Thurston VSP Appendix H | April, 2017 Thurston County Voluntary Stewardship Program Work Plan Appendix H – Watershed Plans and Baseline Conditions Table of Contents 1 Thurston County Overview ................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Agricultural Economy .................................................................................................................... 5 1.2 Farmland at Risk ............................................................................................................................ 6 1.3 Background on Farmland Protection ............................................................................................ 7 1.3.1 Background Studies on Farmland Protection ..................................................................... 10 1.3.2 Recommended Strategies for Farmland Protection ........................................................... 15 1.3.3 Status of Farmland Protection ............................................................................................ 19 1.4 Background on Critical Areas Protection .................................................................................... 21 1.4.1 Critical Areas Context in Thurston County .......................................................................... 22 1.4.2 Status of Voluntary Critical Areas Protection ............................................................................ 23 1.5 Thurston County Baseline Conditions ......................................................................................... 24 1.5.1 Intersection: Agricultural Activities and Critical Areas ....................................................... 25 1.5.2 Agricultural Baseline Information .............................................................................................. 29 2 Overview of Study Areas ..................................................................................................................... 31 2.1 Chehalis Basin Overview ............................................................................................................. 31 2.1.1 Geography and Hydrology .................................................................................................. 31 2.1.2 Land Uses and Land Cover Estimates .................................................................................. 32 2.1.3 Critical Areas ....................................................................................................................... 33 2.1.4 Agricultural Activities .......................................................................................................... 35 2.1.5 Intersection: Agriculture and Critical Areas ........................................................................ 36 2.1.6 Existing Issues and Strategies.............................................................................................. 37 2.2 Deschutes Watershed Overview ................................................................................................. 45 2.2.1 Geography and Hydrology .................................................................................................. 45 2.2.2 Land Uses and Land Cover Estimates .................................................................................. 46 2.2.3 Critical Areas ....................................................................................................................... 47 Page 1 of 165 Thurston VSP Appendix H | April, 2017 2.2.4 Agricultural Activities .......................................................................................................... 49 2.2.5 Intersection: Agriculture and Critical Areas ........................................................................ 50 2.2.6 Existing Issues and Strategies.............................................................................................. 51 2.3 Nisqually Watershed Overview ................................................................................................... 58 2.3.1 Geography and Hydrology .................................................................................................. 58 2.3.2 Land Uses and Land Cover Estimates .................................................................................. 60 2.3.3 Critical Areas ....................................................................................................................... 61 2.3.4 Agricultural Activities .......................................................................................................... 63 2.3.5 Intersection: Agriculture and Critical Areas ........................................................................ 64 2.3.6 Existing Issues and Strategies.............................................................................................. 65 2.4 Kennedy-Goldsborough Watershed Overview ........................................................................... 74 2.4.1 Geography and Hydrology .................................................................................................. 74 2.4.2 Land Uses and Land Cover Estimates .................................................................................. 75 2.4.3 Critical Areas ....................................................................................................................... 75 2.4.4 Agricultural Activities .......................................................................................................... 77 2.4.5 Intersection: Agriculture and Critical Areas ........................................................................ 77 2.4.6 Existing Issues and Strategies.............................................................................................. 78 3 Chehalis Watershed Existing Information and Baseline Conditions ................................................... 83 3.1 Watershed Management Plans and Existing Information .......................................................... 84 3.1.1 Recommendations and Suggested Actions ......................................................................... 85 3.1.2 Detailed Implementation Plan Strategies ........................................................................... 87 3.1.3 Status of Watershed Management Plans ........................................................................... 88 3.2 Water Quality Data and Plans ..................................................................................................... 90 3.2.1 Status of Water Quality Improvement Projects .................................................................. 94 3.3 Farmland Protection Data and Plans .......................................................................................... 96 3.3.1 Status of Farmland Protection Programs ............................................................................ 97 3.4 Species Recovery Data and Plans ................................................................................................ 98 3.4.1 Status of Species Recovery Plans ...................................................................................... 104 4 Deschutes Watershed Existing Information and Baseline Conditions .............................................. 105 4.1 Watershed Management Plans ................................................................................................ 106 4.1.1 Recommendations and Suggested Actions ....................................................................... 107 Page 2 of 165 Thurston VSP Appendix H | April, 2017 4.1.2 Detailed Implementation Plan Strategies ......................................................................... 113 4.1.3 Status of Watershed Management Plans ......................................................................... 113 4.2 Water Quality Data and Plans ................................................................................................... 113 4.2.1 Status of Water Quality Improvement Projects ................................................................ 117 4.3 Farmland Protection Data and Plans ........................................................................................ 119 4.3.1 Status of Farmland Protection Programs .......................................................................... 120 4.4 Species Recovery Data and Plans .............................................................................................. 121 4.4.1 Status of Species Recovery Plans ...................................................................................... 126 5 Nisqually Watershed Existing Information and Baseline Conditions ................................................ 128 5.1 Watershed Management Data and Plans ................................................................................. 129 5.1.1 Recommendations and Suggested Actions ....................................................................... 130 5.1.2 Detailed Implementation Plan Strategies ......................................................................... 132 5.1.3 Status of Watershed Management Plans ......................................................................... 134 5.2 Water Quality Data and Plans ................................................................................................... 135 5.2.1 Status of Water Quality Improvement Projects ................................................................ 138 5.3 Farmland Protection Data and Plans .......................................................................................