Birch Bay Watershed & Aquatic Resources Management District

Berm Project Construction Nearing Completion

The second project season for the Birch Bay Drive and Pedestrian Facility Project (berm project) continued this month with Granite Construction importing more gravel to the project area, installing sidewalks, plantings, excavation, and topsoil placement. County staff have stated that the vast majority of the berm project will be completed before Christmas, including the pedestrian path from Terrell Creek to Harborview Road. Visit the project web page for an up-to-date project schedule.

The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce holds monthly "Coffee with the Contractor" events via Zoom for residents to ask the contractor questions about the project. Here is a recap of the latest meeting that was published by the Northern Light. 

Photo by Ian Haupt of The Northern Light

Capital Improvement Project Update

Harborview Road & Birch Bay Drive Stormwater Improvements

This project will improve drainage in the area by installing new storm pipe, catch basins and an outfall into Birch Bay. Phase 1 will be constructed in January 2021 in coordination with the Birch Bay Drive and Pedestrian Facility project. An outfall pipe into the bay will be installed near the intersection of Harborview Road and Birch Bay Drive. Construction is anticipated to take two weeks with some night work occurring the week of January 11, 2021. Phase 2 will be constructed in fall 2021 and consists of installing new storm pipe and catch basins along Harborview Road and Birch Bay Drive.

More information on this project and other capital improvement projects can be found on the BBWARM website. Contact Kevin Thompson, Project Engineer, at 360-778-6297 with any questions.

King Tides Return This Week

The first king tides of the season started last month, and more are expected from December 16-18. This means that low coastal areas around Whatcom County will see extremely high tides and possible flooding. King tides happen this time of year when the alignment of the earth, moon, and sun generate more gravitational pull on the ocean. When king tides coincide with a winter storm, like we saw this week, flooding from high tides is even more likely. 

You can help coastal planners make smarter decisions by sharing your high tide photos at: https://mycoast.org/wa.

Prepare for high water levels if you live in a coastal floodplain. Learn more about king tides from Washington Sea Grant: https://wsg.washington.edu/community-outreach/hazard-resilience-and-climate-adaptation-old/king-tides/program/

 

Native Plant Sale & Expo


Pre-ordering has begun for the Whatcom Conservation District's (WCD) annual Native Plant Sale & Expo. Pre-order online by March 1 and pick up your plants by drive thru on March 13-14. Click here for more information. 

Thanks for a Decade of Volunteering!

Whatcom County Public Works would like to send a huge thank you to Terry Sullivan for his many years of volunteering to help collect water quality data in the Birch Bay Village neighborhood. Terry's work has been instrumental in our efforts to identify pollution and improve water quality in Birch Bay. Terry was presented with a plaque in December for his volunteer work for the County. Thank you, Terry!