PACIFIC COUNTY Grant No. G1400525 Shoreline Analysis Report for Shorelines in Pacific County Prepared for: Pacific County 1216 W. Robert Bush Drive PO Box 68 South Bend, WA 98586 Prepared by: STRATEGY | ANALYSIS | COMMUNICATIONS 2025 First Avenue, Suite 800 Seattle WA 98121 110 Main St # 103 Edmonds, WA 98020 September 2014 This report was funded in part through a grant from the The Watershed Company Washington Department of Ecology. Reference Number: 130727 Cite this document as: The Watershed Company, BERK, and Coast and Harbor Engineering. September 2014. Shoreline Analysis Report for Shorelines in Pacific County. Prepared for Pacific County, South Bend, WA. The Watershed Company September 2014 T A B L E O F C ONTENTS Page # 1 Introduction ................................................................................ 1 1.1 Background and Purpose ............................................................................. 1 1.2 Shoreline Jurisdiction ................................................................................... 1 1.3 Study Area ..................................................................................................... 3 2 Summary of Current Regulatory Framework ........................... 4 2.1 Shoreline Management Act ........................................................................... 4 2.2 Pacific County ................................................................................................ 4 2.2.1 Shoreline Master Program .............................................................................. 4 2.2.2 Existing Pacific County Shoreline Master Program Designations ............. 5 2.2.3 County Comprehensive Plan .......................................................................... 6 2.2.4 Zoning Code ................................................................................................... 10 2.2.5 Critical Areas .................................................................................................. 11 2.3 State Agencies and Regulations ................................................................ 12 2.4 Federal Regulations .................................................................................... 16 2.5 Tribal Regulations ....................................................................................... 18 2.6 Regulatory Framework - Special Topics .................................................... 18 2.6.1 Dredging.......................................................................................................... 18 2.6.2 Ocean Energy Projects .................................................................................. 18 3 Summary of County Ecosystem Conditions .......................... 19 3.1 Climate ......................................................................................................... 19 3.2 Geology ........................................................................................................ 19 3.2.1 Willapa Hills .................................................................................................... 19 3.2.2 Columbia River Estuary ................................................................................. 20 3.3 Key Species and Habitats ........................................................................... 20 3.3.1 Freshwater Habitats ....................................................................................... 20 3.3.2 Estuarine and Marine Habitats...................................................................... 22 3.3.3 Priority Habitats and Species ....................................................................... 25 3.3.4 Non-Native, Invasive Species ....................................................................... 30 3.4 Watershed Setting and Conditions ............................................................ 32 Pacific County Shoreline Analysis Report 3.4.1 Willapa (WRIA 24) ........................................................................................... 33 3.4.2 Chehalis (WRIA 22/23) ................................................................................... 34 3.4.3 Grays/Elochoman (WRIA 25)......................................................................... 35 3.4.4 Marine and Estuarine Shorelines ................................................................. 36 4 Shoreline Inventory ................................................................. 50 4.1 Assessment Units ....................................................................................... 50 4.2 Inventory Data .............................................................................................. 51 4.3 Inventory Data Summary, Assumptions, Limitations, and Data Gaps ..... 57 4.3.1 Ecological Characterization .......................................................................... 57 4.3.2 Land Use Characterization ............................................................................ 61 4.4 Assessment Unit Inventory Conditions ..................................................... 64 5 Analysis of Ecological Characteristics .................................. 76 5.1 Methods ........................................................................................................ 76 5.1.1 Reach Delineation .......................................................................................... 76 5.1.2 Approach......................................................................................................... 78 5.1.3 Limitations ...................................................................................................... 91 5.2 Results ......................................................................................................... 92 5.2.1 North River ...................................................................................................... 92 5.2.2 Willapa River ................................................................................................... 98 5.2.3 Middle Bay .................................................................................................... 106 5.2.4 Naselle River ................................................................................................. 112 5.2.5 Upper Chehalis River ................................................................................... 118 5.2.6 Grays River ................................................................................................... 121 5.2.7 Columbia River ............................................................................................. 126 5.2.8 Willapa Bay ................................................................................................... 132 5.2.9 Long Beach Peninsula ................................................................................. 138 5.2.10 Pacific Coast- North ..................................................................................... 146 6 Land Use Analysis ................................................................. 151 6.1 Approach .................................................................................................... 151 6.1.1 Analysis Scale .............................................................................................. 151 6.1.2 Current Land Use ......................................................................................... 151 6.1.3 Ownership Profile ........................................................................................ 152 6.1.4 Developing Shorelines and New Uses ....................................................... 153 6.1.5 Shoreline Use Conflicts ............................................................................... 155 6.2 Land Use Analysis Results ....................................................................... 157 4 The Watershed Company September 2014 6.2.1 North River .................................................................................................... 157 6.2.2 Willapa River ................................................................................................. 163 6.2.3 Middle Bay .................................................................................................... 173 6.2.4 Naselle River ................................................................................................. 179 6.2.5 Upper Chehalis River ................................................................................... 187 6.2.6 Grays River ................................................................................................... 190 6.2.7 Columbia River ............................................................................................. 193 6.2.8 Willapa Bay ................................................................................................... 200 6.2.9 Long Beach Peninsula ................................................................................. 215 6.2.10 Pacific Coast- North ..................................................................................... 225 7 Shoreline Management Recommendations ......................... 230 7.1 Environment Designations ....................................................................... 230 7.1.1 Background .................................................................................................. 230 7.1.2 Methodology ................................................................................................. 239 7.1.3 Recommendations ......................................................................................