Stillaguamish Shellfish Protection Program FINAL March 1, 2011 Program developer and editor: Sean Edwards, Senior Planner Contributing authors: Randy Middaugh, Principal Planner (Planning and Development Services Department) Ann Bylin, Water Quality Specialist Brian Boehm, Temporary Planner (Research Assistant in 2007) Recommended citation: Snohomish County. 2011. Stillaguamish Shellfish Protection Program. Snohomish County Public Works, Surface Water Management. Everett, WA. Stillaguamish Shellfish Protection Program Page 1 of 77 (This page intentionally left blank for duplex printing) Stillaguamish Shellfish Protection Program Page 2 of 77 Acknowledgements Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon Snohomish County Council John Koster, Council District 1 Brian Sullivan, Council District 2 Mike Cooper, Council District 3 Dave Gossett, Chair, Council District 4 Dave Somers, Vice Chair, Council District 5 Public Works Department Steve Thomsen, Director Surface Water Management Division Debbie Terwilleger, Director Karen R. Kerwin, P.E., Drainage & Water Quality Infrastructure Group Supervisor Kathy Thornburgh, Water & Habitat Science Group Supervisor Mike McGuiness, Stewardship Planning & Analysis Group Acting Supervisor Steve Britsch, Project Specialist – Water Quality Stillaguamish River Clean Water District Advisory Board Current Members Max Albert, Stillaguamish River Flood Control District Bill Best, Single Family Ratepayer – North Fork Stillaguamish Christine Betchley, Single Family Ratepayer – At-Large #3 Bruce Black, Single Family Ratepayer – Lakes Jody Brown, Stillaguamish Tribe John Connolly, Farm Rate Payer Bobbi Lindemulder, Snohomish Conservation District David Ridgeway, Single Family Ratepayer – At-Large #2 Cathy Stanley, Tulalip Tribes Herm van Lier, Single Family Ratepayer – At-Large #1 Mike Wolanek, Single Family Ratepayer – South Fork Stillaguamish Kelly Wynn; Retail, Industrial, Other Rate Payer Jennifer Whitney, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Past Members (from January 2008) Maria Calvi, Tulalip Tribes Judy DuBois, Single Family Ratepayer – South Fork Stillaguamish Chuck Hazleton, Stillaguamish River Flood Control District Amanda Ruzicka, Snohomish Conservation District Allen Staringer; Retail, Industrial, Other Rate Payer Craig Thompson, Single Family Ratepayer – Lakes Stillaguamish Shellfish Protection Program Page 3 of 77 (This page intentionally left blank for duplex printing) Stillaguamish Shellfish Protection Program Page 4 of 77 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................... 3 Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... 5 List of Figures ............................................................................................................... 6 List of Tables ................................................................................................................. 6 Acronyms ....................................................................................................................... 7 Executive Summary ...................................................................................................... 9 1. Purpose and Background ....................................................................................... 12 Stillaguamish River Clean Water District (CWD) ....................................................... 13 Shellfish Classification in South Skagit Bay and Port Susan ..................................... 14 Operational Context for this Shellfish Protection Program ......................................... 17 Shellfish Stakeholders and Tideland Ownership .................................................... 17 Early Action Watershed Planning ........................................................................... 19 Washington State Dairy Nutrient Management Act ................................................ 20 Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) .................................................................... 20 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES): Municipal Stormwater Permit ................................................................................................................. 20 Critical Area Regulations ........................................................................................ 22 Snohomish County On-Site Septic Systems Management Plan ............................ 22 Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative .................................................... 23 Puget Sound Partnership Action Agenda ............................................................... 24 Pacific Shellfish Institute Report ............................................................................. 24 Stillaguamish Shellfish Restoration Planning Project ............................................. 24 2. Water Quality Problems Affecting Shellfish Classification ................................. 27 Stillaguamish River, South Fork Skagit River, and Camano Island ........................... 27 Human Waste – Onsite Septic Systems (OSS) ......................................................... 33 Human Waste – Recreational Areas.......................................................................... 33 Wastewater Treatment Plants and Conveyance Systems ......................................... 34 Livestock Waste......................................................................................................... 37 Pet Waste .................................................................................................................. 38 Wildlife Waste ............................................................................................................ 38 Stormwater ................................................................................................................ 38 3. Shellfish Protection Goals, Objectives, and Actions ........................................... 39 Index of Goals, Objectives, and Actions .................................................................... 39 Table of Goals, Objectives, and Actions with Implementation Status Notes .............. 43 4. References Cited ..................................................................................................... 60 Appendix A: Washington Department of Health – Shellfish Licensing, Certification, and Classification ................................................................................. 64 Commercial Licensing and Certification ..................................................................... 64 Classification of Shellfish Growing Areas .................................................................. 64 Stillaguamish Shellfish Protection Program Page 5 of 77 Appendix B: Port Susan Shellfish Reclassification Request from the Stillaguamish Tribe to Washington Department of Health. ..................................... 66 Appendix C: South Skagit Bay 2010 Early Warning System Summary Report to Snohomish County ..................................................................................................... 67 Appendix D: Washington State Bacterial Water Quality Standards ....................... 68 Appendix E: Detailed History of Shellfish Protection in the Stillaguamish River Clean Water District .................................................................................................... 69 Appendix F: What is a Farm Plan? ............................................................................ 72 Appendix G: Snohomish County Septic System Program ...................................... 74 List of Figures Figure 1: Stillaguamish River Clean Water District. ................................................. 13 Figure 2: Shellfish Growing Areas Adjacent to the Clean Water District ............... 15 Figure 3: Stillaguamish Fecal Coliform TMDL Loading and Percent Reductions Required. ...................................................................................................................... 29 Figure 4: Port Susan Fecal Coliform Sampling Locations. ..................................... 32 List of Tables Table 1: Stillaguamish TMDL Fecal Coliform Loading and Percent Reduction Required. ...................................................................................................................... 28 Table 2: Summary of fecal coliform data for Port Susan marine water samples collected from 11/14/06 to 6/03/09.............................................................................. 31 Stillaguamish Shellfish Protection Program Page 6 of 77 Acronyms BAS: best available science BMP: best management practice BNR: biological nutrient removal cfu: coliform forming unit CWD: Stillaguamish River Clean Water District C&S: ceremonial and subsistence DD: drainage district DNA: deoxyribonucleic acid EWS: Early Warning System GMA: Growth Management Act gpd: gallons per day IDDE: Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination MS4: municipal separate storm sewer system mL: milliliter MPN: most probable number MRC: marine resources committee NPDES: National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System OSS: on-site septic system PSI: Pacific Shellfish Institute RCW: Revised Code of Washington SBR: sequencing batch reactor SCD: Snohomish Conservation District SCHA: Snohomish County Housing Authority SHD: Snohomish Health District SWM: Snohomish County Public Works, Surface Water Management TCF: Twin City Foods TMDL: Total Maximum