Centennial Clean Water Fund Grant

CENTENNIAL CLEAN WATER FUND GRANT State of Washington Department of Ecology & Port of Illahee Illahee Surface Water Management Plan (SWMP) Grant G0700283 FINAL REPORT June 2011 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 1. INTRODUCTION 4 2. CENTENNIAL CLEAN WATER GRANT 4 3. BASIN ASSESSMENT AND SURFACE WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 4 (THE PARAMETRIX REPORT) 3.1 Project Overview 3.2 Primary Watershed Issues 3.3 Recommended Strategies 3.4 Funding and Partnerships Required 3.5 Implementation of SWMP Findings 3.6 Demonstration Rain Garden 3.7 Gifting of Rolling Hills Golf Course 4. WATER QUALITY MONITORING 7 4.1 Summary Findings 4.2 Background 4.3 Objective 4.4 Previous and Ongoing Efforts 4.5 Monitoring Stations 4.6 Criteria for Analyzing the Results 4.7 Monitoring Results 4.8 Analysis Conclusions 4.9 Recommendations 5. RIPARIAN PLANTING 12 5.1 Delayed Installation Due to Flooding 5.2 Culvert Dredging Results 5.3 Landowners Agreement 5.4 Riparian Planting 6. PUBLIC INFORMATION AND EDUCATION 13 6.1 Reaching Residents 6.2 New Methods Electronic Communication (Website/Email/Blogs/Facebook) 6.3 Website 2 6.4 Website Advertised 6.5 Frequency of Website Use 6.6 Direct Electronic Communication 6.7 Email Numbers 6.8 Email Newsletter Approach 6.9 Updates Posted on Blog 6.10 Updates on Facebook 6.11 Website Transition 6.12 Port of Illahee Website 6.13 Website Collaboration 6.14 Archival History 6.15 Labor Intensive 6.16 Websites Volunteer Supported Educational Signs (Rain Garden/Preserve/SWMP) 6.17 Educational Sign Concept 6.18 Sign Locations 6.19 Rain Garden Opportunity 6.20 Rain Garden Agreements & Plots 6.21 Rain Garden Educational Signs 6.22 Preserve/SWMP Educational Signs Illahee Film Project 6.23 Strategy 6.24 Illahee Film Traditional Meetings 6.25 Four Public Meetings Held 6.26 Parametrix Mid-Project Briefing 3/11/08 6.27 Combined Meeting & Parametrix Briefing 1/29/09 6.28 Keta Waters Presentation 6/30/09 6.29 Second Keta Waters Presentation 3/29/11 7. ECOLOGY SITE VISIT 19 8. CONCLUSIONS 21 8.1 Just the Beginning 8.2 Storm Water Surges Continue 8.3 Aquifer Problems Continue 8.4 Golf Course Acquisition - A Giant Step Forward 8.5 Public Information & Education Efforts 8.6 Illahee Film – A Grant Project Summary Report 3 1. INTRODUCTION Illahee is a community with many amenities including a small fish bearing stream, a nearly self contained watershed, critical areas, aquifer recharge areas, riparian areas, and flood plains, such that nearly half of Illahee is still in its natural state. It is also a community with major water related issues affecting local aquifers, Illahee Creek, and Puget Sound waters and shorelines. The Illahee Creek watershed is relatively small when compared to other watersheds in the Puget Sound region, but it is a major contributor of sediment pollution in Port Orchard Bay. Although much of the watershed is protected by the natural features of the Illahee Preserve, it has been impacted by increasing urban development in the upland margins of the watershed. These developments were believed to be influencing peak storm flows and exacerbating low flow problems in Illahee Creek. Additionally, Illahee Creek is on Ecology’s 303(d) list (impaired water bodies list) for excess fecal coliform bacteria and low dissolved oxygen. Those issues are the reason the Port of Illahee was awarded a Centennial Clean Water grant by the Washington State Department of Ecology. 2. CENTENNIAL CLEAN WATER GRANT The Centennial Clean Water grant seeks to improve the waters of Illahee Creek and Port Orchard Bay by supporting four specific tasks: Basin Assessment and Surface Water Management Planning, Water Quality Monitoring, Riparian Planting, and Public Information and Education. Total Cost of Project: $268,000.00 Grant Amount: $181,000.00 Project Start Date: 4/17/2007 Project End Date: 6/30/2011 3. BASIN ASSESSMENT AND SURFACE WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 3.1 Project Overview. The engineering firm Parametrix was contracted to complete an Illahee Basin Assessment and Surface Water Management Plan. The assessment was conducted by project manager and water resources specialist Erin Nelson, PE, LG; watershed assessment lead and recognized watershed expert Derek Booth, PhD, PE, PG; aquifer protection lead and recognized hydrologist Joel Massmann, PhD, PE; and fisheries/habitat lead and fisheries biologist Pete Lawson. The Illahee Creek Watershed Surface Water Management Plan (SWMP) was issued in September 2008. Portions of the executive summary are as follows: 4 An aerial view of the Illahee Watershed shows a substantial forested area surrounding the mainstem of Illahee creek and its tributaries. To view it from this perspective, one might conclude that the creek is sufficiently protected from urban growth or stormwater impacts. This is not the case. Despite the excellent riparian conditions afforded by the Illahee Preserve, Illahee Creek and its tributaries are being impacted by stormwater runoff, and reduced aquifer recharge from development outside the forested area. Without implementation of stormwater controls on existing development and greater regulatory or institutional controls on future development, including insurance of adequate aquifer protection, the aquatic habitat conditions in Illahee Creek will continue to degrade. We do believe recovery is possible; however, it will take a combination of strategies and partnerships between public and private stakeholders for funding and implementation. Illahee Creek Watershed Surface Water Management Plan Report 3.2 Primary Watershed Issues. The report summarizes the primary issues impacting the watershed as: Surface Water Runoff Surface water runoff from impervious surfaces and conversion of watershed forested properties has altered the natural hydrology of Illahee Creek resulting in channel erosion and sedimentation that has degraded aquatic habitat conditions in the creek. Landslides Inappropriate stormwater discharge locations on steep erosive slopes have caused landslides that deliver high volumes of sediment to the creek and subsequently the Illahee Creek delta. Reduced Aquifer Recharge Groundwater seeps are the primary source of water to Illahee Creek. With groundwater resources in the Illahee Creek watershed being over-allocated, the withdrawal of groundwater for domestic purposes and the conversion of more land to impervious surfaces will reduce the baseflows available to Illahee Creek, impacting salmonids that need fresh, cold water for survival. 5 Water Quality Illahee Creek is on Ecology’s 303(d) Category 5 list for impairment due to elevated fecal coliform bacteria and low dissolved oxygen. Functionality of Illahee Creek Culvert The Illahee Creek culvert is being impacted by high sediment loads originating higher up in the watershed. The culvert could be jeopardized by continued sediment deposition and high peak flows, as well as an ongoing maintenance problem for Kitsap County staff. Degraded Salmonid Habitat All of the above issues result in degraded habitat for aquatic species, including salmonids that have historically used Illahee Creek for spawning and rearing. 3.3 Recommended Strategies. Strategies recommended in the assessment are as follows: The Illahee Community in partnership with Kitsap County and others have largely accomplished one of the most important aspects of surface water management: protection of high quality resources and land in the watershed. Acquisition of the 460-acres that is now the Illahee Preserve make it possible to address other issues in the watershed and perhaps, reverse the trend of aquatic habitat degradation in Illahee Creek. The recommended strategies for addressing the issues affecting Illahee Creek include planning, educational and capital strategies that will involve multiple stakeholders, regulations, and agencies with different interests. The strategies include projects that (1) preserve ecological function, (2) retrofit existing development, and (3) plan for and strive to reduce impacts from future development. Additionally, monitoring programs are recommended to track progress as these strategies are implemented. The lists for the recommended strategies discussed in this plan as well as priority and timeframe for implementation are noted in the report in Table ES-1 of the Executive Summary, in the report body, and in Appendix C. 3.4 Funding and Partnerships Required. The report goes on to recommend that implementation of the recommendations will require significant funding and partnerships. Implementation of the strategies identified in this plan will require significant funding and partnerships. Many communities struggle to get basic funding needs met, let alone funding for beneficial projects that are not required for basic health-and-safety needs. This will be the primary challenge for the Port of Illahee and the Illahee Community in implementing this plan. Possible funding sources for projects identified in the plan include (1) Kitsap County for projects directly related to County needs or requirements, (2) granting agencies, (3) taxes or fees collected by a special drainage district or the Port district, (4) individual private donors, and (5) volunteer labor. For many projects, the best approach will be to develop strategic partnerships and cost-sharing arrangements between stakeholders. 6 The total estimated cost to bring existing development into compliance with current stormwater standards that are considered protective of the environment is approximately $20 million. The best strategy to protect Illahee Creek from future degradation is to ensure that

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