Lindsey Hamilton, Exploring drivers of fecal coliform pollution trends in South Puget Sound

Exploring Drivers of Fecal Coliform Pollution Trends in

South Puget Sound

Authors: Lindsey Hamilton, Scott Berbells, Lawrence Sullivan, Jean SnyderWashington State Department of Health

Washington Commercial Shellfish

• 105 Growing Areas

• 270 million dollar industry

• Cultural Significance

Commercial Shellfish Regulation

• WA Department of Health (DOH) is the designated shellfish authority

• National Shellfish Sanitation Program

• RCW 90.72.030 requires formation of Shellfish Protection District when a growing area is downgraded

Shellfish Protection Districts

14 active Shellfish Protection Districts doing water quality restoration

Stormwater

Agriculture

On-site SewagePet Waste

How are we doing?

• How have fecal coliform levels in marine waters changed over the last 25 years?

• Are trends driven by changing environmental factors or water quality restoration efforts?

• What restoration actions seemed to have had significant impacts on water quality?

South Sound Study Areas

8 Growing Areas

• Henderson Inlet

• Nisqually Reach

• Totten Inlet

• Oakland Bay

• Filucy Bay

• Vaughn Bay

• Rocky Bay

• Burley LagoonSouth Puget Sound, Washington

Growing Area Trend Analysis By Season

Multiple Linear Regression

= α + β1 + β2 + β3 + β4Fecal

ColiformSalinity Surface

WaterTemp

Rainfall(API)

SampleDate

(Helsel and Hirsch, 2011)

General Results

- No increasing trends

- Declining trends in 5 out of 8 growing areas

- Comparable to Puget Sound wide results

Henderson Inlet Trends By Season

Multiple StormwaterInfrastructure Improvements

Feca

l Co

lifo

rm G

eo

met

ric

Me

ans

fc/

10

0 m

l

Nov - Feb

Mar - Oct

FEC

AL

CO

LIFO

RM

FC

/10

0 M

L (L

OG

SC

ALE

)

Min

Max

Estimated 10th Percentile

Geometric Mean

Estimated 90th PercentileOAKLAND BAY FECAL COLIFORM TRENDS AND RESTORATION TIMELINE 1989 - 2015

920 240 240 920 240 240 540220 240 350130 140 130 170130 170 110 130 170

Restoration Timelines

1989 2015

AgriculturalBMPs

StormwaterRetrofits

Pet WasteCampaigns

SepticRepairs

WildlifeExclusions

FEC

AL

CO

LIFO

RM

FC

/10

0 M

L (L

OG

SC

ALE

)W

ATE

R Q

UA

LITY

R

ESTO

RA

TIO

N

AC

TIO

NS

Min

Max

Estimated 10th Percentile

Geometric Mean

Estimated 90th PercentileOAKLAND BAY FECAL COLIFORM TRENDS AND RESTORATION TIMELINE 1989 - 2015

BMP Implementation Mason County Septic O&M Program

ChapmanCove BMPs

Oakland Bay Action PlanOakland Bay Watershed Project

Stormwater Infrastructure Improvement Project

Shorebank Craft3

Shellfish Protection District Formed

Marine Recovery

Area Project

Shelton WWTP Upgrades

920 240 240 920 240 240 540220 240 350130 140 130 170130 170 110 130 170

Chapman Cove In Oakland Bay

ROLLING ESTIMATED 90TH PERCENTILES FOR CHAPMAN COVE STATIONS 1989-2015

Farm plans and agricultural best management practices implemented.

119

128639 615

Feca

l Co

lifo

rm f

c/1

00

ml

FEC

AL

CO

LIFO

RM

FC

/10

0 M

L W

AT

ER Q

UA

LITY

R

ESTO

RA

TIO

N

AC

TIO

NS

Min

Max

Estimated 10th Percentile

Geometric Mean

Estimated 90th Percentile

Kitsap Prevention / Restoration Project

Pierce County Septic Grant and Loan Program

Ongoing Kitsap County Prevention/Restoration

Remedial Action Project

Shellfish Protection District formed

Extensive Ag. BMPs

Kitsap Farm

Planning

EPA Watersheds Project

Kitsap Directed PIC

Kitsap County Craft3 Clean Water Loans

BURLEY LAGOON FECAL COLIFORM TRENDS AND RESTORATION TIMELINE 1989 - 2015

NPDES Phase I Stormwater Permit NPDES Phase II Stormwater Permit

Pierce Co. Ag. BMPsPierce Shellfish

Partners Formed

Pierce County Farm Planning

540 350 1600 240 350 350 350 920 540 350 540 350 240 350 240130130170130170170 170170

Conditionally Approved Area of Burley Lagoon

Both Kitsap and Pierce Counties implemented

agricultural BMPs and OSS repairs in watershed.

339 340

338

Feca

l Co

lifo

rm f

c/1

00

ml

ROLLING ESTIMATED 90TH PERCENTILES FOR NORTHERN CONDITIONALLY APPROVED

MARINE STATIONS NEAR MOUTH OF BURLEY CREEK 1989-2015

Both Kitsap County and Pierce Counties implemented grant and low interest loan programs, land owner incentives, and pollution

identification and correction projects.

What We Think

• All watersheds should have well organized and funded septic operations and maintenance programs, combined with cost share programs.

• There should be adequately funded and staffed programs to provide education, and technical and financial assistance to agricultural operations.

• We need sustained funding for all of our Shellfish Protection Districts.

Thank You!

Lindsey Hamilton

Lindsey.hamilton@doh.wa.gov

1+360-236-3361