Nisqually Reach Aquatic Reserve Management Plan
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S E Nisqually Reach U R U C Aquatic Reserve Management Plan September 2011 E O S R A L U R U A T N Acknowledgements Nisqually Reach Aquatic Reserve Advisory Committee, 2010 Betty Bookheim, Natural Resource Scientist Washington State Department of Natural Bill Dewey, Shellfish Industry Representative Resources Carol Paschal, Anderson Island Peter Goldmark, Commissioner of Public Lands Daniel Hull, Nisqually Reach Nature Center Bridget Moran, Deputy Supervisor, Aquatic Lands Doug Myers, Nisqually Reach Nature Center Eric Kraig, Beachcrest Community Association Shoreline District Jerry Johannes, Anderson Island Derrick Toba, Assistant Division Manager Michael Kyte, Nisqually Indian Tribe Aquatic Resources Division Kyle Murphy, Aquatic Reserves Program Manager Kristin Swenddal, Division Manager Marian Bailey, Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge Michal Rechner, Assistant Division Manager Rich Doenges, Thurston County David Palazzi, Planning Unit Supervisor Michael Grilliot, Environmental Planner Kyle Murphy, Aquatic Reserves Program Manager Robert Pacunski, Washington State Department of Fish Betty Bookheim, Natural Resource Scientist and Wildlife Michael Grilliot, Environmental Planner Roma Call, Puget Sound Partnership Scott Steltzner, Squaxin Island Tribe GIS and Mapping Tom Kantz, Pierce County Lead Entity Coordinator Mac McKay, Cartography Michael Grilliot, Environmental Planner Communications Copies of this report may be obtained from the Abbey Corzine, DNR Communications Washington State Department of Natural Resources Aquatic Reserves Program or copied from the web Principal Authors page. Copies may also be obtained by contacting: Kyle Murphy, Aquatic Reserves Program Manager Aquatic Reserves Program Manager Betty Bookheim, Natural Resource Scientist Phone: 360-902-1100 Doug Myers, President, Nisqually Reach Nature Center E-mail: [email protected] Daniel Hull, Executive Director, Nisqually Reach Nature Web: www.dnr.wa.gov Center Those needing this information in an alternative Elizabeth Ellis, Environmental Planner, CEP format, please call TTY-711 Michael Grilliot, Environmental Planner Cover photo provided by Daniel Hull, Nisqually Reach Nature Center Aquatic Reserves Technical Advisory Committee, 2009 Brie Van Cleve, Nearshore and Ocean Policy Analyst, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife Dr. Alison Styring, Professor of Biological Sciences, The Evergreen State College Dr. Joanna Smith, Marine Ecologist, The Nature Conservancy John Floberg, Vice President of Stewardship and Conservation Planning, Cascade Land Conservancy Phil Bloch, Biologist, Washington State Department of Transportation Nisqually Reach Environmental, Scientific & Educational Aquatic Reserve Management Plan September 2011 Washington State Department of Natural Resources Aquatic Resources Division Table of Contents 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................ 1 2. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 3 I. WASHINGTON’S DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES.................................................. 3 II. AQUATIC RESERVES PROGRAM ......................................................................................... 3 III. NISQUALLY REACH AQUATIC RESERVE BOUNDARY .......................................................... 5 IV. PURPOSE OF THE NISQUALLY REACH AQUATIC RESERVE MANAGEMENT PLAN ................ 6 V. RELATIONSHIP TO FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND TRIBAL MANAGEMENT ......................... 7 VI. NISQUALLY REACH AREA OWNERSHIP ............................................................................ 15 3. NISQUALLY REACH AQUATIC RESERVE .................................................................................. 19 I. SITE CHARACTERIZATION................................................................................................. 19 II. CURRENT CONDITIONS ..................................................................................................... 37 III. POTENTIAL FUTURE IMPACTS........................................................................................... 43 IV. ARCHEOLOGICAL, CULTURAL AND HISTORIC RESOURCES .............................................. 50 4. MANAGEMENT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES .............................................................................. 53 I. DESIRED FUTURE CONDITIONS .......................................................................................... 53 5. MANAGEMENT ACTIONS ...................................................................................................... 59 I. RESOURCE PROTECTION, ENHANCEMENT, AND RESTORATION ........................................ 60 II. RESEARCH AND MONITORING .......................................................................................... 63 III. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION .......................................................................................... 67 IV. USES ON STATE-OWNED AQUATIC LAND ......................................................................... 69 V. OTHER USES .................................................................................................................... 72 6. IMPLEMENTATION GUIDANCE .............................................................................................. 73 7. GLOSSARY ............................................................................................................................. 74 8. REFERENCE LITERATURE ....................................................................................................... 85 APPENDIX A – OBSERVED SPECIES LISTS ................................................................................... 94 APPENDIX B – MAPS AND FIGURES......................................................................................... 108 APPENDIX C – LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF NISQUALLY REACH AQUATIC RESERVE ....................... 133 APPENDIX D – LIST OF EXISTING USE AUTHORIZATIONS WITHIN THE RESERVE BOUNDARY ... 140 Nisqually Reach Aquatic Reserve Management Plan i Figures and Tables Figure 1: Nisqually Reach Aquatic Reserve and Vicinity .............................................. iv Figure 2: DNR Aquatic Reserves .................................................................................... 4 Figure 3: Nisqually Reach General Ownership and Encumbrance Type ..................... 16 Figure 4: Regional water masses and subareas of Puget Sound: ............................... 21 Figure 5: Seasonal Patterns of winds over western Washington. From ..................... 23 Figure 6: Anderson Island Brickmakers1 ..................................................................... 52 Figure B-1 NOAA chart .............................................................................................. 109 Figure B-2 Nisqually Reach freshwater inputs ......................................................... 110 Figure B-3 Nisqually Reach littoral drift .................................................................... 111 Figure B-4 Nisqually Reach embayment habitat ....................................................... 112 Figure B-5 Nisqually Reach beach substrate type ..................................................... 113 Figure B-6 Nisqually Reach salt marsh habitat ......................................................... 114 Figure B-7 Nisqually Reach eelgrass.......................................................................... 115 Figure B-8 Non-floating kelp distribution ................................................................. 116 Figure B-9 Pigeon Guillemont observations 1992 - 96 ............................................. 117 Figure B-10 Double-crested Cormorant and Rhinoceros Auklet observations, ....... 118 Figure B-11 Bald Eagle observations, spring only ..................................................... 119 Figure B-12 Herring holding and forage fish spawning habitat ................................ 120 Figure B-13 Nisqually Reach fish sampling location by year ..................................... 121 Figure B-14 Geoduck harvestable tracts ................................................................... 122 Figure B-15 Marine mammal observations .............................................................. 123 Figure B-16 Public outfalls in the Nisqually Reach .................................................... 124 Figure B-17 Anderson-Ketron Disposal Site .............................................................. 125 Figure B-18 Encumbrances by activity type in Nisqually Reach ............................... 126 Figure B-19 Shoreline type in Nisqually Reach ......................................................... 127 Figure B-20 Overwater structures reference map .................................................... 128 Figure B-20b - Overwater structure identification and aerial photos ...................... 130 Table 1: Miles of marine shoreline adjacent to the Reserve ........................................ 6 Table 2: State/Federal Marine Protected Areas Near or Within the Reserve ............ 18 Table 3: Nisqually Total Shoreline - Percent Modification within Reserve Boundaries (feet)1 ................................................................................................................. 40 Table 4: Nisqually Total Shoreline - Percent Modification within Reserve Boundaries (miles) ................................................................................................................