Vancouver Lake Partnership Planning Process and Recommendations Report Prepared by: The Vancouver Lake Watershed Partnership December 2013 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................... 1 Glossary ....................................................................................................................................................... 4 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................... 7 Why is Vancouver Lake Important? .................................................................................................... 7 What are cyanobacteria and why is it a problem? ............................................................................ 7 What has the Partnership accomplished? ........................................................................................... 7 What are the Partnership’s major findings? ....................................................................................... 8 What happens next? .............................................................................................................................. 8 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 9 Partnership Organization and Vision ............................................................................................... 11 Partnership’s Approach ...................................................................................................................... 11 Partnership Status and This Report ................................................................................................... 14 2. Vancouver Lake Existing Conditions & Research ........................................................................... 15 General Lake Background .................................................................................................................. 15 Existing Conditions.............................................................................................................................. 21 Technical Findings ............................................................................................................................... 23 Technical Summary ............................................................................................................................. 30 3. Management Objectives and Actions ................................................................................................ 31 Lake Management Objectives ............................................................................................................ 31 Management Actions ........................................................................................................................... 34 Potential Actions to Address Lake River Nutrients and Internal Loading ................................. 35 Management Objectives and Actions Summary ............................................................................. 39 4. 2013 Partnership Recommendations ................................................................................................. 40 Recommendations Context ................................................................................................................. 40 Recommendations for Vancouver Lake ............................................................................................ 41 Summary ............................................................................................................................................... 45 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................. 47 Acknowledgements Dedicated individuals, agency staff, and organizations made important contributions to make this report possible. The following entities and individuals, in particular, offered input and advice at key points during development of the Vancouver Lake Recommendations Report. Their assistance is greatly appreciated. Partnership Members & Alternates Allen Lebovitz Washington Department of Natural Resources Andrew Ness Port of Vancouver Anne Friesz Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Annette Griffy City of Vancouver Brett Raunig Washington Department of Ecology Brian Carlson City of Vancouver Brian Potter Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation Bruce Wiseman Port of Ridgefield Carol Record Fruit Valley Neighborhood Chris Hathaway Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership Clark Martin Citizen David Judd Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation David Page Citizen - Vancouver Resident, Salmon Creek Watershed Assn. Debrah Marriot Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership Don Jacobs Citizen - Vancouver Resident Doug Quinn Clark Public Utilities Eric LaBrant Fruit Valley Neighborhood Gary Kokstis Citizen - West Vancouver Resident, Sailing Club Member George Medina US Army Corps of Engineers Iloba Odum Washington Department of Ecology Jacquelin Edwards Citizen - Felida Moorage Resident James Meyer Citizen - Ridgefield Resident Jane Kleiner Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation Jane Van Dyke Citizen - Northeast Vancouver Resident Jean Akers Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation Jennie Ju Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation Jeroen Kok Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation Joe Laxson Clark County Public Health Jordan Larner Port of Ridgefield Joy Polston-Barnes Washington Department of Natural Resources Katy Brooks Port of Vancouver Kevin Gray Clark County Environmental Sciences Lee McCallister Fruit Valley Neighborhood Lehman Holder Citizen – Vancouver Resident, Sierra Club 1 Member Nancy Ellifrit Citizen - Ridgefield Resident Nancy Lopez Washington Department of Natural Resources Patty Boyden Port of Vancouver Pete Capell Clark County Public Works Pete Mayer Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation Ralph Dannenberg Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation Randy Mueller Port of Ridgefield Randy Phillips Clark County Public Health Ron Wierenga Clark County Environmental Services Scott Robinson Washington Dept. of Natural Resources Shane Cothern Washington Dept. of Natural Resources Steve Prather Clark Public Utilities Steve West Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Thom McConathy Citizen- Northeast Hazel Dell Resident Tim Rymer Washington Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Tom Gonzales Clark County Public Health Tonnie Cummings Washington Department of Ecology Vernon V. Veysey Citizen - Ridgefield Resident Victor Ehrlich City of Vancouver Steering Group Members Brian Carlson City of Vancouver David Judd Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation Eric LaBrant Fruit Valley Neighborhood Kevin Gray Clark County Public Works Lee McCallister Fruit Valley Neighborhood LeeAnn Graff Fruit Valley Neighborhood Patty Boyden Port of Vancouver Pete Capell Clark County Public Works Ralph Dannenberg Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation Ron Wierenga Clark County Environmental Services Technical Group Members Allen Lebovitz Washington Department of Natural Resources Anne Friesz Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Brett Raunig Washington Department of Ecology Chris Hathaway Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership Dorie Sutton City of Vancouver Water Resources Gretchen Rollwagen Bollens WSU Vancouver Harvey Claussen Vancouver Lake Sailing Club Jeff Schnabel Clark County Environmental Services Joe Laxson Clark County Public Health 2 Jeroen Kok Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation Julius Dalzell Vancouver Lake Sailing Club Lisa Willis Port of Vancouver Marty McGinn Clark County Public Health Phillip Martello Port of Vancouver Steve Bollens WSU - Vancouver Steve West Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Thom McConathy Citizen Tonnie Cummings Washington Department of Ecology Public Involvement and Outreach Andrew Ness Port of Vancouver Brooke Porter City of Vancouver Jeff Mize Clark County Jim Gladson Clark County Loretta Callahan City of Vancouver Rob Guttridge Clark County Project Management Team Alex McManus PC Trask & Associates, Inc. Corie Peters PC Trask & Associates, Inc. Eileen Stone PC Trask & Associates, Inc. Jeanne Lawson Jeanne Lawson Associates Mardy Tremblay Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership Sabrina Litton PC Trask & Associates, Inc. Phil Trask PC Trask & Associates, Inc. Rob Zisette Herrera Environmental Services Other Agency Staff Curt Loop US Army Corps of Engineers Dennis Schwartz US Army Corps of Engineers Jonnie Hyde Clark County Sharon Shultz US Army Corps of Engineers 3 Glossary Analytes: A substance or chemical Eutrophic: A eutrophic body of water, constituent that is of interest in an analytical commonly a lake or pond, has high procedure. Experiments always seek to biological productivity. Due to excessive measure properties of analytes—analytes nutrients, especially nitrogen and themselves can never be measured. phosphorus, these water bodies are able to support an abundance of aquatic plants. Bathymetry: The science of measuring the Usually the water body will be dominated depths of oceans, seas, or other large bodies either by aquatic plants or algae. of water. Fetch: The length of water over which a Chrysene: A polycyclic aromatic given wind has blown. hydrocarbon (PAH) that is a natural constituent of coal tar. It is also found in Fluoranthene: A polycyclic aromatic creosote, a chemical used to preserve wood. hydrocarbon (PAH)