PORTAGE BAY SHELLFISH PROTECTION DISTRICT
ADVISORY COMMITTEE SUMMARY

ZIp File of 2002 Summaries

AGENDA

MEETING ATTENDANCE

DOCUMENTS DISTRIBUTED

• Agenda
• 5/29/02 IFA Portage Bay Meeting Summary
• News Release: Portage Bay Shellfish Beds Getting Cleaner
• TMDL Target and Result Graphs for Nooksack River Sites

MEETING CONTENTS

1. Public Comment Period

No comments from the public.

2.Review Previous Meeting Summary and Meeting Agenda

5/29/02 Meeting Summary
The AC reviewed the May summary. One member edited page 4 of the summary.

• Action: Release the May summary as final.

Meeting Agenda
Chris Woodward reviewed the agenda. No changes.

3. Update on Additional Sampling

The State Department of Health (DOH) has accepted the proposal for the Northwest Indian College (NWIC) to carry out additional water quality sampling in Portage Bay. Sampling will now take place on a bi-monthly (twice per month) basis with the DOH responsible for half of the sample collection and the NWIC responsible for the other half. Michael Cochrane will begin the additional sampling at the end of July.

Michael briefly discussed the most recent round of water quality sampling. Preliminary results indicate relatively high counts. The Nooksack River had fecal coliform counts of approximately 120 CFU/100L. High counts are not unusual for this time of the year. The Nooksack is currently opaque with snowmelt runoff.

4. TMDL Update

Mark Henderson, DOE, distributed graphs of the recent Nooksack TMDL results. Tracking the Nooksack TMDL involves taking the data collected from the Nooksack and its numerous tributaries, and collating it into a report form that compares the results to TMDL targets. Mark Henderson explained that the Nooksack TMDL is one of a small number of TMDLs nation-wide that is meeting its targets. One member asked that this information be included in the news release. There are different types of TMDLs (bacteria, nutrients, sediment, etc.) and TMDL tracking can be complex.

• Action: Mark Henderson will request that Steve Hood prepare a short paragraph characterizing the success of the Nooksack TMDL for the news release.

5. River Keepers Program

Chris Woodward explored the possibility of establishing a River Keepers Program in Whatcom County. The River Keepers Program is associated with the larger, nation-wide River Watch Program. The programs coordinate community education and involvement efforts. In the course of her inquiries, Chris discovered that the program has political aspects; for example, one of the conditions for establishing a River Keepers Program is signing an agreement to litigate. Chris felt that a less divisive approach is needed in Whatcom County. Robyn DuPré of Resources has established a Bay Keepers Program in Bellingham. There is a possibility that some of the community education and involvement work for our rivers could be coordinated under the umbrella of the Bay Keepers program. Chris is drafting a job description and will continue to look at other programs that are currently active in the community. One member mentioned a program in the Skagit Valley that organizes community education projects. One member suggested contacting John Thompson, the Whatcom County Endangered Species Act Coordinator. John has a number of contacts among the Skagit County salmon protection and recovery efforts. Other members suggested contacting Rebecca Schlotterback with the Public Utility District and Skip Richards with the Non-Municipal Water Systems Caucus.

6. Lummi Data/Activities Update

Andy Ross was unavailable for the meeting. The committee will discuss Lummi data and activities at the next meeting.

7. Portage Bay Brochure – Rough Draft Review

Ami Stillings distributed a draft version of the Portage Bay Shellfish Protection District brochure. The committee will distribute the brochure at the Water Resources Division Office, at local libraries, and at events like the Northwest Washington Fair. Ami asked that committee members send their comments and edits to her by 7/9/02.

8. Northwest Washington Fair

The Northwest Washington Fair will take place from August 12th to the 17th. The committee discussed having a booth dedicated to the Portage Bay Shellfish Protection District. Members agreed that a dedicated booth would require too much staffing. Members suggested coordinating a booth for marine issues that would be staffed by members of the MRC, as well as the Portage Bay Shellfish District. Ami Stillings suggested that the committee set up a display in the Water Resources booth. The booth will contain displays and information for the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Resources Committee, Lake Whatcom, etc. Committee members wondered how much space would be available in the Water Resources Division booth.

• Action: Ami Stillings and Chris Woodward will work out the specifics of the committee display in the Water Resources booth at the fair.

9. Sub-Basin Discussion

The committee discussed what could be done to improve water quality in the Fishtrap drainage. One member suggested establishing a Fishtrap Stream Team. Members agreed that any effort would require continuous support from motivated residents in the drainage.

One member mentioned an article in the Bellingham Herald about a retired couple doing water quality work in the North County. One member suggested contacting Harlan Kredit at Lynden Christian School and Lad Shumway at Lynden High School. Both schools have done some water quality work in the past.

10. New Business

Web Site Questionnaire
Ami Stillings requested that committee members forward their Shellfish District questionnaire responses to her. Ami plans to use quotes from the questionnaires as content for the Shellfish District Web Site.

The Water Resources Division is re-doing the shellfish and marine resources Web sites to give them all a similar look. The basic front pages of the site are up. Ami Stillings will continue to work on the Web site.

NWIC Web Page
The NWIC has a server and will have a Web site on-line soon. The site will have a database of water quality data that the users will be able to download and sort.

11. Next Meeting’s Agenda

• Stream Team Program (Beth Marcy)
• NWIC Water Quality Monitoring Quarterly Report
• Lummi Data Collection/Activities