|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Shellfish logo used by permission, courtesy of the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association (PCSGA). Website hosted by:
|
Portage Bay ProjectsMonitoring: Identifying Priority Areas and Measuring Success
What is fecal coliform bacteria? Fecal coliform bacteria is found in human and animal feces. Although fecal coliform may be harmless, when it's detected in a stream or the harbor, it's a sign that human and/or animal wastes - and the harmful micro-organisms that they may carry - are polluting the water. Fecal coliform indicates that there is a public health risk because of the potential of direct contact with sewage. In addition, human and animal waste can contaminate shellfish and make them unsafe to eat. Where does fecal coliform bacteria come from? Possible sources of of fecal coliform bacteria in the Drayton Harbor watershed are failing septic systems, leaks in municipal sewer system, hobby or small farms, large agricultural operations, pets, and wildlife. How much bacteria is in the harbor and neighborhood streams? To guard against public health risks, the state Department of Ecology has established standards for bacteria in both fresh and marine waters. In the bay, there are two standards that must be met: water samples must have less than an average of 14 fecal coliform colonies per 100 milliliters of water (100 FC/100mL), and a 90th percentile of less than 43 FC per 100mL. In neighborhood creeks, there are also two standards that must be met: water samples must have less than an average of 100 fecal coliform colonies per 100 milliliters of water (100 FC/100mL), and less than 10% of the samples can have more than 200 FC per 100mL. Comprehensive Water Quality MonitoringWater quality monitoring and data management are important tasks for the shellfish district. Monitoring water quality throughout the district provides guidance for determining priority areas for pollution control projects. Monitoring also provides information on what the current levels of pollution are, which helps determine where work still needs to be done and how close we are to achieving the desired levels for fecal coliform bacteria necessary to re-open the shellfish beds. Data/MapsAs part of this process, numerous agencies have agreed to share their water quality data. The data is consolidated into one comprehensive database, which allows for easy access of all information relevant to the entire shellfish protection district. Graphs and maps are developed based on these datasets to help
visually display where samples are taken and what the current water
quality status is at the various sample locations. Figures 1 and
2 provide a visual display of the shellfish protection district
and the sample locations within the district where water quality
data is currently collected and compiled. Washington Department of HealthPrior to July of 2002, the State Department of Health (DOH) monitored Portage Bay for fecal coliform bacteria on a monthly basis. Water quality in the bay appears to be improving over the past few years and at the request of the Lummi Nation, DOH agreed that water quality was showing enough positive improvement to increase sampling in the bay from once per month to twice per month through the end of 2002 with the hope that the bay’s water quality might improve enough by the end of 2002 to allow for re-classification. However, due to high counts over the beds in August and again in September, the water quality was not good enough to allow for a re-classification by DOH. There are nine sites within Portage Bay that DOH uses for classification purposes (Figure 3). The two-part National Shellfish Sanitation Program standard for approved shellfish harvest requires that the geometric mean for fecal coliform bacteria be <14 MPN/100mL (MPN= most probable number) and the estimated 90th percentile for fecal coliform bacteria be <43 MPN/100mL. DOH classifies shellfish growing areas based on a minimum of the last 30 water quality samples collected. At the end of 2002, all but one of the sites was meeting the two-part National Shellfish Sanitation Program standard (Figure 4). Site #52 has the poorest water quality of the nine sites used for classification. Sites #53 and #58 show the best water quality. The graphs and tables below illustrate the water quality history of each of the various sites currently monitored over the shellfish beds in Portage Bay.
Northwest Indian CollegeThe Northwest Indian College (NWIC) currently samples over 50 sites in the Nooksack watershed (Figure 5). Many of the creeks monitored do not meet the two-part fecal coliform bacteria standard for a freshwater Class A waterbody (geometric mean <200 and <10% of the samples >400) based on the last 30 samples collected. A lot of work has, however, gone on throughout the watershed over the past several years, and water quality is improving in many of the streams. The Nooksack River has a TMDL (total maximum daily load) for fecal coliform bacteria. A detailed implementation plan (DIP) has been developed and target fecal coliform levels set for various tributaries in the Nooksack drainage. Each quarter a report is generated to document various agencies’ progress toward meeting their goals for the DIP. The fourth quarter of 2002 was the first time that all eight monitored streams for the TMDL met their target fecal coliform goals. The figure below illustrates the target fecal coliform TMDL for each of the listed creeks and shows what the actual fecal coliform value was for that stream during that quarter.
On-site Septic Systems |
