Shellfish logo used by permission, courtesy of the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association (PCSGA)

Portage Bay Projects

On-site Septic Systems
Municipal Sewer Systems
Agricultural Practices
Stormwater Runoff
Education and Community Involvement
Data Management/Water Quality Monitoring
Reports

After the Portage Bay Shellfish Protection District was established in 1998, a Closure Response Strategy was developed as required by RCW 90.72 and as outlined in the Puget Sound Water Quality Management Plan, to address point and non-point source pollution within the Portage Bay watershed. The Closure Response Strategy identified 33 initial actions that were seen as the necessary first steps to addressing the pollution problems in the harbor. These actions were divided into several basic categories of potential pollution sources.

On-site Septic Systems (OSS)

Failing on-site septic systems cause human waste to leach into the soils surrounding the system. This waste, which has high levels of fecal coliform bacteria, can then make its way into nearby water bodies, whether a creek or stream, a lake, groundwater wells or marine waters, and pollute these waters. Septic systems can fail for a number of reasons: improper installation, inadequate soils for the system type, advanced age, damage to the system, improper maintenance, etc. Whatcom County Health and Human Services recommends that homeowners get their septic systems pumped and inspected every 3-5 years- this will help extend the life of the system and will identify possible problems sooner. A number of projects have taken place in Portage Bay to address the issue of on-site septics possibly contributing to the pollution problems in the harbor. (Specific projects)

Municipal Sewer Systems

There are three municipal sewer systems in the Portage Bay Shellfish Protection District: Everson, Lynden and Ferndale. There are a number of ways that these systems could contribute to water quality issues within the watershed. Sewer lines with deteriorating connections and possible breaks can leak sewage into surrounding soils and waterways. Older lines also allow for infiltration and inflow (I & I) of groundwater and stormwater, which add additional burdens on the system; the resulting increases in flow can result in overflows in the system- stormwater, groundwater and sewage overflow the pipes' capacity and contaminate the soils and water courses nearby. Another way these municipalities may contribute to water quality problems is through their effluent discharge. Their discharge permits set the limits as to how much bacteria and other compounds they can discharge from their facility. New, stricter permit requirements help reduce the impact their effluent will have on the waters of Whatcom County. (Specific projects)

Agricultural Practices

Numerous agricultural practices can have significant impacts on water quality. Animal access to water bodies, land spreading of manure during the wet season, removal of buffers that provide filtration of pollutants before they can enter a water course, and improper animal housing are just a few of the activities that can affect water quality. All farms can contribute to pollution of our waters: large commercial livestock and dairy farms, vegetable growers, small farms and even homeowners who only own one or two domestic animals. Work has been done with the large commercial farms to help alleviate some of their impacts on our waterways. Efforts now need to be directed towards the small/hobby farms to help reduce their effects on water quality. (Specific projects)

Stormwater Runoff

Stormwater is one of the biggest potential sources of pollution to our waterways across the country. Stormwater collects pollutants- bacteria, nutrients, chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals, etc.- and transports this contamination to water bodies with very little time for settling, filtration, etc. Because the contaminant sources for stormwater are diverse and numerous, it is a difficult problem to hone in on and correct. Stormwater systems historically have been designed to focus on the control of stormwater volumes. Traditional ponds have been designed to capture stormwater and hold it temporarily to reduce peak flows. High flows can cause erosion in ditches and streams and cause flooding in many areas. Most stormwater systems were not designed to allow for filtration, settling, biological degradation or biological uptake- all of which are mechanisms for improving water quality. Newer stormwater designs are more ecologically beneficial, but retrofitting older systems can be very costly. (Specific projects)

The Portage Bay Shellfish Protection District also deals with Education and Community Involvement and Water Quality Monitoring/Data Management and supports the efforts of other groups within the shellfish district who are helping to improve water quality in the watershed through these kinds of efforts.

Education and Community Involvement

Two tools that are vital to affecting changes in behavior are education and community involvement/buy-in into the process. To understand how to correct a pollution problem, people must first understand that there is a problem and understand how the problem arose in the first place. Education comes in many different formats: brochures, pamphlets, newsletters, press releases, open houses, seminars, reports, etc. All of these forums are being used to educate people to the pollution and shellfish issues associated with Portage Bay.

It is becoming increasingly evident that community involvement is essential to a successful pollution prevention/reduction program. We have all helped to contribute to the problem and we all need to help correct the problems that have been created. When the community becomes involved in the process, there is ownership of the project that helps to create a solid platform for success. (Specific projects)

Data Management/Water Quality Monitoring

Portions of Portage Bay have been closed to shellfish harvesting since 1997. Many groups and agencies have been involved in helping to identify and address various pollution sources throughout the watershed. One avenue used to accomplish this is water quality monitoring. That means there is a lot of water quality data related to Portage Bay and the shellfish beds that needed to be compiled and summarized. A database has been created to house all of the information and, from this, graphs and data summaries can be generated. (Data/Maps)

Reports

With 6 years of tracking sources and identifying and addressing problems, numerous reports have been written to document the efforts being made. Many reports are specific to a particular pollution source but there are also numerous reports that take a comprehensive look at all of the activities that have gone on in the shellfish district since its inception. (Reports)