By Brian Peck, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Recently I took a trip to Baltimore, Maryland. Baltimore is located on the inner harbor of Chesapeake Bay, much like how Aberdeen, Cosmopolis, and Hoquiam are located on the inner part of Grays Harbor. But there are differences between the two estuaries, significant differences.
There are a lot of seafood restaurants around downtown Baltimore. The crab cakes are delicious. But wait, it's April, and a taxi driver tells me that blueshell crabs aren't in season there, in matter of fact, he says there simply aren't many crabs left in the Bay. So where do the crabs come from? Maybe North Carolina, maybe Texas, he thinks. I find it ironic (and unfortunate) that the crab on my plate in the waterfront restaurant had to be imported from another state.
Yes, some things can be boiled (no pun intended) down to that simple of an issue.
There isn't a salt marsh or mudflat visible for miles in the inner Chesapeake Bay. Concrete, steel, and brick line the shore. Crabs prefer vegetation and mudflats, not steel, for their early development stages and foraging.
There are numerous salt marshes and mudflats throughout Grays Harbor. There are also several good seafood restaurants around the Aberdeen area. Therefore, there's a good chance that the restaurants' salmon, oysters, or Dungeness crab you order are local -- produced from an environment that is still healthy enough to do so. But couldn't the environment be better? Couldn't it get worse?
By the way, if Baltimore was superimposed onto the Grays Harbor area, the city limits would extend from Ocean Shores to Central Park and back down the other side to Westport. Solid city -- cement, steel, and brick waterfronts. So what?, you may be asking. Population growth and urbanization (to name a couple) are beyond my control. There is nothing I can do to affect a change.
I'm not predicting that concrete will line the Grays Harbor waterfront or that seafood will need to be imported any time soon, but we all need to do our part to make sure that this doesn't happen. Collectively, small actions can lead to a significant change. For example, if you live along a stream, here is a checklist of things you can do to improve fish habitat:
1) Is there trash in it?
Action: Take it out!
Risk of Inaction: Aesthetically unappealing; Leaching chemicals can contaminate the water supply; Fishing line can ensnare and kill wildlife.
2) Do livestock have uncontrolled access to the stream?
Action: Fence off livestock and provide off-channel watering troughs.
Risk of Inaction: Livestock will trample streambank vegetation leading to soil erosion and loss of pasture land; Manure can directly enter stream, raising fecal coliform levels, leading to health advisories and shellfish harvest closures.
3) Are there any non-native invasive plant species (Japanese knotweed, purple loosestrife, plus many, many more)?
Action: Remove them!
Risk of Inaction: These plants can completely dominate an area, reducing productive fish and wildlife habitat.
4) Is there a diverse, multi-story native vegetation area along the stream?
Action: Plant a variety of native trees and shrubs.
Risk of Inaction: Lack of root system allows streambanks to erode faster; [Continued page 3 about here.] Lack of shade allows water temperatures to rise, hurting salmon; Lack of conifers reduces potential for large trees to fall into stream, which provides valuable fish habitat.
5) Are road/stream crossings big enough to let juvenile and adult fish swim through?
Action: Replace or remove any culverts that are: narrower than the stream width; don't have gravel in them; or have a waterfall at the outlet.
Risk of Inaction: Migrating fish, including salmon, will not be able to access habitat upstream of your road crossing.
6) Do dirt roads contribute fine sediment into the stream when it rains?
Action: Install cross drains and water bars that divert runoff onto the forest floor.
Risk of Inaction: Fine sediment will fill in valuable gravel salmon spawning redds.
7) Do you enjoy and are you proud of your stream?
If no, why not?
If so, keep up the good work, continue to expand your involvement, and help get others involved.
If you're like most of us and don't live on a stream, river, or lake, your actions can still make a significant impact. Simply by reading this newsletter indicates your high level of interest about watershed issues within the Chehalis Basin. Several groups, some of which are probably mentioned in this newsletter, are actively participating and planning for a sustainable future for the Chehalis Basin. Get involved!
Many of the above actions are eligible for partial funding through the Chehalis Fisheries Restoration Program. If you have an idea for a project or have any questions, please give me a call or email at: Brian Peck 360-753-9560; brian_peck@fws.gov
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By Rob Schanz, P.E., Hydrologist, Chehalis River Council
It seems that everyone who lives along a river in the Chehalis Basin has a gravel bar in their backyard that they want to get rid of. These gravel bars often appear to be growing, and are usually the first suspects blamed for bank erosion and flooding. For a long time it was common practice to remove this gravel from the rivers, and many people wonder why we can't do that anymore. It turns out that we've learned a lot about rivers in the last couple of decades, and there are some good reasons to leave these much-maligned features alone.
I'll get into some of these reasons later, but first we need to understand where gravel bars come from. Gravel bars are sediment deposits that form where fast water transitions into slower water. While they may occur as islands or fans at the mouths of creeks, we typically think of gravel bars as the point bars that form on the inside of eroding river bends.
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When you look at one of these point bars you might first think that the river is dumping gravel on the inside of the bend, and this pushes the water against the opposite bank to cause erosion. In reality, gravel bars are more a symptom of erosion than the root cause. The gravel bar forms because the river curves around the bend, piling water up on the outside of the bend (sort of like a superelevated curve on a race track). This creates a circular current that carries sediment from the outside of the bend to the inside point bar. The water on the inside of the bend is usually moving slower and can't carry the sediment downstream. So the gravel settles out and begins to build a point bar.
As the riverbank erodes, the curve gets sharper, and more sediment is moved from the outside to the inside of the bend. This causes the bar to build up more quickly. In effect, the gravel bar moves outward as the bank erodes, and follows the eroding bank. This is how rivers migrate -- the outside of a bend moves outward, and the gravel bar fills in behind it to maintain a roughly constant channel size.
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So what's wrong with scalping gravel bars? After all, it would give the river more capacity, and who can't use a little extra gravel around the [Continued Page 3 about here] homestead? The first reason is that gravel bar scalping doesn't really do much to solve flooding or bank erosion problems. Most of us are out on rivers at low flows, when the gravel bar looks big and seems to be pushing the river hard against the opposite bank. However, these are not the flows that cause bank erosion. Scientists have found that most bank erosion is caused by moderate floods that occur every 1-2 years. During these floods the gravel bar has a much smaller effect on the river, and the amount of material removed during gravel bar scalping isn't enough to make much of a difference. Besides, the river is always carrying lots of gravel, and can quickly replace the material that was removed.
This gets to the second problem with gravel bar removal. Rivers try to maintain a balance between the sediment load from upstream and the capacity of the channel to move sediment. When you go out with your excavator and move gravel out of the river you upset this balance. The river then has to dump more gravel onto the old bar, leaving it with extra capacity to transport sediment. It fills this capacity by eroding streambeds and riverbanks downstream of your operation, passing the problem on to your neighbors. This effect is called "hungry water", and was first identified by reservoir managers to describe the erosive water that is discharged below dams.
Oddly enough, gravel removal can also cause erosion upstream of the bar. The upstream end of the gravel bar acts as a control on the streambed elevation, much like a weir or small dam. When you scalp the gravel bar, the streambed has to erode downward to adjust to the new controlling elevation at the head of the bar. This erosion continues upstream until the streambed profile reaches equilibrium with the new bar elevation. This type of upstream erosion is called "headcutting" by river scientists, and causes significant damage to salmon spawning habitat.
The third problem with gravel bar scalping is the damage that is done by the removal equipment. Every time you drive heavy equipment down to the riverbed you scar the riverbank and damage riparian vegetation. As the equipment removes the gravel it disturbs the naturally sorted material, and mobilizes fine sediments that clog spawning beds. Because gravel removal is at best a temporary solution, these impacts have to be repeated year after year to keep up with the river's ability to rebuild gravel bars.
Historic dredging, gravel mining, and splash dams have reamed out many of the rivers in the Chehalis basin. That's why it seems that gravel bars are sprouting up everywhere -- the river is adjusting back to a more natural shape. This is mostly good for the river, but it does challenge us to find new ways to live and work near riverbanks. Sometimes we have to protect existing buildings and roads, using methods that redirect flow away from the eroding bank. Still, the best long-term solution is to keep new structures away from the riverbank, so the river can shift course, build gravel bars, and do the work needed to maintain healthy habitat.
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By Kathy Jacobson, Chehalis Basin Education Consortium Coordinator
On Thursday, April 3, 2003, the 2nd Annual Chehalis Basin Student Congress was held at Grays Harbor College to culminate the year of water quality monitoring for teachers and their students, grades 4-12.
Fourteen teachers along with 130 student delegates from Aberdeen High School, Centralia High School, Choice High School, Elma Alternative High School, Ocosta High School, Onalaska Middle School, Rochester Middle School, Shelton Alternative Middle School, Boistfort Elementary School, Bordeaux Elementary School, and Elma Elementary School participated in the Congress.
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In the morning, the students were entertained with native stories of salmon and slugs by master storyteller Rebecca Chamberlain. Later, guided by resource professionals, students compared their water quality monitoring data with fellow students from the watershed, and made recommendations on ways to protect the water quality of the Chehalis and nearby watersheds.
In the afternoon, the student delegates enjoyed hands-on workshops in subjects such as "Backyard Conservation: Plant a Tree, Make a Difference;" "My Life as a River;" "How the Saltwater and Freshwater Worlds are Connected;" "Salmon's View of the Watershed;" and "The Chehalis Geodata Viewer CD."
When teachers were asked, "What value do you see in the Congress for you and for your students?" teachers responded by saying:
Bringing hands-on, experiential, real-life science experiences for my students, most of whom have not had success or positive experiences with science before."
When Congress facilitators and presenters were asked, "What value do you see in the Congress for you and/or your organization?" the resource professionals replied:
And lastly students were asked, "What was the most important thing that you learned today?"
Special thanks to Congress partners: Educational Service District #113, Grays Harbor College, The Russell Family Foundation, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Thanks to all of the participating teachers and students, and to all of the participating agencies: the Mason Conservation District, Washington State Departments of Fish and Wildlife, Ecology, and Natural Resources; the Chehalis Basin Partnership, the Chehalis River Council, Thurston County, and the Weyerhaeuser Corporation.
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We, the students of the Chehalis River and Oakland Bay Basins are committed to contributing our time and efforts in protecting and enhancing the water quality of our local watersheds. We intend to carry out these efforts in our day-to-day activities. The following are recommendations that we feel would benefit our watersheds and our surrounding communities:
Don't Litter.
Provide additional garbage receptacles at public recreation areas (boat launches) and enforce stricter litter laws (signage and fines).
Encourage people to clean up after their pets and restrict pet access to local streams.
Fence livestock away from streams.
Have farmers/ranchers build concrete barriers or manure lagoons.
Place straw bales near riparian areas.
Recycle animal manure.
Use rowboats instead of motorboats.
Use recycled wood for building materials instead of purchasing new wood products.
Conduct community clean up days.
Provide more clean-up crews for public areas.
Check septic systems to insure that they are functioning properly and upgrade and repair when necessary.
Develop community assistance programs for septic tank maintenance.
Limit proximity of septic systems, homes, livestock, or logging practices (selective logging) near waterways (creeks, streams, rivers, wetlands).
Design engineering controls at sawmills to collect and treat water run off from the yard; control where bark is stored.
Promote recycling of used motor oil.
Keep logging equipment clean (chainsaws, trucks, etc.).
Better enforcement of air pollution prevention laws.
Have cities enforce the clean up of junkyards.
Recycle cars and other materials from junkyards.
Restrict fertilizer use and learn the benefits of organic or synthetic slow-release fertilizers.
Plant more native plants along riparian zones to shade the river and provide additional habitat (buffers) for wildlife and fish.
Remove non-native/invasive plant species.
Build awareness by educating the public, livestock owners, and timber companies about how to protect stream health.
We understand the importance of clean waterways, riparian areas, and forests for healthy watersheds. By engaging in these activities we will be good neighbors. We will remember that we all live "downstream." Wildlife depends on healthy watersheds, as do all of us.
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Department of Ecology news release, April 16, 2003
OLYMPIA - With the start of boating season, the departments of Ecology (Ecology) and Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) want to remind boaters that they have an important job to do: cleaning off their boats and gear to protect Washington's waters against non-native invasive species such as Eurasian milfoil and potential invaders such as zebra mussels.
A new law that took effect last year gives the Washington State Patrol and WDFW the ability to detain boats and inspect them to be sure they are not carrying prohibited plants or animals. It is now against the law to transport any aquatic plant on boats, trailers, fishing gear or bait wells.
"These invasive species get into our lakes and streams on propellers, trailers, nets and other fishing gear," said Kathy Hamel, who manages Ecology's aquatic-weeds program. "They choke out native species and destroy fish and wildlife habitat, and can make it impossible to swim or boat in the water. Some species can actually be dangerous for swimmers, especially children."
Noxious weeds such as milfoil are typically spread to lakes on boat trailers and fishing gear. It takes only a tiny fragment of a noxious plant, sometimes less than an inch, to start a whole new infestation.
"Milfoil is very widespread over the whole state. You can see it growing where the traffic patterns are, such as along the I-5 corridor in Western Washington. Every year, we find more infestations," Hamel said.
It isn't just noxious weeds that are a concern. Invasive animal species such as zebra mussels often cling to aquatic plants, even if the plants themselves aren't a problem. "It's terribly important that people clean their boats and gear every single time, before and after going into water," said Hamel.
"Live zebra mussels have been found in recent years on several boats that were checked at highway weigh stations as they entered the state, so we know this is a pathway for their introduction," said Scott Smith, who heads WDFW's aquatic invasive-species program.
Zebra mussels have taken a toll on the ecosystem and economy in other areas of the country where they have been unwittingly introduced and have proliferated, Smith said. In the Great Lakes area, zebra mussels have altered the entire ecosystem of some waters, taking food sources away from native species and clogging water intake pipes used for irrigation and municipal water supplies. The state has been monitoring for zebra mussels for three years, and none have yet been found in Washington waters, Smith added. "So far, Washington is free of zebra mussels, and we want to keep it that way."
For help controlling weeds in an infested lake or stream, contact Hamel at 360-407-6562 or your county's noxious-weed board. For help with aquatic invasive species, contact Pam Meacham at the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, 360-902-2741.
Information on aquatic invasive species is also available at the WDFW Web site at http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/fish/ans/ans1.htm.
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By Brennden Hiles, Elma Elementary School, 5th Grade
There was nice sunlight.
No rain.
Eagles soaring through the air.
Feels like my soul is released.
It was best day of my life.
Frogs croaking in deep pools of water.
Water falls splashing in the creeks.
It was a friendly feeling.
Fish swimming in deep streams of water.
Salmon jumping and swimming upstream,
Harsh going up, relaxing going down.
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By Rob Schanz and Bill Barmettler, Chehalis River Council
Regular readers of Drops of Water may recall that the Chehalis River Council has a grant from the Department of Ecology to monitor streams in the Upper Chehalis basin. The project has been underway for about a year, and we have collected our first set of data. It's still early in the project to make any far-reaching conclusions, but we would like to give you an update on what we've found so far.
We monitor basic water quality parameters, including water temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, fecal coliform, and streamflow. In the summer we also collect and identify benthic macroinvertebrates -- mayfly and stonefly larva, snails, crawdads, and other invertebrates that live in the water. Collecting and counting these critters is a relatively new approach used nationwide to measure how watershed conditions relate to stream health. We collect our macroinvertebrates by washing them off the streambed into a net, and send our samples to a lab for the tedious job of counting and identifying the bugs.
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Our project focuses on four rural streams in the Upper Chehalis Basin. Elk Creek is located west of Doty and drains industrial forest in the Chehalis headwaters. The lower Elk Creek valley has been cleared, and there are few large riparian trees. The South Fork Chehalis River flows through a mix of agricultural and forest land. Riparian conditions are poor, with scattered alders and lots of reed canary grass. The South Fork Newaukum River drains a timber-dominated watershed similar to Elk Creek's, but is densely shaded by a mixed riparian forest. The Middle Fork Newaukum drains a watershed with a mix of agriculture, residences, and timber. This river is the flashiest of the four streams, with high flows during the rainy season and barely a trickle in the summer.
In September 2002 we did our first full round of water quality and macroinvertebrate sampling. Water temperatures ranged from 10 to 17 degrees Celsius, with the warmest temperatures at the site with the least shade (South Fork Chehalis). We were out during relatively cool weather, so the streams weren't as hot as they might be in other years. Dissolved oxygen ranged from 8.8 to 10.7 mg/liter, with the lowest value in the barely flowing Middle Fork Newaukum. The pH values were between 7.3 and 7.8, indicating slightly basic water. All of these values meet state water quality standards.
Our fecal coliform samples show more range in water quality. Fecal coliform are bacteria that live in the guts of warm blooded animals, and are used to indicate the presence of animal or human waste. Levels were lowest in the two Newaukum basin sites, ranging from 6 to 44 colonies/100 ml. Elk Creek and the South Fork Chehalis had fecal coliform levels slightly over 100 colonies/100 ml, which just fails to meet the state water quality standard.
Macroinvertebrate data are usually characterized using metrics and indices. Metrics describe a specific characteristic of the macroinvertebrate population, such as the number of mayfly species, the number of stonefly species, the number of intolerant species, or the percentage of predators. These metrics are scored and added up to come up with an overall "Benthic Invertebrate Index of Biological Integrity" or BIBI. The BIBI is kind of like the final grade on the stream's report card. Elk Creek had a BIBI of 40, just within the range for sites with "High Biological Integrity". The rest of the sites scored between 36 and 38, in the upper range for sites with "Moderate Biological Integrity."
You can also learn a lot by looking at the individual metrics that make up the BIBI score. For example, the "Number of Intolerant Taxa" metric describes the number of species found that can't tolerate poor water quality. The lab found 2-3 species of intolerant bugs at the South Fork Chehalis and Elk Creek sites, which gives them a moderate score. The South Fork Newaukum had 5 of these species, equivalent to a high score. We couldn't find any intolerant species at the Middle Fork Newaukum site, perhaps because of the low summer flows that occur there.
Our winter data is less interesting, partly because we managed to miss some of the larger storm events. Water temperatures, dissolved oxygen, and pH were all well within state water quality standards. Interestingly, fecal coliform levels were lower for most of our sites in the winter than in the summer. We expect this to be different next year when we hope to catch an early season runoff event.
So, that's what we've found so far. We'll know more when we have several years of data to compare. In the meantime, we are getting ready for our next round of sampling. This summer we would like to include more people, who will be trained by coming along as "apprentice monitors." If you are interested in joining us, call the Chehalis River Council at (360) 807-0764 and leave a message for Rob Schanz.
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By Janet Strong
Rush, awaken us all
From sluggish dormancy,
Make bushes shiver in the hope of flower,
Branches flail at invisible sparring partners,
Trunks oscillate like metronomes,
Flinging off limbs at each end of the pendulum.
Wind, do your blowing best.
Hurl rain into my face.
Stinging drops force blood to flow
And sap to rise.
My hair leaps up, trying to get airborne,
Leaves and lichens fly by unanchored.
Early blooms bend low
To avoid your ferocity,
Yet lakes raise foamy shields
In defiance of your mastery.
Skim low over supple grasses,
In waves to mimic your lowing song.
Birds fluster, animals crouch
When your moan grows to a roar.
Stir our blood, our sap,
Our souls.
Open us up, flex our beings.
Share with us your energy.
We need you, Wind,
As the season of rebirth begins.
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