FALL RAINS LEAD TO HIGH BACTERIA POLLUTION LEVELS IN PORTAGE BAY
Fall is a challenging time for improving water quality and requires consistent efforts to address preventable sources of fecal bacteria pollution. After months of dry summer weather, fecal bacteria from sources such as farm animals and pets build up on the land. Fall rains pick up pollutants and carry them into our ditches and creeks and downstream to our bays and harbors. Fecal bacteria pollution limits people’s ability to safely work in, play in, and harvest food from local waters.
Click here for tips and more information about how you can help prevent pollution closures
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Fall rains have arrived. Click above for a short video...
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17 Invasive European green crabs found in Drayton Harbor
As part of an early-detection partnership, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Washington Sea Grant (WSG) Crab Team found evidence of European green crabs (Carcinus maenas) in Drayton Harbor during regular monitoring, and then trapped 17 green crabs during a two-day rapid response in late September. This is the highest number of green crabs trapped in such a short period of time from any one area along Washington’s inland shoreline.
Click here for the Bellingham Herald article
photo credit: Eleanor Hines
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Drayton Marine Sites: Dots indicate the 90th percentile at each site for the last 30 samples (February 2017 - September 2019). 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.
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Drayton Harbor Marine Status: Bacteria results in Drayton Harbor during the September 18, 2019 marine sampling run were slightly elevated at 5 of 14 sites (range of 7.8 to 23 MPN/100mL). Station 15 has experienced elevated bacteria results the past two months (170 and 130 MPN/100mL respectively). With these results, the 90th percentile for the last 30 samples at station 15 (red circle) increased beyond the threshold for the ‘prohibited’ category. The 90th percentile at station 6 increased slightly moving this station into the “concern’ category (yellow circle). The September sampling run followed a rain event over the previous weekend with over 2 inches of rainfall.
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Drayton Watershed Freshwater Status: The September routine freshwater sampling run was conducted on September 17th, the day before marine sampling. All freshwater results for the mainstem of California and Dakota Creeks were less than 100 cfu/100mL with the exception of Cal1.9 (California Creek at Kickerville), Cal3.1 (California Creek at Birch Bay-Lynden Road) and Cal7.5 (California Creek at Fox Road). Six tributary sites were over 200cfu/100mL. The highest results (800 and 900 cfu/100ml) were observed at TribDakN2 (tributary to North Fork Dakota at Delta Line) and CA16 (a tributary in Custer. Low flow, stagnant, and dry conditions were still observed at several tributary sites and samples were not collected.
Latest Drayton Routine Water Quality Summary
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Portage Bay/Nooksack Watershed
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Portage Bay Marine Sites: Dots indicate the 90th percentile at each site for the last 30 samples (January 2017-September 2019). Orange sites 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 <10 MPN/100mL.
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Portage Bay Marine Status: Bacteria results in Portage Bay during the September 19, 2019 marine sampling run were elevated following a large rain event (range of 4.5 to 130 MPN/100mL). This sampling run clearly demonstrated the challenges of protecting water quality during early fall rains. Following dry periods, rain washes pollutants from the land down creeks and rivers to the marine waters. The 30 sample estimated 90th percentiles (February 2017 to September 2019) increased at the majority of stations with these elevated counts. Stations 50 and 52 (orange oval) moved back into the ‘threatened’ category after a period of improvement and stations 57 and 58 (yellow oval) moved to the ‘of concern’ category for the first time since 2016.
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Portage/Nooksack Watershed Freshwater Summary - Routine freshwater sampling runs conducted in the Nooksack watershed in late September and early October showed high fecal bacteria results following rain events. On September 16th (three days before marine sampling), the Nooksack mainstream sites at Ferndale and Marine Drive were at or above 100cfu/100mL. Six of the nine major tributaries to the Nooksack were above 200cfu/100ml. Kamm at Hampton Road (K1) had the highest result was observed at 1,300cfu/100mL. On October 7th and 8th, the Nooksack mainstream sites at Ferndale and Marine Drive had fecal bacteria results above 100cfu/100mL, with Marine Drive at 200cfu/100mL. Four of the six major tributaries sampled on those days had fecal bacteria results above 200cfu/100mL. The highest results were observed at Scott at Byslma Road (S1) at 340 cfu/100mL, Kamm Creek at Hampton Road (K1) at 691 cfu/100mL, and Fishtrap at River Road (F1) at 400cfu/100mL. Bacteria concentrations at Fishtrap Creek have been elevated (above 100cfu/100mL) this past month in both dry and wet conditions.
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The Wet Season is Here- Take Steps to Prepare: Why do we care so much about the wet season? While bacteria concentrations in Portage Bay look pretty good overall, this is in stark contrast to what we observe during the fall (October through December), especially after fall rains. The image below illustrates the bacteria concentrations that we have observed in the fall over the past 5 years. When rain and bacteria sources mix, elevated bacteria concentrations are observed in the freshwater moving all the way downstream to the marine waters. We can all take steps to protect and improve water quality during this critical fall period.
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Portage Bay Marine Sites in the Fall: Dots indicate the 90th percentile at each site specifically during the fall (October-December) for the last five years. Red sites exceed the standard (>43MPN/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.
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Puget Sound’s Southern Resident Orca whales are critically endangered. The single biggest threat to our local Orca population is lack of their primary food source. Chinook Salmon make up 80% of the orca diet, and because of loss of habitat and increasing pollution, local salmon populations are a fraction of what they used to be. Conservation districts and other organizations across Washington State will host over 60 events aimed at improving conditions for critically endangered Southern Resident Orca Whales on October 19th.
Locally, Whatcom Conservation District and the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association are organizing a habitat restoration planting to help improve salmon habitat along the Nooksack River.
October 19, 2019
9 AM- Noon
Nooksack River, Ferndale
Please park at the Northwest Indian College (see attached map):
2522 Kwina Rd. Bellingham, WA 98226
Click here for a parking map.
https://www.whatcomcd.org/orca-recovery-day
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Septic System Homeowner Training: November 7th and December 5th
When you take Whatcom County Health's free training you will be certified to evaluate your own system. You can save money and have confidence in knowing how your septic system works. If your system is not eligible for homeowner evaluation or you simply don’t want to do it yourself, this class is still for you!
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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