NRCS National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI) Watershed Assessment: Wiser Lake Creek-Nooksack River Watershed Prepared By: Whatcom Conservation District Lynden, WA December 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 2 Tables and Figures .......................................................................................................................... 4 Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 6 1. Background and Purpose ..................................................................................................... 7 Background ...................................................................................................................... 7 Location of Watershed Assessment Area ......................................................................... 8 Sub-basins of Wiser Watershed ............................................................................................... 9 Special Districts ....................................................................................................................... 9 Water Quality Resource Concerns ................................................................................. 11 Washington State Surface Water Quality Criteria ................................................................. 11 303d Assessed Waters ........................................................................................................... 11 Lower Nooksack River Basin Bacteria TMDL ..................................................................... 12 Opportunities and Goals for Water Quality ................................................................... 12 NRCS’s Partnership in Reaching Goals ......................................................................... 13 2. Watershed Characterization ............................................................................................... 14 Watershed Location ........................................................................................................ 14 Local Climate Overview ................................................................................................ 14 Physical Characterization of Watershed Area ................................................................ 15 Hydrologic Features .............................................................................................................. 15 FEMA Flood Zones ............................................................................................................... 17 Soils ....................................................................................................................................... 17 Digital Elevation Model ........................................................................................................ 17 Land Cover and Use ....................................................................................................... 20 Land Use Characterization .................................................................................................... 20 Septic System Locations and Compliance Classification ...................................................... 23 Livestock Surveys.................................................................................................................. 23 Socioeconomic and Demographic Characterization of Watershed ................................ 25 3. Hydrologic and water quality characterization .................................................................. 27 Available Water Quality Data and Resources ................................................................ 27 Watershed Hydrology .................................................................................................... 27 Gauging Stations.................................................................................................................... 27 Stream Flow Analysis ............................................................................................................ 28 Relative contribution of the Wiser Watershed to the Lower Nooksack River ...................... 28 Seasonality of Water Quantity ............................................................................................... 28 2 Precipitation-Runoff Budget.................................................................................................. 29 Groundwater Recharge Potential ........................................................................................... 29 Irrigation in the Wiser Watershed .................................................................................. 30 Current Water Quality Conditions ................................................................................. 30 Pathogen Monitoring (Whatcom Clean Water Program) ...................................................... 30 Nitrogen and Phosphorus ...................................................................................................... 35 Sediment ................................................................................................................................ 35 4. Resource Analysis Assessment .......................................................................................... 36 Overview of Watershed Assessment Model .................................................................. 36 Objective ................................................................................................................................ 36 Spatial Modeling Approach ................................................................................................... 37 Critical Source Areas Identified ..................................................................................... 38 Treatments and Opportunities ........................................................................................ 42 Conservation Management Practices ..................................................................................... 42 Assessment of Management Scenarios .................................................................................. 42 5. Summary and Recommendations ...................................................................................... 44 Watershed Assessment Summary .................................................................................. 44 Practice Implementation Recommendations .................................................................. 44 Effectiveness Monitoring ............................................................................................... 44 Effectiveness Monitoring of Watershed Plan ........................................................................ 44 Conservation Practice Implementation Monitoring .............................................................. 45 Conservation Practice Monitoring ......................................................................................... 45 Conservation Planning ........................................................................................................... 46 Water Quality Monitoring ..................................................................................................... 46 Tracking Data Metrics and Trends over Time ....................................................................... 47 NEPA Concerns ............................................................................................................. 47 6. Outreach ............................................................................................................................. 49 Outreach Plan Goals and Objectives .............................................................................. 49 Background Analysis for Audience Selection ............................................................... 49 Primary Livestock Types in Watershed................................................................................. 49 Primary Land Use Types in Watershed ................................................................................. 49 Target Audience Prioritization ....................................................................................... 50 Outreach Strategy by Audience Type ............................................................................ 52 NRCS Outreach Barriers and Recommendations .......................................................... 55 Evaluation of NRCS Program Impact and Adaptive Management ................................ 56 Partners in Outreach ....................................................................................................... 57 3 Agricultural Audience Focus ................................................................................................. 57 Non-Agricultural or General Audience Focus ....................................................................... 58 7. References .......................................................................................................................... 60 8. Local Contacts ................................................................................................................... 62 9. Appendix ............................................................................................................................ 63 TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1. Sub-basins of Wiser Watershed by area. .........................................................................