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The first part of April had 16 consecutive days without rain! This was followed by the typical spring rains in late April and into May. With these rainfall events, we have also seen more elevated bacteria results. Farm animals are getting out on pastures, dogs are going for more and longer walks, nutrient applications are underway, and septic systems may be experiencing greater strain with more folks at home. In this ENews edition, we are providing resources and tools to continue to help protect water quality even with changes in our daily lives.
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Drayton Harbor Marine Sites. Dots indicate the 90th percentile at each site for the last 30 samples (August 2017 – April 2020). Red sites exceed the standard (> 43 MPN/100mL), orange are ‘Threatened’ (30-43 MPN/100mL), yellow are ‘Of Concern’ (20-30 MPN/100mL), green are ‘Well Within’ standards (<20 MPN/100mL) and blue are <10MPN/100mL. The 90th percentile for the last 30 samples at the majority of stations held steady with April samples. The primary marine areas of concern are near the mouth of the harbor (orange oval) and near the mouths of California and Dakota Creeks (yellow oval). The 90th percentiles at stations 6, 378, 379, and 413 still meet standards. The 90th percentiles at stations 8 and 15 are above the threshold for prohibited classifications. These two stations are located in the permanent marina closure zones.
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Drayton Watershed Freshwater Status: The April routine freshwater sampling run was conducted on April 27th, the same day as marine sampling. Freshwater routine fecal coliform results were less than 100 cfu/100mL in most of the watershed. The upper portion of the California Creek watershed had elevated bacteria results at two mainstem stations (Cal6.2 at Bruce Road and Cal5.0 at Valley View) in two priority drainages (Brown Malloy and Fox Road). The North Fork of Dakota Creek (NF2.5 at Delta Line Road and TribDakN1 at Stein) and the Lower Dakota drainage (TribDak2 on Sweet Road and TribDak3 on Roger Road) also had elevated results. There had been about 1/3 of an inch of rain in the previous three days.
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Portage Bay Marine Sites: Dots indicate the 90th percentile at each site for the last 30 samples September 2017- April 2020). Red sites exceed the standard (>43 MPN/100mL), orange sites are ‘Threatened’ (30-43 MPN/100mL), yellow are ‘Of Concern’ (20-30 MPN/100mL), and green are ‘Well Within’ standards (<20 MPN/100mL). This data includes elevated bacteria results observed during the fall closure season. The recent September, October, November, and January sampling runs have clearly demonstrated the challenges of protecting water quality during fall rains. Rains washed pollutants from the land down creeks and rivers to the marine waters. This led to increasing 90th percentiles at the end of 2019. The 30 sample estimated 90th percentiles (September 2017 to April 2020) held steady in April. Maintaining low bacteria concentrations in the spring remains important to keep shellfish harvesting open during the spring season.
Nooksack Watershed Freshwater Status: The routine freshwater sampling runs were conducted in the Nooksack watershed on April 1st, 14th, and 28th. Following several previous days of rainfall, April 1st had elevated bacteria levels in the Scott (S1 at Bylsma) and Fishtrap (F1 at River Road) drainages. Schneider had elevated results on April 14th and April 28th following both a dry period and rainfall. On April 28th, following about 1/3 of an inch of rain the previous three days, elevated results were seen in the Fishtrap and Tenmile drainages as well.
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The maps above show the preliminary results for Nooksack watershed routine freshwater sampling runs that occurred in April. The dry weather that occurred between the 5th and 21st was reflected in the low fecal coliform sampling results from April 14th. The two other sampling dates illustrate elevated bacteria results that have been observed with rain events this spring.
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Stay up to date on our social media communications by following the Whatcom County Public Works and Whatcom Conservation District Facebook pages. www.facebook.com/WhatcomCountyPublicWorks/
www.facebook.com/WhatcomCD/
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Looking for tips for your farm? Whatcom Conservation District has several tools available for you this month. Visit the district's online learning experiences on their YouTube Channel. Video topics include improving and managing pastures, irrigation planning, noxious weeds, and soil health on your farm. If you have a specific question or issue, farm planners can still assist you through a virtual site assessment. Click here for more information.
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Sharing Nutrients: The new Manure Link program helps connect manure producers with people seeking manure. Manure Link is a simple way to recycle valuable nutrients and organic matter from farms with surplus to others who need it. Get connected here to find manure or share your surplus manure. As a manure seeker, you will have access to an interactive map to help you sort through available compost to use as an amendment to improve soils in gardens and pastures throughout the county.
Soil Testing for Pastures: Learn more about how to take your own soil sample with this video tutorial from Better Ground; Puget Sound Conservation Districts.
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Did your farm get muddy this winter? Now is a great time to install barn gutters and outlet systems to keep roof water where you want it. We can help with the cost of installation through the small farm rebate program. Call the Whatcom Conservation District at 360.526.2381 to see if you are eligible and learn more about the small farm rebate program http://www.whatcomcounty.us/2909/Small-Farm-Improvement-Rebates.
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In-person workshops are currently not available. However, you can complete Whatcom County Health Department's online training to become certified to evaluate your own system (check eligibility for your system). You can save money and have confidence in knowing how your septic system works. If your system is not eligible or you simply don’t want to do it yourself, this training still provides valuable information for you! Find operation and conservation tips to help lengthen the life of your system. Click here to find out more.
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Whatcom County Public Work’s PIC (Pollution, Identification, and Correction) Program uses water quality monitoring (collecting samples in creeks, rivers, and bays) to identify priority areas for improvement programs and provides community outreach and education, technical and financial assistance for landowners, and coordination with County departments and other agencies to identify and address potential bacteria sources polluting our waterways.
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