City of Hoquiam Planning Department Ecology Grant #G1400451 SHORELINE INVENTORY AND CHARACTERIZATION REPORT FOR THE CITIES OF ABERDEEN, COSMOPOLIS, AND HOQUIAM TASK 5 October 23, 2014 Prepared by Herrera Environmental Consultants, Inc. AHBL This report was funded in part through a grant from the Washington Department of Ecology. Note: Some pages in this document have been purposely skipped or blank pages inserted so that this document will copy correctly when duplexed. SHORELINE INVENTORY AND CHARACTERIZATION REPORT FOR THE CITIES OF ABERDEEN, COSMOPOLIS, AND HOQUIAM Prepared for City of Hoquiam Planning Department 609 Eighth Street Hoquiam, Washington 98550 Prepared by Herrera Environmental Consultants, Inc. 2200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1100 Seattle, Washington 98121 Telephone: 206/441-9080 and AHBL 2215 North 30th Street, Suite 300 Tacoma, Washington 98403 October 23, 2014 CONTENTS Limitations .................................................................................................... ix Glossary ....................................................................................................... xi List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ..................................................................... xiii Executive Summary ......................................................................................... xv 1. Introduction .............................................................................................. 1 1.1. Background and Purpose ....................................................................... 1 1.2. Regulatory Framework .......................................................................... 1 1.2.1. Shoreline Management Act ......................................................... 1 1.2.1.1. Shoreline Environment Designations ................................. 2 1.2.2. Grays Harbor Estuary Management Plan .......................................... 3 1.2.3. Background on Existing SMPs ....................................................... 4 1.2.4. Local Comprehensive Plans and Applicable Regulations ....................... 4 1.2.4.1. Aberdeen ................................................................. 4 1.2.4.2. Cosmopolis ............................................................... 5 1.2.4.3. Hoquiam .................................................................. 5 1.2.5. State Agencies and Regulations .................................................... 6 1.2.5.1. State Environmental Policy Act ....................................... 6 1.2.5.2. Section 401 Water Quality Certification ............................ 6 1.2.5.3. State-Owned Aquatic Lands ........................................... 7 1.2.5.4. Watershed Planning Act................................................ 7 1.2.5.5. Hydraulic Code .......................................................... 7 1.2.5.6. Water Pollution Control Act ........................................... 7 1.2.5.7. Salmon Recovery Act ................................................... 8 1.2.6. Federal Regulations .................................................................. 8 1.2.6.1. Endangered Species Act ................................................ 8 1.2.6.2. Section 404 – Clean Water Act ........................................ 9 1.2.6.3. Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act Section 10 .................. 9 1.3. Scope and Organization of Shoreline Inventory and Characterization .................. 9 2. Inventory & Characterization Methods .............................................................. 11 2.1. Inventory Data and Information Sources .................................................... 11 2.2. Determination of Management Areas and Reaches ....................................... 11 2.3. GIS Methods ..................................................................................... 14 2.4. Approach to Characterizing Ecosystem-Wide Processes and Shoreline Functions ......................................................................................... 14 2.5. Shoreline Land Capacity Analysis Methods ................................................. 22 2.5.1. Geographic and Time Parameters ................................................ 22 2.5.2. Gross Developable Land Inventory ................................................ 22 2.5.3. Deduct Critical Areas ............................................................... 23 i pj 13-05681-000 shoreline inventory and characterization a-c-h.docx 2.5.4. Deduct Infrastructure and Public Uses ........................................... 24 2.5.5. Market Factor Deduction ........................................................... 25 2.5.6. Determine Development Capacity ................................................ 25 3. Ecosystem-wide Characterization ................................................................... 27 3.1. Regional Overview .............................................................................. 27 3.2. Key Physical Controls .......................................................................... 28 3.2.1. Existing Climate ..................................................................... 28 3.2.2. Future Climate ....................................................................... 29 3.2.2.1. Sea Level Rise .......................................................... 29 3.2.3. Topography ........................................................................... 30 3.2.4. Geology and Soils .................................................................... 30 3.3. Key Ecosystem Processes ...................................................................... 31 3.4. Land Use and Land Cover ..................................................................... 34 3.5. Historical and Cultural Resources ............................................................ 36 3.6. Shoreline Modifications ........................................................................ 38 3.7. Critical Areas and Priority Habitat and Species ........................................... 39 3.7.1. Coastal Nearshore ................................................................... 41 3.7.2. Eelgrass and Nearshore Vegetation ............................................... 41 3.7.3. Shellfish Areas ....................................................................... 42 3.7.4. Streams ............................................................................... 42 3.7.5. Freshwater Wetlands and Fresh Deepwater .................................... 42 3.7.6. Riparian Habitat ..................................................................... 43 3.7.7. Snags and Logs ....................................................................... 43 3.7.8. Salmon and Trout ................................................................... 44 3.7.9. Other Priority Fish ................................................................... 45 3.7.9.1. Forage Fish Spawning Areas .......................................... 46 3.7.9.2. Groundfish and Rockfish .............................................. 46 3.7.9.3. Sturgeon ................................................................. 47 3.7.9.4. Lamprey ................................................................. 47 3.7.9.5. Olympic Mudminnow .................................................. 47 3.7.10. Marine Mammals ..................................................................... 47 3.7.11. Pacific Pond Turtle .................................................................. 48 3.7.12. Sea Turtles ........................................................................... 48 3.7.13. Birds ................................................................................... 48 3.7.13.1. Bald Eagle ............................................................... 48 3.7.13.2. Peregrine Falcon ....................................................... 49 3.7.13.3. Marine Birds ............................................................. 49 3.7.13.4. Shorebirds, Waterfowl, and Herons ................................. 49 3.7.14. Geologic Hazard Areas .............................................................. 50 3.7.15. Aquifer Recharge Areas ............................................................ 52 3.8. Water Quality ................................................................................... 52 4. Discussion of Shoreline Management Areas ........................................................ 53 4.1. City of Aberdeen ................................................................................ 53 4.1.1. Physical and Biological Characterization ........................................ 55 ii pj 13-05681-000 shoreline inventory and characterization a-c-h.docx 4.1.2. Shoreline Use Analysis ............................................................. 57 4.1.2.1. Existing Land Use Patterns .......................................... 57 4.1.2.2. Projected Land Use Patterns ........................................ 60 4.1.3. Shoreline Modifications ............................................................ 63 4.1.4. Public Access Analysis ............................................................. 64 4.1.5. Shoreline Land Capacity Analysis ................................................ 65 4.1.6. Reach Functional Assessment .................................................... 66 4.1.6.1. Aberdeen Lake Reach ................................................ 68 4.1.6.2. Charley Creek Reach ................................................. 68 4.1.6.3. Chehalis River Reach ................................................