INTRODUCTION The pristine sparkling water of the Lyre River; the gently curving Clallam Bay; the open coastal waters all the way west to the tip of the continent at Tatoosh Island at Neah Bay, these scenic landscapes are part of the Lyre-Hoko watershed for which this document was developed. The watershed provides a livelihood and home for approximately 4,500 people. Water is becoming a critical issue in much of Washington State and is seasonally limited in watersheds here. A local group has been meeting since 2000 to understand and make recommendations regarding elements that they chose to address: water quality, water quantity, instream flows, habitat, and water storage. Many, many hours and a substantial amount of dollars have gone into this effort. The following sections set the stage for why this work is being done. Included in this report are the group’s final recommendations. What is the purpose of this plan summary? This summary is intended to provide an extremely brief overview of the Lyre-Hoko Watershed Plan for citizens and officials. The full plan is divided into the following key components: Background Watershed Process Plan Elements Plan Recommendations Appendices Why was this plan prepared? This plan was prepared as a result of legislation, passed by the Washington State Legislature in 1998, that authored a planning process. This process provided an opportunity to develop recommendations for local solutions to water conflicts. Who paid for, wrote, approved, and adopted this plan? Grant funds from the Washington Department of Ecology funded the planning process. Clallam County has supported this process since funds expired in 2005. The plan is intended to reflect local knowledge, interests, and recommendations. The Planning Unit, comprised of local government, business and industry, private landowners, environmental, tribal, and some state agency representatives, drafted the plan with consultant assistance and approved the document. Whenever possible, recommendations were reached by agreement of the entire group; otherwise, voting followed the statutory language in which unanimity among government entities is required, with a majority among the other planning unit members. The Clallam County Commissioners are responsible for plan adoption. How will the plan affect me? The plan contains recommendations to local and state government regarding water quality, water quantity, fish habitat, and instream flows. Governmental agencies will consider the recommendations in the plan as regulations and rules are developed. 1 In particular, the Department of Ecology will use recommendations on regulatory (also known as ‘minimum’) instream flow levels to develop rules regarding the future administration of new water right applications, including small wells. (Existing water rights are not affected.) The recommendations also will be considered when future activities aimed at improving the natural environment are developed. What are some other important plan recommendations that can affect me? Plan recommendations address: Education and public outreach Watershed monitoring Land use Recommendations for instream flow levels and water supply strategies to be adopted into rule. Fish habitat Water quality Climate change Where are the boundaries for the plan located? The planning boundaries are defined by the area encompassed by the Lyre/Hoko Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA 19). This area is located on the Olympic Peninsula, covers 384 square miles, and lies entirely within the boundaries of Clallam County. Who lives in this watershed, what communities are within the planning area, and what are the major land uses? In WRIA 19, the current population is approximately 4,476. While there are no incorporated cities within the boundaries of WRIA 19, several small communities may be found along the coastal fringe of the Straits. The most densely settled communities are Neah Bay, Clallam Bay, Sekiu, Coville, Ramapo, and Joyce. Joyce, population 2,300, is the major population center in the watershed and is located about 14 miles west from Port Angeles, the nearest incorporated city. In WRIA 19, most of the land use is devoted to timber management. There are a number of small communities with mostly rural lifestyles, and some recreational activities – fishing, hiking, and camping. The Makah Tribe has a reservation at the western end of the WRIA, and both the Makah and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe share usual and accustomed fishing and hunting areas within the watershed. How is this plan going to get implemented? The next phase of the planning process involves implementation. This step begins after the plan is adopted by the Clallam County Board of Commissioners. Two key elements of getting the plan accomplished are funding and ongoing support. Significant state grant funds are available to help fund implementation of the plan, but a 10 percent local match is required. The local matching funds can come from a variety of sources. In terms of support, other watersheds have found that the formation of an ongoing group – a watershed council or some other type of implementation body – was essential in helping to get recommendations translated into action on the ground. 2 What else was accomplished during the planning process? The planning process resulted in the development of the following key products: Watershed plan containing recommendations developed by the Planning Unit Draft Technical Assessment, with comments, which gathered information about the watershed Lyre-Hoko Watershed Comprehensive Monitoring Plan and Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity Sampling Program Field Report, including recommendations for ongoing water quality studies and results of field studies conducted during the planning process Multipurpose Water Storage Study, a general assessment of the possibility and methods of storing water within the watershed Technical Report on Instream Flow Studies, summarizing examinations of the flows of the rivers within the watershed The Planning group requested that Ecology install gages on streams in WRIA 19 because very little flow data was available and it was considered necessary for the setting of instream flows. As a result, in 2005 Ecology’s Environmental Assessment Program began installing gages on eight streams in the watershed: Lyre, Salt, Deep, East and West Twin, Pysht, Sekiu, and Clallam. Results of stream flow gauging are available at: https://www.fortress.wa.gov/wrx/wrx/flows/regioins/state.asp. How can I get more information on this plan and the various reports that were developed? For further information on the planning process, please see the Department of Ecology web site at: www.ecy.wa.gov/apps/watersheds/planning/19.html or contact Clallam County staff at (360) 417-2361. INTENT OF THE WATERSHED PLANNING PROCESS The intent of the Watershed Management Act is, “meeting the needs of a growing population and a healthy economy statewide; meeting the needs of fish and healthy watersheds statewide; and advancing these two principles together, in increments over time.” The Watershed Management Act goes on to state that, “The legislature finds that improved management of the state’s water resources, clarifying the authorities, requirements, and timelines for establishing instream flows, providing timely decisions on water transfers, clarifying the authority of water conservancy boards, and enhancing the flexibility of our water management system to meet both environmental and economic goals are important steps to providing a better future for our state.” (RCW 90.82 notes 2001 c 237). 3 GOALS OF THE PLANNING PROCESS Generally, the key goals of the planning process are: 1. Assess the status of water resources within a Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 2. Determine how to address competing demands for water within each WRIA A watershed plan may be written for each WRIA or group of WRIAs in the state; however, watershed planning itself is not mandatory. This plan addresses Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 19, the Lyre-Hoko watershed. Watershed boundaries do not usually correspond to specific political or jurisdictional boundaries but instead are defined by areas of common drainage. WRIA 19 extends along the western half of the north Olympic Peninsula, along the Straits of Juan de Fuca, from just west of the Elwha River to the eastern boundary of the Makah reservation (Figure 1). NEAH BAY Figure 1. WRIA 19 Subbasins Source: Washington Department of Ecology 4 INITIATION OF PLANNING To start the planning process, a decision must be made by local governments and tribes electing to participate in the process, to undertake watershed planning. These agencies are called the initiating governments and in WRIA 19 consist of Clallam County (lead agency for this planning process), PUD #1 of Clallam County, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, and the Makah Tribe. A Memorandum of Agreement between the governments that began the planning process was developed. This agreement between the initiating governments is contained in Appendix 4. The initiating governments also asked the State of Washington to participate in the planning process. Governor Gary Locke appointed the Department of Ecology to participate for the state. As a governmental entity, the Watershed Management Act provides that the state has the same responsibilities and obligations as other governmental units on the Planning Unit, such as the ability to veto and the requirement to concur with the Plan. A separate Memorandum of Agreement was developed by state agencies for coordinated