Integrated Aquatic Vegetation Managment Plan Sammamish
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Integrated Aquatic Vegetation Management Plan SAMMAMISH RIVER King County, Washington Prepared by King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks Water and Land Resources Division Noxious Weed Control Program King Street Center 201 South Jackson, Suite 600 Seattle, WA 89104 206.296-0290 TTY Relay: 711 June 2013 Sammamish River Integrated Aquatic Vegetation Management Plan THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK King County Water and Land Resources Division ii June 2013 Sammamish River Integrated Aquatic Vegetation Management Plan King County Executive Dow Constantine Director of Department of Natural Resources and Parks Christie True Division Manager of Water and Land Resources Division Mark Isaacson Water and Land Resources Division Staff Sally Abella Kate Akyuz Roy Brunskill Beth leDoux Katie Messick Jason Mulvihill-Kuntz Ben Peterson Sammamish River Steering Committee Gary Smith Joe Thumma Andy Loch Roger Dane Roy Brunskill Kate Akyuz King County Water and Land Resources Division iii June 2013 Sammamish River Integrated Aquatic Vegetation Management Plan Acknowledgements The King County Noxious Water and Land Resources Division wish to thank the members of the Steering Committee for the Sammamish River Integrated Aquatic Vegetation Management Plan. Members include Ben Peterson, Roy Brunskill, Roger Dane, Andy Loch, Joe Thumma, Gary Smith and Kate Akyuz. King County staff were instrumental in developing the IAVMP. Key staff included Beth leDoux of the King County Water and Land Resources Science section as well as Ben Peterson and Katie Messick of the Noxious Weed Control Program. Additional King County Noxious weed control program staff that have helped with this plan include Steve Burke and Roy Brunskill. King County Rivers Section as well as WRIA 8 also provided guidance and support in developing this document. They include Kate Akyuz from the Rivers Section as well as Jean White and Jason Mulvihill-Kuntz of WRIA 8. Washington Department of Ecology staff provided invaluable technical guidance during development of the IAVMP. Thank you to Lizbeth Seebacher of the Aquatic Weeds Management Fund for their expeditious and thorough response to our questions. Finally, special thanks to all the cities, shoreline residents, businesses and organizations that live, work and serve the Sammamish River. Their enthusiasm and commitment to improving the ecological integrity recreational opportunities and aesthetic beauty of the Sammamish River will be the ultimate driving force of this plan. King County Water and Land Resources Division iv June 2013 Sammamish River Integrated Aquatic Vegetation Management Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................................ix LOCATION...................................................................................................................................................... 1 PROBLEM STATEMENT .................................................................................................................................. 3 MANAGEMENT GOALS .................................................................................................................................. 3 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ........................................................................................................................ 4 Steering Committee, outreach, and education process ........................................................................... 4 Continuing Community Education ............................................................................................................ 4 WATERSHED AND WATERBODY CHARACTERISTICS ..................................................................................... 5 History of the River ................................................................................................................................... 5 Land Use Activities in the Watershed and Potential Nonpoint Nutrient Source Locations ..................... 7 Stream and Wetland Locations ................................................................................................................. 8 River Flows ................................................................................................................................................ 9 Water Quality of the Water Body ........................................................................................................... 10 Status on the 303 (d) list ..................................................................................................................... 10 Long-term Trends ................................................................................................................................ 11 Problem Algae ......................................................................................................................................... 11 Soils ......................................................................................................................................................... 11 River Sediment and LWD ........................................................................................................................ 12 Water Withdrawals ................................................................................................................................. 13 SHORELINE USE OF THE WATER ................................................................................................................. 13 BENEFICIAL AND RECREATIONAL USES ....................................................................................................... 13 Fish and Wildlife Communities ................................................................................................................... 14 Fish .......................................................................................................................................................... 14 Birds ........................................................................................................................................................ 14 Mammals, Reptiles, and Amphibians ..................................................................................................... 15 CHARACTERIZATION OF THE AQUATIC PLANTS AND SHORELINE VEGETATION OF THE SAMMAMISH RIVER ........................................................................................................................................................... 16 Rare Plants .............................................................................................................................................. 16 General Shoreline Vegetation ................................................................................................................. 16 FOCUS ON NOXIOUS WEEDS FOR THIS MANAGEMENT PLAN ................................................................... 21 NOXIOUS WEED CONTROL HISTORY ON THE SAMMAMISH RIVER ............................................................ 21 King County Water and Land Resources Division v June 2013 Sammamish River Integrated Aquatic Vegetation Management Plan EMERGENT AQUATIC NOXIOUS WEEDS ..................................................................................................... 22 Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) ..................................................................................................... 22 Lysimachia vulgaris (garden loosestrife)................................................................................................ 24 Phragmites australis (phragmites, common reed) ................................................................................. 27 SUBMERSED AND FLOATING AQUATIC VEGETATION AND WEEDS ............................................................ 30 Egeria densa (Brazilian elodea) ............................................................................................................... 30 SECTION 6 - MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................................... 33 A word about Integrated Pest Management .......................................................................................... 39 THE “NO ACTION” ALTERNATIVE ................................................................................................................ 39 Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) ..................................................................................................... 39 Hand Pulling and digging (only suitable for small areas or used in combination with other methods) ............................................................................................................................................. 39 Weed Fabric/Tarps (only suitable for small areas) ............................................................................. 40 Cutting (used in combination with other methods) ........................................................................... 40 Biological Control (used in combination with other methods) ........................................................... 40 Chemical Control – most effective initial control method .................................................................. 40 Garden loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris) ................................................................................................ 41 Hand Pulling and Digging (only suitable for small areas or used in combination with