this site
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Brian Mittge covers local government for The Chronicle. He may be reached by e-mail at bmittge@chronline.com, or by telephoning 807-8237.
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