The Watershed Company May 2015 S HORELINE A NALYSIS R EPORT PACIFIC COUNTY 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background and Purpose Pacific County (County) obtained a grant from the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) in 2014 to complete a comprehensive update of its Shoreline Master Program (SMP). One of the first steps of the update process is to inventory and characterize the County’s shorelines as defined by the state’s Shoreline Management Act (SMA) of 1971 (RCW 90.58). This analysis was conducted in accordance with the SMP Guidelines (Guidelines, Chapter 173- 26 Washington Administrative Code (WAC)) and project Scope of Work promulgated by Ecology, and includes all unincorporated areas within the County. Under these Guidelines, the County must identify and assemble the most current, applicable, accurate and complete scientific and technical information available. This Shoreline Analysis Report describes existing conditions and characterizes ecological functions in the shoreline jurisdiction. This assessment of current conditions will serve as the baseline against which the impacts of future development actions in shoreline jurisdiction will be measured. The Guidelines require that the County demonstrates that its updated SMP yields “no net loss” in shoreline ecological functions relative to the baseline (current condition). The no net loss requirement is a new standard in the Guidelines that is intended to be used by local jurisdictions to test whether the updated SMP will in fact accomplish the SMA objective of protecting ecological functions. 1.2 Shoreline Jurisdiction As defined by the SMA, shorelines include certain waters of the state plus their associated “shorelands.” At a minimum, the waterbodies designated as shorelines of the state are streams whose mean annual flow is 20 cubic feet per second (cfs) or greater, lakes whose area is greater than 20 acres, and all marine waters extending three miles offshore. Shorelands are defined as: “those lands extending landward for 200 feet in all directions as measured on a horizontal plane from the ordinary high water mark; floodways and contiguous 1 Pacific County Shoreline Analysis Report floodplain areas landward 200 feet from such floodways; and all wetlands and river deltas associated with the streams, lakes, and tidal waters which are subject to the provisions of this chapter…Any county or city may determine that portion of a one- hundred-year-floodplain to be included in its master program as long as such portion includes, as a minimum, the floodway and the adjacent land extending landward two hundred feet therefrom… Any city or county may also include in its master program land necessary for buffers for critical areas (RCW 90.58.030).” Figure 1-1 provides a diagram conveying the extent of shoreline jurisdiction. 3 1 5 2 4 1. Shoreline-associated wetland located entirely within 200 feet from the OHWM 2. Shoreline-associated wetland located partially within 200 feet from the OHWM 3. Shoreline-associated wetland located beyond 200 feet from the OHWM, but within the 100-year floodplain 4. Shoreline-associated wetland that is beyond 200 feet from the OHWM and outside of the 100- year floodplain, but that is hydrologically connected a shoreline waterbody 5. Wetland that is not considered part of shoreline jurisdiction because it is beyond 200 feet from the OHWM, outside of the 100-year floodplain, and not hydrologically connected to a shoreline waterbody Figure 1-1. Diagram showing areas within shoreline jurisdiction Source: Ecology The ordinary high water mark (OHWM) is: “that mark that will be found by examining the bed and banks and ascertaining where the presence and action of waters are so common and usual, and so long continued in all 2 The Watershed Company May 2015 ordinary years, as to mark upon the soil a character distinct from that of the abutting upland, in respect to vegetation as that condition exists on June 1, 1971, as it may naturally change thereafter, or as it may change thereafter in accordance with permits issued by a local government or the department: PROVIDED, That in any area where the ordinary high water mark cannot be found, the ordinary high water mark adjoining salt water shall be the line of mean higher high tide and the ordinary high water mark adjoining fresh water shall be the line of mean high water” (RCW 90.58.030(2)(c)). A detailed description of the methods used to depict shoreline jurisdiction is included in Appendix A. The SMA sets specific preferences for uses and calls for a higher level of effort in implementing its objectives along designated Shorelines of Statewide Significance, these preferences are detailed in Section 4.3.2. All streams and rivers that have mean annual flow of 1,000 cfs or greater are considered Shorelines of Statewide Significance, along with their associated uplands. Within Pacific County’s jurisdiction, the following waterbodies qualify as Shorelines of Statewide Significance (Figure 1-2). • Columbia River • North River • Willapa River downstream from the confluence with the South Fork Willapa River • All areas seaward of the OHWM along the Pacific Ocean coastline, including harbors, bays, estuaries, and inlets, and all shorelands associated with these waters are also considered Shorelines of Statewide Significance Pacific County does not have any lakes greater than 1,000 acres which would thereby qualify as a Shoreline of Statewide Significance. 3 Pacific County Shoreline Analysis Report Figure 1-2. Map of Pacific County showing all Shorelines of the State (regulated shorelines) and Shorelines of Statewide Significance 1.3 Study Area The study area for this report includes all unincorporated land within the County’s proposed shoreline jurisdiction. Further, the study area includes relevant discussion of the contributing watersheds. 4 The Watershed Company May 2015 Pacific County encompasses 1,223 square miles. The County is bordered to the south by the Columbia River, to the southeast by Wahkiakum County, to the east by Lewis County, and to the north by Grays Harbor County. The County is bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean. The County is predominantly rural in nature, with unincorporated areas making up most of the land area. Incorporated areas of the County include the cities of South Bend, Raymond, Long Beach, and Ilwaco. Pacific County is home to the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe. The Long Beach Peninsula was also once home to the Chinook Indian Tribe, the federal recognition of which is still pending (History Link, electronic reference). Federal and State lands make up nearly 4 percent and 12 percent of the total shoreland area, respectively. Federal lands occur in the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). Federal lands on which shoreline waterbodies lie are included in this report, but discussion is more limited because the future SMP will only pertain to actions undertaken by non-federal parties on those lands. This generally occurs when a federal agency leases lands to a private party, such as forest tract leases on lands in a National Forest. 2 SUMMARY OF CURRENT REGULATORY FRAMEWORK 2.1 Shoreline Management Act The SMA promotes planning along shorelines and coordination among governments. The legislative findings and policy intent of the SMA states: “There is, therefore, a clear and urgent demand for a planned, rational, and concerted effort, jointly performed by federal, state, and local governments, to prevent the inherent harm in an uncoordinated and piecemeal development of the state's shorelines (RCW 90.58.020).” While protecting shoreline resources by regulating development, the SMA is also intended to provide balance by encouraging water-dependent or water-oriented uses while also conserving or enhancing shoreline ecological functions and values. SMPs must be based on state guidelines, but should be tailored to the specific conditions and needs of the local community. 2.2 Pacific County Shoreline Master Program Pacific County adopted its existing SMP in 2000. 5 Pacific County Shoreline Analysis Report Shoreline uses, developments, and activities are also subject to the County’s Comprehensive Plan, County Code, and various other provisions of County, State and federal laws. Each incorporated City in the County is in the process of its own individual SMP update. Existing Pacific County Shoreline Master Program Designations The current SMP designations for Pacific County include the four designations included in Ecology’s 1971 Final Guidelines. These designations include: Natural: “relatively free of human influence… Any activity which would change… the existing situation would be desirable only if such a change would contribute to the preservation of the existing character. The primary determinant for designating an area as a natural environment is the… presence of some unique natural or cultural features considered valuable in their natural or original condition which (is) relatively intolerant of intensive human use.” Conservancy: resources and valuable historic and cultural areas in order to ensure a continuous flow of recreational benefits to the public and to achieve sustained resources utilization… examples of use that might be predominant in a conservancy environment include diffuse outdoor recreation activities, timber harvesting on a sustained-yield basis, passive agricultural uses such as pasture and range… conservancy would also be the most suitable designation for those areas which present too severe biophysical limitations to be designated rural or urban…” Rural: “to protect