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Samish Watershed Samish Watershed Flying for Fish Habitat Tours Flying for Fish Habitat Tours 2009 2009

Samish Watershed Flying for Fish Habitat Tours 2009

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Samish WatershedSamish Watershed

Flying for Fish Habitat ToursFlying for Fish Habitat Tours20092009

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Pacific States Marine Fisheries CommissionCommission

Flying for Fish Habitat Flight ProgramFlying for Fish Habitat Flight Program

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission with support from Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission with support from LightHawk has been providing educational aerial tours LightHawk has been providing educational aerial tours throughout Puget Sound for over a decade to help officials and throughout Puget Sound for over a decade to help officials and community leaders better understand and protect watershed community leaders better understand and protect watershed habitat. In 2009 PSMFC provided flights for Skagit Conservation habitat. In 2009 PSMFC provided flights for Skagit Conservation Education Alliance (SCEA) over the Samish watershed.Education Alliance (SCEA) over the Samish watershed.

Pam Goddard

► SCEA was founded in 2002 to provide SCEA was founded in 2002 to provide oversight and periodic review of progress for oversight and periodic review of progress for recently published Watershed Improvement recently published Watershed Improvement Plans on the Samish, Nookachamps, and Plans on the Samish, Nookachamps, and Padilla Bay. Padilla Bay.

► Mission Statement: "To bring people Mission Statement: "To bring people together in the spirit of cooperation to together in the spirit of cooperation to protect, conserve, and enhance the natural protect, conserve, and enhance the natural ecosystems in the Skagit Watersheds.”ecosystems in the Skagit Watersheds.”

Welcome to the Welcome to the Samish WatershedSamish Watershed

TourTour

Samish Bay is located just north of Padilla Bay and South of Bellingham Bay near the border of Skagit and Whatcom counties.

The Samish River is the largest tributary to Samish Bay.

75% of the lower Samish watershed is used for agriculture.

The mainstem Samish is extensively diked.

About 1,100 acres of Samish Bay are used for commercial aquaculture. Species include Pacific oyster, Manila clams, mussels, and geoduck.

Samish River BasinSamish River Basin

Pam Goddard

Samish Bay

Fecal ColiformFecal Coliform

Fecal coliform bacteria are microscopic organisms that live in the intestines of warm-blooded animals including humans, livestock, cats, dogs, birds and wildlife. The bacteria are carried in feces.

Department of Ecology’s review of land uses in the Samish indicates many sources: dysfunctional on-site sewage systems; livestock manure from watering, storing, or spreading too close to ditches or streams; pet waste left to ‘flush-away’ when it rains; waste dumping from boats; and many unprepared fishers and hunters who leave more than their footprints behind.

Samish & Fecal ColiformSamish & Fecal Coliform

1994 (August): shellfish beds closed after a reported fecal coliform illness.

1995: Samish watershed Plan addresses objectives for nonpoint pollution sources

1998: Edison receives community sewer, Blanchard repairs or replaces failing septics.

2003 (December): Samish Bay closed to commercial shellfish harvesting for

3 weeks due to Norovirus outbreak.

2004: Local and state interest in developing Total Daily Maximum Load (TMDL)

for Samish.

2008 (April) – 2009: 8 commercial shellfish closures due to fecal coliform.

2008: Department of Ecology publishes Samish TMDL

2009 - Multi-agency "Clean Samish Initiative”

Points of InterestPoints of Interest

►1. Samish Bay Oyster Farms1. Samish Bay Oyster Farms►2. Farm Land2. Farm Land►3. Thomas Road Bridge3. Thomas Road Bridge►4. Dairy Farms4. Dairy Farms►5. Cattle Farms5. Cattle Farms►6. Upper Watershed6. Upper Watershed►7. Friday Creek7. Friday Creek►*Hansen Creek Alluvial Fan Restoration*Hansen Creek Alluvial Fan Restoration

Flight Path Flight Path

1

3

2

45

6

7

*

Fecal Coliform MapsFecal Coliform Maps

Thomas Road Bridge Sampling Station is used by the Department of Health to close commercial shellfish harvesting. Clean water standards call for fecal coliform (FC) counts of less than 100FC/100ml of water.

70% of the bacteria loading in Samish Bay comes from the Samish river above from where water fowl congregate.1

Pam Goddard

Samish BaySamish Bay

Bill Dewey

Samish Bay Oyster FarmsSamish Bay Oyster Farms

Pacific oysters, Manila clams, and goeducks are commercially grown in Samish Bay.

Farm LandFarm Land

Pam Goddard

75% of the lower Samish watershed is used for agriculture. Dikes were installed to prevent flooding. Much of the Samish farmland is below sea level. 2

Potential Sources of Fecal Potential Sources of Fecal ColiformColiform

Pam Goddard

Old or improperly maintained septic systems can leak human waste directly into the river or ground water.

Samish

Septic SystemsSeptic Systems

Cattle Farms & Hobby FarmsCattle Farms & Hobby Farms

Pam Goddard

River

Livestock

Livestock with direct access to the river can introduce fecal coliform into the system. Manure from fields is washed into the river after rain events. Fencing prevents direct access to the river. A healthy riparian area can intercept field run off and manure before it enters the river as well as provide shade and a healthy habitat for salmon.

Potential Sources of Fecal Potential Sources of Fecal ColiformColiform

Riparian Area

www.fccdks.org/WRAPS.htm

Dairy FarmsDairy Farms

Pam Goddard

Dairy farms store manure in lagoons until the dry season when it can be spread on their fields and used as fertilizer. Improperly maintained lagoons can leak and contaminate the river.

Potential Sources of Fecal Potential Sources of Fecal ColiformColiform

Manure lagoons

Upper WatershedUpper Watershed

Pam Goddard

Fecal coliform counts in the upper watershed are very low.

Friday CreekFriday Creek

Pam Goddard

Friday Creek

Friday Creek is the largest tributary to the Samish River. It is formed from the over flow of Samish Lake. In 1890 a salmon hatchery was built on Friday Creek. An egg collection station is located on the Samish just below Friday Creek. Fall Chinook, chum, coho, and steelhead can all be found in the Samish.

Keeping the Samish CleanKeeping the Samish Clean► Keeping Samish clean is a community effort. Keeping Samish clean is a community effort.

Everyone can help whether it is fencing Everyone can help whether it is fencing livestock, having a septic system inspected, livestock, having a septic system inspected, cleaning up pet waste or using a Port-a-cleaning up pet waste or using a Port-a-Potty when fishing. For more information Potty when fishing. For more information contact one of the following.contact one of the following.

► Corinne Story, Skagit County Public Health, 360-336-9380, Corinne Story, Skagit County Public Health, 360-336-9380, [email protected]

► Pete Haase, Skagit Conservation Education Alliance, 360-419-Pete Haase, Skagit Conservation Education Alliance, 360-419-3161, [email protected], [email protected]

► Kristi Carpenter, Skagit Conservation District, 360-428-4313, Kristi Carpenter, Skagit Conservation District, 360-428-4313, [email protected]@skagitcd.org

► Rick Haley, Skagit County Public Works, 360-336-9400, Rick Haley, Skagit County Public Works, 360-336-9400, [email protected]@co.skagit.wa.us

► PSMFC’s Fish Habitat Education Program offers PSMFC’s Fish Habitat Education Program offers educational aerial and ground watershed tours. educational aerial and ground watershed tours.

► For ten years, this project has provided For ten years, this project has provided hundreds of participants with a vivid experience hundreds of participants with a vivid experience of local watersheds as well as a means to of local watersheds as well as a means to connect with people, resources, and connect with people, resources, and information.information.

► It strives to translate awareness into action on It strives to translate awareness into action on behalf of fish habitat. behalf of fish habitat.

Partnering with Flying For Fish Habitat Partnering with Flying For Fish Habitat ProgramProgram

► Contact Pam Goddard if you would like to Contact Pam Goddard if you would like to partner with Flying for Fish Habitat.partner with Flying for Fish Habitat.

5415 NE 545415 NE 54thth Street StreetSeattle, WA 98105Seattle, WA 98105206.786.8245206.786.8245p.goddard@[email protected]

Virtual flight tour on web at Virtual flight tour on web at http://www.psmfc.org/habitat/virtual/ http://www.psmfc.org/habitat/virtual/

►LightHawk provides aerial support for all LightHawk provides aerial support for all Flying for Fish Habitat tours.Flying for Fish Habitat tours.

►Champions environmental protection Champions environmental protection through the unique perspective of flight.through the unique perspective of flight.

►The view from above speaks for itself, The view from above speaks for itself, providing breathtaking clarity of providing breathtaking clarity of understanding. understanding.

SourcesSources

11Department of Ecology Samish Water Quality websiteDepartment of Ecology Samish Water Quality website((http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/tmdl/samish/index.htmlhttp://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/tmdl/samish/index.html))

22Department of Ecology Samish Watershed TMDL Department of Ecology Samish Watershed TMDL ((www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0803029.htmlwww.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0803029.html))

LightHawk (http://www.lighthawk.org)LightHawk (http://www.lighthawk.org)

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (http://www.psmfc.org/habitat/)(http://www.psmfc.org/habitat/)

Puget Sound Partnership (Puget Sound Partnership (http://www.psp.wa.gov/http://www.psp.wa.gov/))

► Skagit Conservation Education Alliance Skagit Conservation Education Alliance ((http://www.skagitwater.org/index.htmhttp://www.skagitwater.org/index.htm))

Please Share Your Please Share Your ExperiencesExperiences

► This aerial watershed tour has been a This aerial watershed tour has been a collaborative effort between our groups. collaborative effort between our groups. Only a few individuals can actually fly.Only a few individuals can actually fly.

► We hope you will join us in sharing your We hope you will join us in sharing your experiences with others. This PowerPoint experiences with others. This PowerPoint show is available at show is available at www.psmfc.org/habitat/virtual.www.psmfc.org/habitat/virtual.

► Working together we can prioritize tasks and Working together we can prioritize tasks and accomplish good things for our fish, our accomplish good things for our fish, our communities, and our economies.communities, and our economies.