August BBWARM Newsletter

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

Birch Bay Watershed & Aquatic Resources Management District

August 2022
Monthly Newsletter with Birch Bay Watershed Updates

Photo by Alexi Guddal from the July 5th Beach Cleanup

Want to see your Birch Bay photo in the newsletter? Submit your photos here.

Make Your Water Go Further!

Using both weather and soil moisture data can help you find the best time to irrigate and determine how much water you need. The Whatcom Conservation District partnered with Washington State University's AgWeatherNet to install a number of weather and soil moisture stations throughout Whatcom County to help you make more thoughtful water management decisions. To find a station near you, visit WSU’s AgWeatherNet website.

Join us for the 10th Annual “Run with the Chums”!

Are you excited to get outside and celebrate healthy water, healthy habitat, and healthy people during Whatcom Water Week? Join us September 10th in the BP Highlands for this free day of fun for all ages and all speeds! Registration is now open for the 10th Annual Run With The Chums 5k Fun Run & Smolt Sprint! Visit the Whatcom Conservation District website to register today, and receive your free Run with the Chums t-shirt on race day. We are working on a special commemorative design for this year!

Thank You Volunteers!

Thank you to all the volunteers who spent the morning of July 5th helping to clean up Birch Bay! Dedicated volunteers spent over five hours cleaning up 3.94 tons of trash and firework debris. Read more about this event on Whatcom CD's latest news blog!

Advisory Committee Retreat

On July 20th the BBWARM Advisory Committee and Stormwater Division staff met at the BP Heron Center for their annual retreat. It was great to finally meet in person again after nearly three years. The day wrapped up with a tour of past, current and future capital improvement project sites. Thank you to all who were involved!

Small Works in Action

BBWARM’s first small works project of the year was completed in mid-July. I&I Services unearthed two catch basins on Jackson Road that were buried almost two feet underground, cleaned out the sediment, and installed risers and grates to reduce adjacent property flooding and improve roadside drainage.

New Mutt Mitt Stations in Birch Bay

Last month, BBWARM worked with property owner Randy Sheriff to install three new Mutt Mitt pet waste stations near Club House Drive on the old golf course. There was an ongoing issue with left behind pet waste on the trails, and Randy was looking for solutions. BBWARM funded the stations and installation, and Randy will keep the stations maintained.

There's always a Mutt Mitt station close by in Birch Bay! These stations help pet owners pick up their pup's poop and put it in the trash. Unfortunately, pet waste on the ground causes water pollution and is a health hazard for pets and people. That's why it's essential to bag every poop and get it to the trash.

How's the Water Quality in Birch Bay?

In July, 6 of the 12 sites that were sampled in Birch Bay met the water quality health standards for fecal coliform bacteria. Many sites were not sampled because of low flow, stagnant water, or they were dry.

V isit the Whatcom County Public Works’ Routine Water Quality Results page for links to online maps and status reports for focus areas throughout Whatcom County.

Quarterly Advisory Committee Meeting

The next meeting of the BBWARM Advisory Committee will be held on October 12th from 6-8pm at the BP Heron Center. The general public is invited to join us, and a public comment period will be held at the beginning of the meeting.

You can view the 2022 meeting schedule, documents, and Zoom link on the BBWARM Advisory Committee website.

Other BBWARM News and Resources:

Check out the BBWARM Annual Report for a summary of the work completed in 2021.
Visit the BBWARM website to learn more about our services.
Visit the Whatcom Conservation District's website for information about their farm services and upcoming events
View the latest Whatcom County Watersheds PIC Program e-Newsletter
Learn about community events in Birch Bay on the Chamber of Commerce website.
Stay up-to-date with the latest Whatcom County Planning & Development Services news. Learn about the value of farmland, wetlands, programs for rural landowners, and more!
Help Whatcom Conservation District look toward the future with this short survey. Your thoughts about the ongoing and future conservation focus of the District are welcomed and encouraged. This survey is a starting place to hear from you and begin a conversation.

Upcoming events:

Save the date! The 10th Annual Run with the Chums 5k Fun Run/Walk will be on September 10th this year! Visit the WCD website for more information. Registration will be open soon.
Stop by our Stormwater Pop-Up Event on September 13th across from CJ's Beach House along the Berm from 3-6pm. We will have car care and pet waste toolkits along with other pollution prevention materials.

Please share this newsletter with your neighbors!

What is BBWARM?
The Birch Bay Watershed and Aquatic Resources Management (BBWARM) District is the stormwater management district for the Birch Bay watershed managed by the Whatcom County Public Works Stormwater Division and a citizen advisory committee. BBWARM was established by the Whatcom County Council to address citizen concerns about water quality, flooding, and the loss of aquatic habitat. Visit our website to learn about BBWARM programs, history, and funding.

www.bbwarm.whatcomcounty.org