Eyes Under Puget Sound: Critter of the Month—Bloodworms

Left: Dany identifies marine critters at the South Sound BioBlitz on August 11, 2018.

Center: Glycera americana, a species found on both the east and west coasts, has finger-like gills that shoot out from behind its feet.

Right: Our 2016–2017 WCC intern, Nicole Marks, holds a Glycera robusta specimen freshly collected from a benthic grab sample.

It’s a Bioblitz!

Recently I had the pleasure of volunteering at the South Sound BioBlitz, a community outreach event hosted by the Pacific Shellfish Institute. Participants spent a rainy Saturday morning working with local scientists conducting beach surveys to find intertidal invertebrates. Most species were catalogued in the field, but some specimens were brought back to the WET Science Center for closer examination. It was a great way for folks of all ages to get up close and personal with Puget Sound’s benthic (sediment-dwelling) invertebrates!

One of the most common finds at our survey location was a small, pink, wiggly worm with a pointy head. I immediately recognized it as a bloodworm because of its paper thin skin that reveals its red body fluid inside.

Bloodworms are a type of polychaete, or marine segmented worm, in the family Glyceridae. The intertidal species are only a couple of centimeters long, but we get a much larger version in our Puget Sound subtidal benthic grabs that can be over a foot long (see video below for one of these big beauties)!

In cold blood

I often get the question, “Do bloodworms bite?” Well, yes and no. The bloodworm is a voracious predator and has a long proboscis, or mouthpart, that can shoot out of its body like something in a horror movie. At the end are four black jaws that are connected to venom glands. Despite their sinister name, bloodworms typically save their venom for the tiny crustaceans they like to eat. They don’t usually harm humans intentionally, but if you did happen to put your finger near the worm’s mouth, you could end up with a minor bee-sting-like bite.

The bloodworm’s black jaws are especially strong because they contain a copper-based mineral that makes them almost as hard as human tooth enamel—an important quality when you are munching on sand grains with your food!

Blood in the water…and in the mud

When you take a bloodworm out of its habitat, it will thrash around like a fish out of water (see video below—watch for the proboscis shooting out). This makes them great for attracting actual fish, which is why fisherman commonly use them as bait. Don’t confuse them with the popular aquarium fish food; those small red freshwater bloodworms are actually midge fly larvae.

In addition to their usefulness to humans, bloodworms provide an important ecological service. They are highly mobile, burrowing into the sand or mud with their pointed snouts. This activity is called bioturbation, or mixing of the sediments, and it allows much needed oxygen and nutrients to penetrate into the deeper layers of sediment. The burrows made by the worms can also provide habitat for smaller critters, helping drive biodiversity. Bloodworms may not be beautiful, but Puget Sound sediments would certainly be a less productive and interesting place without them!  

By: Dany Burgess, Environmental Assessment Program

Our benthic taxonomists, Dany and Angela, are scientists who identify and count the benthic (sediment-dwelling) organisms in our samples as part of our Marine Sediment Monitoring Program. We are tracking the numbers and types of species we see in order to understand the health of Puget Sound and to detect any changes over time.

Dany and Angela share their discoveries by bringing us a Benthic Critter of the Month. These posts will give you a peek into the life of Puget Sound’s least-known inhabitants. We’ll share details on identification, habitat, life history, and the role each critter plays in the sediment community. Can't get enough benthos? See photos from our Eyes Under Puget Sound collection on Flickr.

Floating the Yakima River with a purpose

Researchers pursue pools of cool water to support salmon

A researcher wades into the Yakima River, where water temperatures have hovered in the 80s this summer.

The saying "still waters run deep" doesn’t apply to the Yakima River. Especially this summer, where still waters run shallow and hot. As flows declined and air temperatures hovered at 100 degrees, water temperatures near Prosser mirrored those on coastal Hawaii.

Warm water is becoming all too common in the summer months. So much so, that we have teams floating the river to document refuges of cooler water -- places where fish can hang out to avoid the heat. These safe havens may prove crucial to fish survival.

Led by folks with the Benton Conservation District, Yakama Nation, and U.S. Geological Survey, the goal is to profile these cooler areas and gain data for the lower 100 miles of the Yakima River. Funded by Ecology, the survey will help us protect these sites and meet environmental enhancement objectives of the Yakima River Basin Integrated Plan.

A record year for water temps?

For 12 days this July (2018), average daily river temperatures at Prosser were above 80 degrees! Historically, the monthly mean temperature for July at Prosser is 69.3 degrees. Over the last four years, the rise in river temperatures is notable. In fact, 20 of the 30 warmest river temperatures recorded since 1990 at Prosser were from the years 2015 to 2018.

These “thermal blocks” are stalling the migration of sockeye salmon. Recently reintroduced to the river by the Yakama Nation, the sockeye are pausing their migration, waiting at the mouth for conditions to improve. Why? Temperatures above 73-77 degrees are considered lethal to salmon. Survival of late spring smolts is also influenced by rapid water warming, especially in drought years.

Where are the safe havens?

Fish are able to detect water temperature differences within a half a degree. They move to areas that are cooler and more favorable in an activity called "behavioral thermoregulation." Of all Pacific salmon, sockeye prefer the coldest water. Enhancing thermal refuge locations on the lower Yakima may support late spring and summer migration of anadromous species when water temperatures are otherwise too warm for fish passage.

Benton Conservation's  water resources specialist Marcella Appel is leading the multi-agency project to map the thermal profile of the river from Wapato to Richland. Data will be used to identify areas where cool water is introduced to the river, be it from shallow groundwater or subsurface flows influenced by irrigation.

“We want to learn where these temperature refuges exist because they are so important to salmon,” Appel explained. “The information will provide one more piece of the puzzle as partners of the integrated plan seek to restore water conditions on the Yakima River for people and salmon.”

It’s also believed these refuges provide beneficial warmer water for out-migration of juvenile smolts during the winter and spring months.

The conservation district, Nation, with Ecology staff and local community volunteers, have completed eight of nine floats, already covering 80-plus river miles. The study team has one more float to log information, planned in early September. They will map the river again in 2019, and then report on the data and potential next steps to preserve these areas.

Anticipating climate impacts

With anticipated climate change impacts in the basin resulting in higher river temperatures and lower springtime flows, thermal refuge locations will become increasingly important for migratory species. So stay tuned for results.

“The support and collaboration for this project have been amazing,” Appel said. “We could not have completed the rigorous summer float schedule without the help of our partners and local citizens.

“It is satisfying to see everyone working together on solutions for the lower Yakima River. I look forward to the next phase as we analyze the data. We anticipate the efforts of this two-year study will lead to future projects aimed at helping cool water species navigate an otherwise hot river,” Appel concluded.

This summer we saw 12 of the 30 hottest river temperatures ever recorded at Prosser. 

See our flickr set of photos

By Joye Redfield-Wilder, Central Region communications manager

Watching the water supply

Hot, dry conditions put pressure on water supplies

Campbell Creek, the water supply for the community of Ryderwood, is a 

trickle due to a major lack of precipitation in Cowlitz County. Read more

on our statewide conditions webpage. Photo courtesy of Washington State
Department of Health. 

The fall rains can’t come soon enough.

Months of unusually warm and dry weather continue to put pressure on the state’s rivers and streams. Although some areas saw sprinkles earlier this month, rivers across the state continue to recede. In some cases, rivers are hitting new record lows. The Naselle River in southwestern Washington established a new historic low flow when it dropped to 16 cubic feet per second (cfs) this week. That’s roughly half of its normal flow of 37 cfs.

High temps in August

Although wildfire smoke moderated the heat a bit, the average daily temperature during the first half of August was about 3 degrees above normal. This contributed to more days above 90 degrees than usual. The Vancouver airport hit 90 degrees or hotter on 28 days this summer. That’s more than Spokane, which broke 90 degrees on 23 days. The average over the previous 20 years for Vancouver is 11 days. For Spokane, about 19.

Thankfully, this summer, we aren't expecting an official water supply drought emergency to be declared. It's been hot and dry, but water supplies so far haven't met the statutory threshold. Under state law, a drought emergency is defined by a two-prong test:

·          An area has or is expected to receive 75 percent or less of normal supplies AND

·          Undue hardships are likely to occur as a result. 

Official drought declarations provide us flexibility to authorize emergency wells and water withdrawals.

Tracking impacts

We’re working with other state agencies to track impacts from the warm and dry conditions.

The Department of Health tells us that multiple drinking water systems in western Washington have taken measures to reduce demand. Actions range from requesting voluntary or mandatory conservation (e.g., lawn watering restrictions) to more serious measures like hauling water.

Larger municipalities like Seattle and Tacoma say their water supplies should be fine for the season.

For fish, warm water temperatures can block migration. Emergency fishing closures are in effect on parts of the Columbia River to protect fish trying to find refuge in cooler water, according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

We are continuing to regulate water users in some parts of the state to protect senior water rights and adopted instream flows. Curtailment notices or orders have been issued in the Chehalis, Walla Walla, Methow, Similkameen, Wenatchee, and Skagit watersheds.

Read about more impacts on our water supply conditions webpage. We update it weekly.

By Kristin Johnson-Waggoner, communications manager

Defending the public’s right to comment on Hanford decisions

It’s early morning May 9, 2017, on southeast Washington’s Hanford nuclear reservation. A small crew working outside the shuttered Plutonium Uranium Extraction plant detects an ever-so-slight increase in background radiation. Not enough to cause alarm; just to pique their curiosity.  

Looking around, they find part of the roof of an underground storage tunnel collapsed. The tunnel stores highly radioactive waste.

That sets off the alarms. 

Within minutes, the entire 586-square-mile site locks down. Thousands of workers shelter in place – their Tweets, texts and emails alerting the world to a potentially catastrophic event on one of the nation’s most dangerously contaminated sites.

The tunnel – PUREX Tunnel 1 – contains eight flat-bed rail cars loaded with highly radioactive equipment. But there’s no detectable release of radioactive contamination and no one is hurt. Within hours, the site operator, the U.S. Department of Energy, plugs the hole with dirt, and attention turns to longer-term solutions to secure the tunnel and its much larger and longer companion, Tunnel 2.

PUREX Tunnel 2 under construction in the mid-1960s. Eight feet of soil was added to serve as a radiation shield.

Rapid response

Within a day, we ordered Energy to devise a plan to protect workers, the public and the environment by preventing further collapses.

Over the next few days, Energy concluded that the most effective solution would be to fill Tunnel 1 with grout – a type of concrete. The partial collapse made it clear that it was structurally impaired and further collapses were possible unless quick action was taken to stabilize the tunnel. In light of the emergency, Energy asked us for authority to bypass the usually required public comment period. Acknowledging the urgency, we agreed – although we did insist on a public information session. And we heard protests from members of the public who weren’t convinced that grout was the best answer.

Energy began filling Tunnel 1 with grout in October 2017, finishing in less than two months. The eight railcars stacked with radioactive equipment from the PUREX processing facility now are encased in grout, awaiting a final decision about what will ultimately happen to them. Another process, known as closure, will determine how best to complete the cleanup of the tunnels and the rest of the PUREX complex. The closure process will decide whether it’s best to cut up the blocks and dispose of them at another site, or leave the grouted materials in place permanently.

Now focusing on Tunnel 2

After the Tunnel 1 collapse, we required Energy to assess the structural integrity of both tunnels. They weren’t able to get inside either tunnel due to the extreme levels of radioactivity, but they reviewed construction and engineering records. That review confirmed what everyone knew: that Tunnel 1 was not structurally sound. But it also disclosed that Tunnel 2 does not meet current engineering standards and it may not be structurally sound enough to bear the load from the eight feet of soil cover that serves as a radiation barrier. The bottom line: Tunnel 2 needs to be stabilized to remove the threat of a radiation-exposing collapse.

There was no evidence that it is about to collapse. So we made it clear that we would require Energy to obtain a permit to stabilize Tunnel 2.

A permit requires that Energy propose how it will stabilize Tunnel 2, then hold a 60-day period allowing members of the public to review and comment on that plan. Energy completed its comment period in April of this year. We then review the permit proposal, identify any deficiencies and ask Energy to correct them. We also review public comments received, make changes we think are necessary, then hold our own 45-day public comment period.

We were prepared to begin our comment period shortly after Energy’s concluded, but we had to wait for documents and information from Energy to complete our review and revisions before we could move forward. We set our comment period at the earliest possible time.

Energy seeks to begin grouting early

Recently, Energy asked us to let the grouting begin before our public comment period concludes – and even before scheduled hearings on the idea. The request was accompanied by photos taken by remote camera inside Tunnel 2, which show corrosion on metal supports at one end of the tunnel. That was the first time we’d seen the photos, or heard about internal corrosion.

We asked for additional analysis to support the assertion that the tunnel is at greater risk for collapse in the near term. While we agree that corrosion is cause for concern, to date we haven’t seen evidence strong enough to override the right of the public to comment on the grouting plan. And we know that there is significant opposition to the idea.

Get ready to grout, but don’t start  

In our order allowing Energy to begin setting up the infrastructure it would need to start filling Tunnel 2 with grout, we specified that it may not let the grout flow until we’ve given the go-ahead. That way, if there is further evidence of an impending collapse, Energy will be ready to begin grouting. Meanwhile, we’re preserving the public’s right to have a meaningful impact on this important decision.

Our order also specifies that Energy will be erecting grouting infrastructure at its own financial risk, as we reserve the right to require a different solution should one result from the public comment period.

Learn about, comment on plans to grout PUREX Tunnel 2

We plan two public hearings on the U.S. Department of Energy's plan to stabilize PUREX Tunnel 2 by filling it with grout (a form of concrete).

Aug. 27, 5:30 p.m., Richland, WA, Public Library, 955 Northgate Dr.

Sept. 5, 6:30 p.m., University of Washington Center for Urban Horticulture, NHS Hall, 3501 NE 41st St., Seattle.

More details on the comment period and the public hearings.

Ecology researchers study climate effects on Puget Sound food web

Unusual phytoplankton blooms caused by warm ocean water give scientists a glimpse into the future of marine life, from shellfish to whales.

By studying the effects of warmer marine water on the tiny plant-like organisms called phytoplankton, scientists at Ecology are learning how the Puget Sound ecosystem responds to climate change.

They did so when a mass of warm water nicknamed “the Blob” made its way to the Puget Sound in 2015. This unusually warm water gave scientists the opportunity to see what a world with warmer oceans might look like.

The Blob changed the timing and size of phytoplankton blooms significantly; spring blooms happened earlier than usual, and summer blooms were dramatically larger than in previous years.

Most of the marine food web depends on phytoplankton blooms happening at certain times. Because phytoplankton are a key source of energy, their availability affects the life cycles of marine creatures.

Ecology’s Senior Oceanographer, Dr. Christopher Krembs, tells us more.

Krembs: “A lot of life cycles of invertebrates and fish are triggered by temperature. . . . for little larvae that come out of their eggs and for juvenile fish and other species, it is important that they find their food early on in their life cycle because most of the juveniles die if they don’t find optimal conditions.”

If phytoplankton blooms don’t align with critical developmental stages of marine creatures like small fish and krill, the entire food web can suffer. A healthy marine food web is essential to regional efforts to recover salmon and Southern Resident Killer Whale populations, as well as to support the commercial, tribal, and recreational shellfish industries.

Krembs says that the data from 2015 will help scientists model climate change more accurately.

Krembs: “When you see a scenario, you become much better at predicting the future, because now you have environmental data that you can calibrate your models with. And so our predictions become better.”

More research on how a warming climate may affect Puget Sound ecosystems has already begun. To learn more, visit Ecology’s webpage about the Salish Sea Model.


By Ruth Froese, Environmental Assessment Program Communications

111 Washington wastewater treatment plants win outstanding performance awards

Wenatchee wastewater treatment plant

Wastewater treatment plant operators are unsung heroes. Not many people question where the water goes after they flush a toilet, but your local wastewater operator makes sure the water from our sinks, baths and toilets is treated properly so public health and the environment are protected. Because their work is so critical, Ecology honors our state’s top-performing wastewater treatment facilities with our annual Wastewater Treatment Plant Outstanding Performance Award. We recognized 111 wastewater treatment plants  across Washington that achieved full compliance with their water quality permits in 2017. That’s about a third of the state’s wastewater treatment plants. 

Manchester Wastewater Treatment Plant in Kitsap County has 23 years of outstanding performance 

In picking the winners, we evaluated all of the plants in Washington for compliance with meeting pollution limits, monitoring and reporting requirements, spill prevention planning, pretreatment, and overall operation.

The Manchester wastewater treatment plant has earned an Outstanding Performance Award every year since the program began in 1995.

Cedar Creek receives its award from Ecology program
manager Heather Bartlett

Port Townsend Wastewater Treatment Plant has had perfect performance for 20 years. Six plants now have perfect performance for 10 years in a row:

• Clallam Bay Corrections Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Forks Wastewater Treatment Plant 
• Moses Lake Larson Wastewater Treatment Plant 
• Cle Elum Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Community of Klickitat Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Okanogan Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Omak Wastewater Treatment Plant

A complete list of the award winners for 2017 listed by county is on our website.

Funding available

Treatment plants that did not make the list may apply for state funding to help communities upgrade their aging systems and improve functionality so the plants can operate successfully.

Ecology recently offered $96 million in grants and loans to 26 wastewater treatment facility projects. In addition, Ecology provides technical assistance to many small plants to help them operate successfully.

Want to help protect water and get paid? Maybe wastewater operator is the right job for you!

Along with funding and awards, we oversee the certification program for wastewater operators.

“Washington’s growing population creates a greater need for wastewater treatment every day,” said Heather Bartlett, Ecology’s Water Quality Program Manager. “There are jobs to be had, and we encourage people to go into this field to help serve the public and protect the environment.”

Find out more about the state’s wastewater operator certification program at Ecology’s website.

Ecology seeks comments on draft permits for municipal stormwater

Stormwater runoff is a leading pollution threat to lakes, rivers, streams and marine water bodies in urban areas of Washington State. As rain and snowmelt runs off rooftops, paved streets, highways, and parking lots, it increases in speed and volume, and can pick up pollution such as oil, fertilizers, pesticides, soil, trash, and animal manure. These pollutants are carried into local bodies of water, where they can impact water quality and habitat.

Under federal and state laws, the Department of Ecology issues permits to control harmful runoff pollution that can affect rivers, lakes, and groundwater across the state. The most-populated cities and counties have stormwater permits aimed at reducing stormwater pollution at its source, treating it, and controlling volume and flow, so cleaner water goes into our creeks, lakes, groundwater and Puget Sound.

You can submit comments on the draft permits from Aug. 15 through Nov. 14, 2018. Find all draft permits, supporting documents, and information on how to submit comments on our reissuance webpage.

Three stormwater permits

Municipal stormwater permits are divided into three categories: Phase I, Western Washington Phase II, and Eastern Washington Phase II. Permits are divided based on population and by geography. We separate the Phase II permits into east and west because differences in climate and how the land absorbs water require different stormwater management measures. We review and update these permits every five years to add new science and clarify requirements.

What’s changing from the last versions?

Differences from the current permits include adding requirements for comprehensive stormwater planning and controlling sources of stormwater from existing businesses. We also refined language throughout to clarify: operations and maintenance, public education, controlling runoff for new and redevelopment, structural stormwater controls, and improving annual reporting. We also revised and added any new applicable Total Maximum Daily Load requirements.

Listening to stakeholders throughout the process 

We’ve gotten feedback from many stakeholders throughout this update process. In 2016, permittees, non-governmental organizations, and other interested parties organized a series of committee meetings to develop recommendations for permit revisions prior to starting the writing process.

From February to April 2017, we hosted listening sessions in both western and eastern Washington, and we gathered email and online comments with more specific input. We considered these comments as we developed the permit revisions.

In western Washington, we also provided an additional public review opportunity in the fall of 2017 with an informal public comment session on preliminary draft permit language for specific topics. This extra step in the public process provided valuable input from a wide range of interested parties. We considered those comments as we developed these draft permits.

How to comment

Now we’ve begun our formal comment period, and we invite comments on the formal draft documents from Aug. 15 through Nov. 14, 2018. You can find all three draft permits and supporting documents, as well as information on how to submit comments, on our reissuance webpage.

We will also be holding a series of workshops and public hearings. Information on workshops and public hearings can be found on our public events page.

Once we end the comment period, we will review and respond to comments. Our response to comments will be included in the final permit documents. We intend to reissue the final permits July 1, 2019.

Fecal Matters: Sinclair Inlet and Port Washington Narrows up to Lions Field are CLOSED to water contact recreation, Kitsap County

BEACH Program Update

August 15, 2018, Kitsap Public Health District issued a no-contact advisory for Sinclair Inlet and Port Washington Narrows up to Lions Field. This advisory is due to a sewage spill at Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton and will remain in effect through Tuesday, August 21. Signs have been posted at affected areas and the public is advised to avoid contact with the water in those areas.

Contact with fecal contaminated waters can result in gastroenteritis, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections, and other illnesses. Children and the elderly may be more vulnerable to waterborne illnesses.

Stay updated about water quality at your beaches by keeping up with us on our blog Fecal Matters, on Facebook, or join our listserv.

Julianne Ruffner, our BEACH Program Manager, is available at 360-407-6154 or julianne.ruffner@ecy.wa.gov for questions.

Wildfire smoke triggers report to EPA

Blog en Español

Kennewick and Yakima experience ‘exceptional’ air quality event

In 2017, our state was overwhelmed by smoke from wildfires across the west, including Northern California, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and right here in Washington.

Smoke from wildfires blanketed all of Washington
in Spetember 2017. Dense smoke remained in Kennewick
and Yakima  causing unhealthy air for a prolonged period of time.

In early September, dry conditions caused rapid fire growth, which filled the sky with dense smoke. This was bad news for air quality. And bad news for people. Wildfire smoke is made up of gases and particulate matter that can be dangerous when inhaled.

Kennewick and Yakima were hit especially hard. Stagnant weather conditions trapped smoke in the natural valleys, causing poor air quality on Sept. 5, 6, and 7. Air quality readings were almost two times higher than the health-based standard for particle pollution. And the data captured during this event could put these two areas in a category of failing to meet National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

If areas fail to meet national standards, industry and local governments may be required to implement new air quality controls to prevent and reduce pollution.

Part of our work to protect people is to monitor and track air quality and provide advanced warnings to those who could be affected by poor air quality. Monitoring also helps us determine if a region meets the national air quality standards to protect human health.

For Kennewick and Yakima, we’ve developed a report requesting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency exclude the data collected during this event from calculations used to determine whether the region meets the NAAQS because it was an exceptional event, due to the nature of wildfires.

An exceptional event is an unusual or naturally-occurring event that can affect air quality, but cannot be reasonably controlled. Our goal is to keep Washington within the range of clean air requirements, while recognizing that there are sometimes circumstances that are out of our control.

Review the report and submit comments

We’re asking you to consider our report and provide input. Our evaluation demonstrates that the Northwest wildfires qualify an exceptional event and concludes the high levels of air pollution from smoke should be excluded.

Submit comments online or by mail to Caroline Sun, Department of Ecology, Air Quality Program, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504.

Protect yourself from wildfire smoke

This year as wildfire season heats up the Washington Department of Health is urging people in Washington to plan now for smoky days.

Recent warm and dry weather melted last winter's snowpack faster than normal. This means more of the landscape is exposed, more growth of the plants that fuels fire, making the wildfire risk high this summer.

You can keep tabs on current air quality near you at www.wasmoke.blogspot.com

Se prepara un reporte a EPA como resultado del humo de los incendios forestales

Read this blog in English.

Kennewick y Yakima pasan por un evento ‘excepcional’ de calidad del aire

En 2017, nuestro estado fue abrumado por humo causado por incendios forestales por todo el oeste del país, incluyendo la parte norte de California, Oregón, Idaho, Montana y aquí mismo en Washington.

A principios de septiembre, condiciones de sequía causaron un aumento rápido de los incendios, los cuales llenaron el cielo con humo denso. Esto fue malas noticias para la calidad del aire. Y malas noticias para las personas. Humo de incendios forestales está formado por gases y partículas que pueden ser peligrosas cuando se inhalan.

Kennewick y Yakima fueron fuertemente impactadas. El humo quedo atrapado en los valles naturales debido a condiciones climáticas de estancamiento, causando aire de mala calidad el 5, 6, y 7 de septiembre. Las medidas de la calidad del aire fueron casi dos veces más grandes que el estándar en base-a-la-salud para contaminación por partículas. Y los datos obtenidos durante este evento podrían poner a estas dos áreas en una categoría de no cumplimiento con los Estándares Nacionales Para Calidad de Aire Ambiental (NAAQS por sus siglas en inglés).

Si las áreas no cumplen con estándares nacionales, la industria y los gobiernos locales podrían ser requeridos a implementar nuevos controles de calidad del aire para prevenir y reducir la contaminación.

Parte de nuestro trabajo para proteger a las personas es el de monitorear y seguir la trayectoria de la calidad del aire y proveer advertencia con antelación a aquellos quienes podrían ser afectados por la mala calidad del aire. El monitoreo también nos ayuda a determinar si una región cumple con los estándares nacionales de calidad del aire para proteger a la salud humana.

Para Kennewick y Yakima, hemos preparado un reporte solicitando que la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de EEUU excluya los datos obtenidos durante este evento de los cálculos usados para determinar si la región cumple con los NAAQS porque este fue un evento excepcional, debido a la naturaleza de los fuegos forestales.

Un evento excepcional es un evento inusual o de ocurrencia-natural que puede afectar la calidad del aire, pero que no puede ser razonablemente controlado. Nuestra meta es mantener a Washington dentro de los límites de los requisitos de aire limpio, aunque reconocemos que hay algunas circunstancias que están fuera de nuestro control.

Revise el reporte y envíe sus comentarios

Le estamos solicitando que usted considere nuestro reporte y que provea su aporte. Nuestra evaluación demuestra que los incendios forestales en el noroeste califican como un evento excepcional y concluye que los niveles elevados de contaminación en el aire por el humo deben ser excluidos.

Envíe sus comentarios por correo a Caroline Sun, [BB(1] Department of Ecology, Air Quality Program, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504.

Protéjase contra el humo de los incendios forestales

Este año al empeorar la época de fuegos forestales el Departamento de Salud de Washington está urgiendo a las personas en Washington a planear ahora para los días de mucho humo.

Clima caliente y seco reciente derritió la cubierta de nieve del año pasado más rápido de lo normal. Esto significa que hay más terreno expuesto, más crecimiento de plantas que alimentan el fuego, haciendo que el riesgo de fuegos forestales sea elevado este verano.

Usted puede vigilar de cerca la calidad del aire cerca de usted en www.wasmoke.blogspot.com

Preparing for a bad day: Oil industry practices saving wildlife during a spill

Michelle Bellizzi of International Bird Rescue explains the process to 

clean oiled birds. Hear her talk Ecology's short YouTube video.

On July 12, 2018, 28 oil handling companies worked with expert contractors, to demonstrate just how ready they are to care for oiled wildlife, should Washington experience a tragic oil spill. 

Inside a large warehouse at the Satsop Business Park in Elma, neatly arranged tents and trailers held everything the experts would need to save oiled wildlife. There were areas set aside for medical evaluations, a laboratory, and all of the trappings to do the job – plastic wash tubs, baby cribs, playpens, pet carriers, blow dryers, cooling fans, and the secret oil-busting sauces: Dawn and Palmolive dish soaps.

Why it matters

Every year, 20 billion gallons of oil moves through Washington by vessel, rail, and pipeline. If something goes wrong, that oil poses a significant risk to our state’s environment. Washington is fortunate that it has not experienced a major oil spill for many years, but we are constantly preparing for the worst.

To be ready, we operate a robust program of prevention, preparedness, and response to protect our communities, environment, cultural resources, and economy.

Historically, Washington has experienced spills along its coast and inland waters. And when birds and wildlife get mired in toxic oil, the spill can quickly become deadly if spill responders don’t take action.

Andy Carlson of the Washington Department of Fish & 

Wildlife shows an oikomi pipe, which can be struck underwater 

to deter orca whales from an oil spill. Learn more about orca

recovery. 

Why oil handlers have to be prepared in Washington

The Department of Ecology requires oil-handling industries that operate in Washington — such as facilities, pipelines, large commercial vessels, and railroads — to have oil spill contingency plans that detail how they would respond to an oil spill.

Their plans require them to conduct tabletop and equipment-deployment exercises, and, once every three years, they must demonstrate they can deploy equipment to help them respond to oiled wildlife.

The state Department of Fish & Wildlife also participates because it is responsible for overseeing responses to oiled wildlife.

Location, location, location

The exercise is always held in a location that is at risk for a spill. In this case, Satsop, near Grays Harbor, was chosen because of the vessel traffic off the coast and within Grays Harbor itself, a deep draft port.

Should the harbor experience an oil spill, there would be a lot at stake, including risks to nearby Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge supports large numbers of waterfowl, seabirds, and raptors. Bowerman Basin, within the refuge, is a critical staging area for shorebirds during their spring and fall migrations.

Another challenge is in finding a location that has the water and electricity to support the wildlife rehab effort. Oiled birds don’t just need medical evaluations, they need warmth, they need feeding, and they need lots of water for washing, and water-filtration tanks, so water can be cleaned and reused.

Fortunately no real birds participated in the day's practice. 

The site also needs to be close to hotels, restrooms, and restaurants to support the wildlife handlers and volunteers. In the past, we have tested the mobile systems at fairgrounds and port facilities.

Large investment by the oil industry

To their credit, oil handling operators developed the mobile wildlife rehabilitation system in use today.

Practicing deploying the equipment represents a large investment by the oil industry. Industry pays to rent the location and brings staff to pass on knowledge about the equipment and how to set it up. The oil handling companies also hire expert wildlife rehab experts and response equipment contractors.

If you would like details about volunteering to help with an oiled wildlife response, find out more at www.oilspills101.wa.gov.

Boots on the ground: Touring WCC projects across the state

From the peaks of the Olympic Mountains to the fields of Eastern Washington, our 53 (six-member) Washington Conservation Corps crews and 14 Individual Placement AmeriCorps members complete hundreds of restoration and habitat enhancement projects annually. Join us on a spin around the state to learn more about a few of the projects our AmeriCorps members have contributed to this year!

Assessing smolt traps along Padden Creek in North Puget Sound

This spring, WCC AmeriCorps members serving the City of Bellingham started checking smolt traps along Padden Creek - in some long-awaited sunshine! Several years ago, the City of Bellingham helped re-route – or “daylight” – a portion of Padden Creek that once ran through a tunnel. The project has helped restore fish passage, improve water quality, and reduce flood risks for nearby residents. Members played a key role in kicking off the planting phase of the city project, installing more than 15,000 native plants and ensuring freshly planted shrubs survived their first spring.

WCC AmeriCorps members and supervisor Paul Argites team up
to record data at a smolt trap along Padden Creek. Photo by Mitch Metcalf.

In addition, our restoration crews are often involved in installing and gathering data from smolt traps – structures in a stream that help measure the quantity of juvenile fish moving through a waterway. Members also conduct stream surveys and take photos using previously installed photo points.

Data from smolt traps along Padden Creek show how juvenile salmonids are using the creek following the 2015 daylighting project. On a single spring day, members recorded more than 400 juvenile fish in the traps.

Restoring the Klickitat River in Eastern Washington

In fall 2017, ten AmeriCorps members serving in Eastern Washington spent two weeks transporting and planting native trees and shrubs along a four-mile stretch of Klickitat River that provides habitat for threatened salmon and steelhead. Our members transported native plants as much as four miles a day by foot, planting 6,098 native trees and shrubs along the river.

Since the project required long hikes to reach planting sites, members learned about project preparation as well as proper techniques for planting in difficult, rocky soil.  

“Our days consisted of de-potting plants for a specific section, loading them in plant bags and starting our hike that was anywhere from a half-mile to four miles long, depending on what section we were at,” said WCC crew supervisor Leo Arias.

Members take a well-deserved lunch break along the Klickitat River.
Photo contributed by Adrianne Grimm.

The native vegetation will create shade for juvenile salmon and improve erosion control, important elements to the overall effort of helping the river reconnect with its floodplain.

The Klickitat River restoration project also involved adding large woody debris and re-establishing backwater channels to create more suitable habitat for juvenile salmon. Yakama Nation Fisheries  and non-profit Columbia Land Trust have been collaborating on the large-scale floodplain restoration project since 2007. 

Monitoring seagrass in Washington's Puget Sound aquatic reserves

Puget SoundCorps members serving the state Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Aquatic Reserves Program starting hitting Puget Sound beaches in April to support seagrass monitoring and more. DNR will use the data to learn more about seagrass, a critical component for a healthy nearshore ecosystem. 

WCC AmeriCorps member Lydia Mahr monitors common
eelgrass in a plot on Cypress Island Aquatic Reserve. Photo
contributed by Taylor Belisle.

What does collecting this data actually involve? Members place square plots along a transect – a long measuring tape – and record the species and numbers of all seagrass within the plot. They also collect sediment samples for examination back at the lab. AmeriCorps members also use temperature and light sensors to collect even more information about current water conditions. 

'Spring cleaning' the Overland Trail on Kitsap Peninsula

Our DNR crew serving in Tahuya in Kitsap County embarked on spring projects by getting the Overland Trail ready for seasonal hikers. The 18.5-mile trail, located near Belfair, was full of thick brush and downed trees after the blustery 2017-18 winter. With a summer of upcoming recreation support projects, the Overland Trail and surrounding trail networks afforded members a great opportunity to get in rhythm with multi-week trail projects.

During their first week, members navigated through a few power equipment glitches but the crew conquered initial tasks such as removing encroaching plants and brush, digging drainage structures to move water off the trail, and removing hazards such as sharp sticks and leaning but standing dead trees. 

Sometimes crews team up to complete trail projects! Here, 10 WCC
AmeriCorps members from two crews in northwest Washington gather on
a freshly-constructed section of the Harry-Osborne State Forest trail.
Photo contributed by Trevor Cassidy. 

“An extended trail assignment gives a crew the chance to get acquainted with a backcountry setting and developing efficiencies as they progress from week to week,” said supervisor Brennan Moores. “We have fallen into our grove of daily operations. Crew members are keying in on safety and continue to maintain our standard crew procedures: Safety, quality and quantity." 

A month into the project, our members completed activities on the Overland Trail and moved on to building fencing. They provided hikers with a trail free of hazards and drainage channels cleared of leaves. Their efforts also mean all-terrain vehicles are more likely to stay on the trail rather than driving through wooded areas to avoid standing water and harming sensitive understory plants.

Individual Placement Program members clean up Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail on Martin Luther King Jr Day

WCC Individual Placement member Stevie Knapp organized a debris cleanup along Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail for her Martin Luther King Jr Day project in February. Stevie scouted the project site before the event, but on the morning of the national holiday, she spotted a section of the creek that had gone unnoticed during their initial site visit.

“The area was filled with garbage, so much so that you could barely see the creek,” Stevie said, adding that members chose to refocus their efforts on the newly spotted section.

Since MLK Day this winter, Stevie has organized workshops
on Plastics Pollution and Policy for August 2018 as part of
her role as King Conservation District's education program
coordinator. Photo by Laura Schlabach.

After a welcome and safety talk, the five-person team donned gloves and grabbed some buckets to start collecting debris. Just four hours later, the team had collected 978 glass bottles, 20 cardboard containers, 150 plastic bags, 70 plastic food packaging items, 76 aluminum cans, and more miscellaneous items.

“This event goes to show that even with a small amount of people, you can make a big difference,” Stevie said.  The next day, she sent the data to Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group that advises ocean policy at federal and state levels.

Join WCC

Do you want to help the environment, meet great people and make a difference in your community? WCC is currently recruiting for the 2018-2019 AmeriCorps service year! Ecology's WCC consists of three subprograms: the original WCC, Veteran Conservation Corps and Puget SoundCorps.

See photos of the types of projects WCC members support during their service in our WCC Projects Flickr set. Learn more and apply online today to become a WCC member: www.ecology.wa.gov/wcc

Watching the water supply update

July was dry -- what's the outlook for August-to-October?

Our friends across the state fighting fires know how dry this spring and summer has been - and indeed 70 percent of the state is abnormally dry, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

So it's natural that by the first week of August we'd see this dry weather having some impact on water supplies as a result.

The driest areas include those counties bordering the lower Columbia River in Southwest Washington. Some communities there and on the Olympic Peninsula are calling for water conservation. And hot weather has warmed some river temperatures to conditions mimicking the waters off Hawaiian beaches -- that means salmon there will be waiting for cooler waters before migrating up stream. Western Washington Christmas tree growers are turning to irrigation due to dry conditions.

Wildfires and hot weather notwithstanding, we thankfully aren't expecting an official water supply drought emergency to be declared. It's been hot and dry, but water supplies so far haven't met that threshold.

While the federal Drought Monitor is one of the tools we use to assess water supply conditions, in Washington state a drought emergency is defined under state law. It is a two-prong test:

·        An area has or is expect to receive is 75 percent or less of normal supplies AND

·        Undue hardships are likely to occur as a result.  

Official drought declarations provide us flexibility to authorize emergency wells and water withdrawals.

Let’s look at some stats for the month of July and consider what the forecast might hold.

High temps along with no rain

July temperatures were above normal for most of the state, with the exception of areas in Northeastern Washington. Bellingham had its fourth warmest July in the past 67 years. In Seattle, temperatures were the second warmest on record. Olympia ranked seventh this July, and Walla Walla the tenth warmest. The next few days bring some cooling relief with a return to warmer temperatures in the second week of August. The longer-term picture continues to predict warmer weather for the remainder of summer

Some portions of Western Washington will receive light precipitation in early August, but Washington still has a big water hole to fill.

SeaTac only received 0.05 inches of rain In July (normal is 0.70 inches). That ranks as the sixth driest July in the past 71 years. Hoquiam did not fare much better at 0.06 inches, the fifth driest in the past 64 years. The town of Ephrata in Eastern Washington received no rain at all. That has only occurred 16 out of the past 70 years. Precipitation deficits in the southwest corner of the state, which have accrued since early May, are unlikely to disappear before the end of the current water year (Sept. 30), though it’s still possible.

Lack of precipitation requires growers to compensate with additional irrigation of crops. The state Conservation Commission has received reports of kills of Christmas tree seedlings and of trees dropping their needles. Conservation Districts are receiving requests from tree growers for irrigation assistance, where irrigation was not needed previously. Hay growers are experiencing large reductions in yield in their second cutting of hay.

​The longer-term climate outlook (August through October) calls for equal chances of above- or below-normal precipitation in Eastern Washington. For Western Washington, the odds tip toward drier conditions.

Streamflows

Extended dry conditions, coupled with a rapid snowmelt, have resulted in below-normal flows for nearly 50 percent of the state's rivers and streams. (Below normal is defined as less than the 25th percentile.) These low flows are particularly prevalent on lower-elevation, rain-dominant streams. On larger rivers, especially where flows are being supplemented by reservoir releases, conditions tend to be better.

Salmon will have to wait for cooler stream temps to move upstream

Salmon impacts

In the lower Yakima River, warm water temperatures have created a “thermal block” to the upstream migration of sockeye salmon, according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Temperatures measured in the Yakima River near Prosser have often exceeded 80 degrees during the month of July.

Temps in the South Fork Chehalis River hit 80.7 degrees on July 29.

Temperatures above 73-77 degrees are considered lethal.

Of the 30 warmest mean daily water temperatures recorded since 1990 at the Prosser station, 12 occurred this July. Biologists say that salmon will likely stay in the Columbia River until the Yakima River cools down.

Communities on watch

In response to low flows on the Cowlitz River, the city of Kelso has requested its residents voluntarily conserve water by limiting lawn watering and conserving on indoor uses. The city draws from the Cowlitz River using a Ranney well collector, a collection of perforated pipes placed horizontally in the river bed. Lower flows reduce the well’s capacity to produce water.

Cowlitz River flows, as measured at Castle Rock, are currently similar to those volumes observed in 2015, a year of major drought for Washington state.

At this point, no other systems have reported the need for restrictions along the Cowlitz River. Along the Lewis River, the City of Woodland is encouraging residents to conserve water.

On the Olympic Peninsula, there are now a few communities asking their customers to follow voluntary water conservation measures. Voluntary conservation has been requested by the city of Forks. Jefferson County PUD has requested two systems near Port Townsend voluntarily restrict their outdoor watering in response to dropping aquifer levels.

Clallam County PUD has requested two water systems in the western half of the county, including a system serving the community of Clallam Bay, restrict water uses as well. On the east side of the state, the city of Cheney has issued mandatory outdoor watering restrictions.

The state Department of Health is the state's drinking water manager and regularly communicates with water systems. We are staying in regular contact to track impacts and offer support.

Regulation in play

Some water users in the Similkameen River basin in Okanogan County have been notified that irrigation curtailment may be necessary because of low flows. Beginning in mid-August, they will call a hotline to check if they are allowed to irrigate from the river.

In Southwest Washington, we continue to regulating water users in the Chehalis River basin to protect senior water rights and adopted stream flows.

Curtailment to protect senior water rights is also underway in the Walla Walla watershed. In North Central Washington, water users junior to the Methow stream flow rule have been notified of the possibility curtailment will be necessary, but flows are stabilizing above the regulatory thresholds for now.

Statewide conditions

Beach poop is everyone's business!

When the long-awaited warm weather finally makes its way to western Washington, people head to the beach…in droves. You pack the car with towels, chairs, a picnic, and the kids. The last thing you want to see when you get there is a “closed to swimming” sign.

Beaches close because of high levels of enterococci in the water. Enterococci are indicators of fecal bacteria and as you might have guessed, swimming in fecal bacteria is not only gross but can make you sick.

These bacteria are found in the intestinal tract of humans and animals. Fecal bacteria can make you sick when you ingest them or get them on your skin. If we find high levels of enterococci in the water that are above the safe swimming standard, we issue beach closures. We also inform the public that there is an increased risk of illness if they make contact with the contaminated water.

Know before you go!

We monitor select saltwater beaches weekly during the summer to help ensure that beachgoers stay healthy and are able to enjoy the water while at the beach. This summer, we’ve already had some beaches close due to elevated levels of fecal bacteria in the water. Before you head out to your favorite beach, go to our beach closure map to make sure that the water is safe for swimming!

Ecology's beach closure map.

Help keep poop off the beach

Fecal bacteria in the water can rise to unhealthy levels for many reasons. Here are some things you can do to help keep your beach clean:

Scoop the poop

If you bring your dog to the beach, pick up its poop, bag it, and throw it in the trash.

Bathroom breaks and swim diapers

Give children frequent bathroom breaks and put young children in swim diapers.

Don’t feed the birds

Pick up your trash and don’t feed the wildlife! While feeding the birds may be fun, it encourages birds to congregate in large numbers. This increases bird poop at the beach, which can effect water quality.

If you’re sick, stay out of the water

Swim only when well! Swimming while ill, especially with diarrhea, can transmit illness-causing bacteria to others.