DRAYTON HARBOR SHELLFISH PROTECTION DISTRICT
ADVISORY COMMITTEE AGENDA

Download Zip File of All 2002 Summaries

AGENDA

MEETING ATTENDANCE

DOCUMENTS DISTRIBUTED

• Agenda
• 1/16/02 IFA Drayton Harbor Shellfish Protection District Advisory Committee (AC) Meeting Summary
• Summary of Marine Water Data (SRS) for Drayton Harbor
• Drayton Harbor DOH Sites Map
• Fecal Coliform Evaluation and 90th Percentile - Drayton Harbor: Station 8
• Fecal Coliform Evaluation and 90th Percentile - Drayton Harbor: Station 6
• Fecal Coliform Evaluation and 90th Percentile - Drayton Harbor: Station 4
• Summary of Shellfish Growing Areas Water Quality Study Results - Drayton Harbor: Station 8
• Summary of Shellfish Growing Areas Water Quality Study Results - Drayton Harbor: Station 6
• Summary of Shellfish Growing Areas Water Quality Study Results - Drayton Harbor: Station 4

MEETING CONTENTS

1. Public Comment Period

There was no public comment.

2. Review Agenda and Previous Meeting Summary

Review Agenda
Geoff Menzies reviewed the agenda.

Review Meeting Summary
The committee reviewed and approved the 1/16/02 Meeting Summary.

• Action: Distribute the 1/16/02 IFA Meeting Summary as Final.

Action Items from the 1/16/02 Meeting
Ami Stillings will request that a County Planning representative give a presentation at a future committee meeting.

AC members will think about ways to integrate the AC and Implementing Agencies Committee. The AC will discuss this agenda item at the 2/20/02 meeting.

Ami will check the funding cycle and whether some of the funds can be used as an operational budget for the AC.

Geoff Menzies will draft a letter of support for the regional sewer that acknowledges land use concerns.

Mark Henderson will send the AC information about the timing of improvements in the NPDES for the seafood processors.

3. State DOH Presentation (Don Lennartson)

Geoff noted that this meeting will focus on a presentation from Don Lennartson, from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), to give committee members an idea of what is happening with water quality in Drayton Harbor. The presentation is intended to prompt brainstorming sessions on potential sources of pollution in the harbor.

Don presented a poster showing DOH water quality monitoring stations in Drayton Harbor. He noted at the time the poster was made, four out of the six stations were in violation of geometric mean and 90th percentile standards. Don noted that in 1998, fecal coliform levels rose considerably in several of the stations. Some committee members suggested that these elevations were caused by a sewage spill along Marine Drive in 1998.

Don noted that the highest fecal coliform levels seem to be at shoreline stations within Drayton Harbor. He said that the theory behind this pattern is that currents carry fecal coliform around the perimeter of the harbor and deposit coliform along the shoreline. DOH Station 8, which is near the breakwater and near an old, disused pier, currently has the highest coliform levels of all the stations, but sometimes it has levels that are at the lowest possible detection limit. Don said it is very difficult to pinpoint what causes high or low fecal coliform levels at Station 8. He suggested that daily sampling might help determine what causes these fluctuations but said this would be very costly and time-consuming.

Don reported that sampling results from 1/9/02 showed high fecal coliform levels at all of the DOH stations. Geoff noted that the Drayton Harbor area got 1.25 inches of rain over the three days preceding 1/9/02. Don said that until the 1/9/02 sample results fall off the sample list (i.e., until they are no longer part of the previous 30 samples), or until DOH sees consistently low numbers, the high levels from 1/9/02 will keep the 90th percentile value high (not meeting the shellfish standards).

Committee members suggested that samples should be taken before and after storm events to see if these events affect fecal coliform levels. Don suggested that the committee could seek funding for collecting daily samples during the seven day period immediately following a storm event. He indicated that in some cases, areas with violations during storm events can be conditionally approved based on storm event study results. Conditional approval would require the affected area to remain closed for a specified amount of time after a specified amount of rainfall. Don said he was not sure that the AC would be satisfied with conditional approval.

Commercial shellfish beds fall under the following classifications:
___Approved
___Conditionally Approved (rainfall and seasonal restrictions)
___Restricted
___Prohibited

The National Shellfish Sanitation Program requires the following water quality standards for an Approved classification:
___Geometric Mean: Most recent 30 samples must not exceed 14 fc/100 ml
___90th Percentile: Most recent 30 samples must not exceed 43 fc/100 ml

Don noted that he and other DOH staff agree that the 90th percentile is not the best statistical tool to classify shellfish beds, especially in Drayton Harbor, since the 90th percentile works with bell curve results, whereas Drayton Harbor has bimodal curve results. Don indicated that DOH is required by federal rules to use the 90th percentile standard. Geoff suggested that the 90th percentile issue should be addressed.

Don noted that there is very little circulation in the Blaine marina.

Don said that no "smoking gun" has yet been identified in Drayton Harbor, but pollution seems to come from numerous point and non-point sources. He said it is important to identify the sources.

Grant Stewart reported that the Web site http://www.wunderground.com/ shows the following measurements for various stations, including White Rock:
___Wind speed
___Wind direction
___Rainfall (five-minute periods)
___Barometric pressure

Grant suggested that the White Rock station results for the past year could help determinehow storm events affect fecal coliform levels (i.e., correlate storm front info- wind speed, direction, rainfall, etc.- near Blaine with Drayton Harbor fecal coliform levels for those dates). Some committee members noted that storm front measurements in White Rock would not necessarily be the same as measurements in Blaine.

One committee member wondered if fecal coliform not affecting fresh water could affect salt water because of the change in salinity (i.e., fecal coliform that are bonded to other materials break free in the salt water).

Committee members discussed the following ideas for identifying fecal coliform sources and reducing coliform levels in the Blaine Marina:

__Look at fish processing methods

- Keep birds out of areas with fish parts
- Do not leave waste in sump pumps

__Identify ways to provide better circulation of water in the marina
__Compare numbers of live-aboard boats in the Blaine and Semiahmoo marinas

- Require live-aboards to put dye in their flush tanks to monitor overboard flushing

One committee member wondered if fecal coliform could survive in sediment. The committee member suggested that fecal coliform in the sediment near Station 8, directly under the disused pier, could be stirred up during storm events.

Geoff asked Don if the most recent 30 samples could be more rigorously evaluated in terms of rainfall. Some committee members suggested that White Rock station data from http://www.wunderground.com/ could be correlated with the 30 DOH samples. Grant noted that a woman working for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) collects daily rainfall samples in Blaine.

• Action: Grant will contact the NOAA staff person who collects daily rainfall samples in Blaine to see if she still does this.

Committee members expressed interest in conducting a dye test of the Blaine marina sewer system to detect any major leaks. Don suggested that Frank Merriweather from DOH should design and oversee the test. Grant Stewart, of the City of Blaine, expressed concerns about the feasibility of such a test on an active sewer system.

• Action: Geoff will write a letter to DOH, proposing the Blaine marina sewer system dye test and requesting that Frank Merriweather design and oversee the test.

One member wondered if waste dumped from one boat could cause a spike in fecal coliform levels. The member noted that one live-aboard boat in Drayton Harbor was consistently dumping waste into the water over an extended period of time and happened to be near one of the DOH stations during the last sampling event (1/9/02). Don indicated that one sample could have shown a spike in fecal coliform levels. However, he noted that the 30 samples are intended to be systematic and random rather than focused on a specific issue or source.

4. Water Resources Fiscal Year/Budgetary Issues

Committee members did not discuss this item.

5. Seafood Processor NPDES Permit Update

Mark Henderson noted that fish processing companies are required to disinfect their waste streams before pumping waste into open water. One company had overflow problems and decided to install manhole covers and a pump before implementing a disinfectant process. DOE is looking into the possibility of enforcement actions against the company. Mark said he will look into the situation and determine what the committee might be able to do.

6. New Business

There was no new business.

7. Next Meeting Agenda

Committee members did not discuss the next meeting.