Women in Science: Sara Sekerak navigates new cannabis lab legislation

Sekerak leading a presentation about cannabis testing methods, protocols, and quality standards.

Sara Sekerak is working in uncharted territory. She is part of a new task force mandated by Washington’s Legislature to define scientific standards for our state’s cannabis laboratories. How does someone end up with such a high-pressure job? It takes a lot of lab experience, a keen eye for quality assurance, and a thorough background in ensuring products comply with regulatory standards. Sara shares more about what led her to this important new position on the task force in this month’s Women in Science interview.


Sara's job at Ecology

Sekerak performing size reduction of a study product in the Product Testing
Prep Room. Pre-processing of products is a necessary step in producing
samples for lab analysis.

Right now, I am the lead chemist for the Cannabis Science Task Force, but the road to my current position has been a winding one. Before I joined the Task Force, I was a Product Testing project manager. In that position, most of my work supported the Children’s Safe Product Act.

During the past two years, I managed a study of school supplies marketed to children ages 12 and under. We looked for lead and cadmium because those metals have both federal and state limits. School supplies are not explicitly covered in the Children’s Safe Product Act, so the Attorney General’s office took a special interest in this. We worked with the Attorney General’s Office and scoped a project to meet their needs.

In May 2019, the Attorney General’s Office finalized a settlement with Amazon that our study helped substantiate. The most important outcome of this settlement is that Amazon now requires all third-party sellers of school supplies and jewelry to produce a certificate confirming that their products meet the federal requirements for lead and cadmium.

Recent work

Authoring a Cannabis Laboratory Accreditation report led me to my current position as lead chemist for the Cannabis Science Task Force. The goal of the Task Force is to work with multiple agencies, as well as scientists from the cannabis industry. We have been asked by the Legislature to provide recommendations that would help cannabis testing labs apply science-based practices and other critical elements needed for a robust accreditation.

Because there is no federal oversight for cannabis (like there is for drinking water or agricultural products), there are currently no standard methods specifically for testing cannabis. So labs are creating their own procedures and processes. Right now, each lab defines their own level of quality; the problem with this is that there is variability from one lab to the next. Our task force will meet from now to Dec. 1, 2021, and this multidisciplinary group of agencies and scientists will try to close some gaps in the labs’ processes.

Advice for future women in science

I’ve often felt like my work has been challenged or questioned. But, wherever I have gone, these challenges and questions have always motivated me to work harder. So my first piece of advice would be to not let negative comments get you down. I have worked hard to build my name and reputation to prove that I am a valuable team member. If anyone questioned my work ethic, I just worked harder to prove that I could.

Sekerak working at Manchester Environmental Laboratory.

My second piece of advice would be to never stop learning and always ask questions. In 2000, I started my first job at a lab through an internship at Manchester Environmental Laboratory. I always wanted to learn new things, so I would offer to help and job shadow everywhere I could.

From there, I worked my way up to my current position as a lead chemist, and my experience communicating with labs gave me a leg up. My diverse experiences lined me up perfectly for my current position, which requires a broad scope of knowledge.

By: Ruth Froese, Environmental Assessment Program Communications

The Campbell Creek limbo: How low will it go?

Ecology scientists help keep water flowing to 450 homes

The Cowlitz County city of Ryderwood is facing dangerously low water supply caused by the drought we’re experiencing in Western Washington. To help water managers, our scientists have installed a stream gage to help make decisions about residential water conservation measures.

Ryderwood's water system serves 450 homes

Campbell Creek is the only source of water for Ryderwood’s municipal water system. Approximately 450 homes rely on the system for their residential water needs. In southwestern Washington’s severe drought conditions, Campbell Creek’s water flow has slowed to a trickle.

A history of low stream flow

Even in non-drought years water availability can be scarce by late summer. Last year, Campbell Creek did run dry. That forced emergency water restrictions where people limited their time in the shower and brushed their teeth without running the tap. Water managers were on the verge of having to truck in water when a rainstorm got things flowing again.

Our water scientists say that officials have tried to drill wells in the past, but they’ve been unproductive. The only other available water source would be the Cowlitz River. That would mean pumping water from over five miles away through rugged terrain – a cost-prohibitive option.

Campbell Creek is nearly dry

Part of the problem with water availability lies in Campbell Creek’s source, the Willapa Hills. This low-elevation coastal range doesn’t get snow pack like the higher Cascade or Olympic Mountains. Springs and rainfall are the only sources of water for the creek.

Providing valuable data

Thanks to funding from our Water Resources Program, we were able to have our scientists install a stream gage (Read the story of why it's spelled gage and not gauge here.) on Campbell Creek this summer. The gage will provide water managers with real-time data on stream flow and water and air temperature. This information will help to more accurately predict when the stream might go dry, giving water managers more lead time to implement water conservation measures.

A town with two histories

Ryderwood has a unique background and has been called the “town with two histories.” The first history, refers to its time from 1923 – 1953 as a company town created by the Long-Bell Lumber Company. They called it the “world’s largest logging camp” and it provided a variety of services including a theater, bowling alley, drugstore, and school.

By the early 1950s, the trees and the loggers were gone, and that ushered in Ryderwood’s second history which runs from 1953 to present. The entire town was sold for $90,000 and became what is believed to be the earliest “planned community for retired persons” in the United States.

Critical funding for our communities

Scientists Andy Bookter and Tyler Buntain installing the gage

The Campbell Creek stream gage story is just one of hundreds like it across Washington. An astonishing 70 percent of our budget is passed through to local communities like Ryderwood. From toxic cleanup to stormwater retention ponds, we’re making a big difference both for people and the environment.

By Jeff Zenk, Southwest Region communications manager

New app shows softer side of Puget Sound

Timber bulkhead at Luhr Beach along the Nisqually River delta in south Puget Sound. Photo courtesy Hugh Shipman.

We are pleased to announce we have created a new online tool showing examples of Puget Sound beaches where traditional “hard shoreline armoring” has been removed and more environmentally friendly solutions were installed.

Our new “Examples of Puget Sound Soft Shore and Armor Alternative Projects” application shows a map of Puget Sound with 29 different beachfront projects that have employed “soft” shoreline design techniques.

Users can view before-and-after photos of project sites, like the photos of Luhr Beach above and below, using the tool or by visiting our Flickr page.

Luhr Beach after log bulkhead removed and construction of new gravel beach. Photo courtesy Hugh Shipman.

The web tool is designed to spread the word about alternatives to hard armoring to homeowners, our local government partners, and anyone interested in the health of Puget Sound shorelines.

What is shoreline ‘armoring?’ 

Throughout Washington, shoreline property owners have often installed concrete bulkheads and rock revetments to help stabilize the shoreline, control erosion and protect—or “hard armor”—coastal development.

Cornet Bay in Island County before removing bulkhead. 

Photo courtesy Hugh Shipman

Shoreline erosion occurs naturally in Puget Sound, the nation’s second largest marine estuary. Physical process such as winds, waves, storms, tides, and plate tectonics all work to constantly shape and reshape the Sound’s 2,600 miles of marine coastline.

The majority of Puget Sound shorelines experience low to moderate levels of erosion. However, about 700 miles of marine shoreline—27 percent of the estuary’s entire coastline—currently has some type of hard armoring in place.

Most shoreline armoring was built decades before the state adopted tighter shoreline management regulations. Today, proposals for new armoring are carefully evaluated to determine if the structure is needed.

Big deal about bulkheads

While bulkheads and similar structures can reduce erosion and protect upland development from flooding, they can have serious consequences for coastal ecosystems and the long-term preservation of Puget Sound beaches.

Cornet Bay after bulkhead removed, shoreline regraded, 

beach nourished, backshore vegetation planted, and anchored

wood placed on beach. Photo courtesy Hugh Shipman.

Armoring can disrupt natural patterns of sediment movement along the shoreline, resulting in erosion and the loss of the beach.

Historically, many armoring structures in Puget Sound were constructed far out onto the beach. This approach covered up backshore beach areas and disrupted shoreline ecosystem processes.

Beaches play an important role in the lives of forage fish, a key food source for salmon. Bulkheads and rock walls block forage fish from spawning on the beach, leaving fewer fish for salmon to eat.
Endangered southern resident killer whales in Puget Sound eat salmon almost exclusively, so restoring forage fish spawning grounds has impacts across the ecosystem.

These structures also limit human uses of the beach. Concrete walls make it difficult to stroll down to the beach, and climbing over sharp and slippery rock revetments can be dangerous. At some places, water comes right up to the bulkhead during high tide, leaving no room for walking.

Encouraging ‘soft’ shorelines

Nowadays, there are a variety of techniques that can be employed to “soften” the shoreline by removing rigid walls and using materials naturally found on the beach. These techniques can reduce erosion while protecting ecosystem functions.

Seahurst Park in King County with bulkhead in place. Photo by Hugh Shipman.

At some sites, it can be as easy as simply removing the hard armoring and letting nature take its course.

Should a site need some erosion control measures, there are several options to mimic a natural beach.
For example, fish-friendly sand and gravel can be placed on the beach—sometimes called beach nourishment—to provide extra material and elevate the shoreline.

Another approach is placing logs and woody debris on the shoreline to reduce wave energy and hold sediment on the beach. In some cases, the wood needs to be anchored in place.

The applicability of these techniques depends on the specific conditions and concerns of the site. More and more, these soft shore projects are being installed throughout the Puget Sound region.

Why softening the shoreline matters

Seahurst Park after bulkhead removed and historic fill excavated. 

Photo courtesy Hugh Shipman.

Removing hard structures from the beach and using more environmentally-friendly erosion control techniques allows Puget Sound shorelines to return to a more natural state. When natural erosion and sediment movement are allowed to occur, beach processes and habitats are restored. Once disconnected, the forested uplands and marine ecosystems can function again in harmony.






With fewer obstacles in the way, it’s easier for all beachgoers—fish, birds, and humans alike—to make use of Puget Sound’s treasured coast.

Give us your feedback!

Let us know what you think of our new tool. To provide feedback, please use this survey link.

We oppose federal proposal to redefine 'waters of the United States'

Salmon leaping from the water at Port of Tacoma's Upper Clear Creek wetland mitigation site. Washington's streams and wetlands offer important habitat for fish and wildlife while helping clean our water, and control flooding and erosion.

Today, we sent our official response to the Trump administration opposing its draft rule to redefine the scope of “waters of the United States” that would be protected and regulated under the 1972 federal Clean Water Act. As the primary federal law governing water pollution, the Clean Water Act is instrumental in protecting Washington’s water.

We are gravely concerned the draft rule, proposed jointly by EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will eliminate federal protection for classes of streams and wetlands highly valued by Washingtonians. In Thurston County alone, we estimate the federal proposal would remove between 2,000 and 11,000 acres of wetlands from federal protection.

The rule change, if finalized, would remove federal protections for:

• Streams in upland ditches as well as water in most ditches.
• Wetlands behind dikes with no surface connection to a river, as well as wetlands along irrigation canals.
• Wetlands close to, but not touching, marine waters.
• Streams that only flow in response to rainfall—also called “ephemeral” streams.
• Wetlands in a floodplain that receive floodwaters on a less than annual basis and lack a surface connection to a stream.
• Prior converted croplands, wetlands under agricultural production when they are proposed to be changed to non-agricultural uses.

Healthy streams and wetlands = healthy Washington

These waters help our state maintain a healthy, safe and vibrant economy and environment by:

• Providing and supporting important habitat for salmon that southern Puget Sound resident orca need to survive.
• Filtering and cleaning our drinking water.
• Controlling flooding and erosion.
• Offering habitat and refuge for fish and other wildlife.
• Providing places for boating, fishing, and other recreation activities.

Coweeman River Wetland and Conservation Bank in Cowlitz County, a year after being established in 2016. Wetland mitigation banks help private and public developers restore and preserve wetland functions in river basins across the state. 

Federal proposal too flawed to be adopted

According to the proposed rule language, the federal government is seeking to change the definition of waters of the United States to increase the predictability and consistency when implementing the Clean Water Act and reduce the scope of federally-protected waters.

We find this approach to be significantly flawed because it:

• Would put Washington’s water quality at risk. Federal protection would be rolled back to cover only certain stream reaches instead of the entire water body.
• Creates an artificial divide between state and federal waters, allowing the federal government to shirk its responsibility to protect the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters under the federal Clean Water Act.
• Ignores years of science, upheld by numerous court decisions, that Washington’s surface streams and wetlands are often directly connected to underground sources of water. Surface water pollution puts state drinking water aquifers at risk.
• Creates a need for a new state permitting program. Public and private developers seeking to build projects that would impact certain classes of wetlands now file a single state/federal application. We currently apply state requirements as part of the federal permitting process. Without federal involvement, the state would need legislation to create and fund its own wetland permitting process. Without such a program, projects could experience delays and economic losses. 

Washingtonians expect their waters to be protected

Time and again, Washingtonians have been clear about the importance of protecting, restoring, and conserving state waters and wetlands. They demand safe drinking water, expect healthy places for recreation, and support a vibrant natural resource economy supported by clean water.

Our state laws reflect this mandate:

• Water Pollution Control Act, passed by the state legislature in 1945, outlines the state’s interest in controlling pollution and protecting water quality in all state waters and wetlands.
• Shoreline Management Act, passed by voter referendum in 1972, protects and manages development along the state’s 28,000 miles of stream, river, lake, and marine shorelines.
• Growth Management Act, passed by lawmakers in 1990. Under the act, local governments protect all wetlands and streams by adopting critical areas ordinances.

Rule would negatively reshape relationship with federal partners

Chehalis River swamps Centralia and Chehalis during 2007 catastrophic flood.

The proposal to change the definition of waters of the United States will need to go through the federal rule-making process before it can take effect. We are concerned the rule could:

• Significantly reshape the working relationship we have with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and EPA to help protect our waters.
• Sow confusion among local communities seeking help from our federal partners.
• Mean more work for communities and state agency partners like us.
• Result in accidental violations of local and state laws.

While we don’t know what the final changes will be to the federal proposal, we will continue to protect all Washington waters and wetlands from being lost or degraded.

By Curt Hart, Ecology communications

Local video highlights 'soft' shoreline stabilization approaches

We have integrated an interesting new video into our web content about shoreline stabilization.

The video, produced by Island County’s Shore Friendly program, highlights different approaches property owners in the region can use to protect and enjoy their shorelines while also promoting a healthy ecosystem.

The video features local Island County residents and Hugh Shipman, our coastal geologist, sharing information about the environmental, recreational, and aesthetic benefits of natural and restored beaches.

Many property owners control shoreline erosion or prepare for development by using bulkheads, seawalls, revetment, and other hardened structures on the water’s edge to protect soils and unstable banks from currents and waves.

Hardened structures are common along many of the 2,500 miles of marine shoreline in Puget Sound. They are also frequently used along the shorelines of our inland streams, rivers, and lakes across the state.

Soft shore protection is the process of designing natural materials such as gravel, sand, logs, or roots in such a way to protect a shoreline from erosion. Beaches with soft shore protection generally look more like natural beaches, as opposed to hard armoring which gives beaches more of a "blunt" look, while providing easier access to the beach for recreation and further protecting the Puget Sound ecosystem.

  

Our shoreline master program (SMP) guidelines also encourage shoreline development practices designed to reduce risk to property and avoid adverse environmental impacts. We help communities reduce erosion risks while ensuring the long-term protection of state shorelines by: 

• Providing policies that reduce erosion risks.
• Offering our local government partners technical assistance and regulatory guidance.
• Encouraging environmentally-friendly soft shoreline stabilization techniques over hard armoring approaches such as revetments, bulkheads, and seawalls.
• Helping our local partners locate new development out of erosion-prone areas as much as possible.

The goal of the county’s Shore Friendly project is to promote alternative strategies for shoreline residential properties that provide for the use and enjoyment of the property while promoting and maintaining nearshore ecosystems to support fish and wildlife.

Island County has developed a host of educational materials to help residents learn about their options for protecting their shoreline homes and properties by considering natural beach and soft shore options including a cost benefit analysis, the soft shore permitting process, and a set of frequently asked questions.

We also have a number of guides and publications designed to help shoreline property owners manage surface and groundwater drainage on coastal bluffs, use vegetation to stabilize erosion on slopes, and a vegetation management guide for Puget Sound bluff property owners.

Watch Island County’s Shore Friendly video for ideas and more information about using natural solutions to protect state shorelines.

Wetlands around the world protect communities while helping fight climate change



When the Triple Creek wetland restoration effort began (left, 2016), vertical cut banks of up to 10 feet kept Myers Creek disconnected from its floodplain. After building structures that mimic beavers, the cutbanks are dramatically reduced and the water much closer to the floodplain (right, 2018). Photo courtesy Julie Vanderwal, Okanogan Highlights Alliance.

As the world grapples with climate change, those commemorating World Wetlands Day Feb. 2 are highlighting the importance of restoring, conserving, and wisely using wetlands because they can help reduce floods, relieve droughts, and buffer coastlines from extreme weather.

In the state of Washington, we work every day to protect and manage wetlands. The environmental and economic benefits they provide nature, our communities, and way of life are immeasurable.

More likely than not, there’s a wetland near where you live, work, or play. Our state mandate is to ensure Washington does not lose any more acres of wetland and the functions they provide—as well as restore, enhance, and preserve these important resources.

Wetlands: a natural solution
Wetlands provide important habitat for salmon that Washington’s endangered resident orca whales need to survive. We fund riparian restoration work in agricultural areas to benefit salmon.

Wetlands also help filter and clean our drinking water. They control flooding and erosion while providing habitat for other fish and wildlife species. Washington’s wetlands help maintain a safe, healthy environment and economy.



Wetland connected to Little Spokane River.

In Washington, we recognize the harm climate change can have on wetlands—from sea water intrusion to water chemistry changes to even being the source of greenhouse gases when improperly disturbed.

There are also numerous ways wetlands help us cope with climate change including sequestering or storing:

• Carbon efficiently while emitting little methane.
• Twice as much carbon in coastal wetland soil than in all the world’s tropical forests.
• More carbon than they emit as wetlands mature.
• Large amounts of carbon in tree biomass, especially forested wetlands.
• Up to 700 billion tons of carbon around the world—including 96 million tons of carbon every year.
• Water that is released later in the season to mitigate the effects of drought.

Washington community helping restore degraded wetland system

Many state residents are passionate about protecting existing wetlands while others are getting their hands wet and dirty, working hard to restore wetlands that have been degraded. There’s no better example than the Triple Creek wetland restoration project in north-central Washington.

Located on Myers Creek in Okanogan County near the town of Chesaw, the Triple Creek project is part of a privately-owned forested wetland named after three main creeks: Myers, Bolster, and Thorp.



Triple Creek restoration site in

Okanogan County

Historically, Myers Creek cyclically spilled over its banks and inundated the Triple Creek floodplain, including a series of beaver ponds on the creek. However, the stream lost its connection to the floodplain in the late 1990s after a rain-on-snow event combined with other factors and left an incision trench with left vertical cut banks of up to 10 feet.

The beaver ponds became breached and drained, no longer providing grade control or covering large areas of the floodplain. As the now-drier soils started favoring invasive plant species, a thriving great blue heron rookery was abandoned and the wetland became less able to filter and store water.

Triple Creek land stewards join local, state, and federal partnership



Triple Creek in Okanogan County.

The Triple Creek land stewards, who invested in 500 acres together, were disappointed to see a large part of their thriving wetland dry up. After exploring a variety of restoration options, the group selected the local non-profit entity Okanogan Highlands Alliance (OHA) to lead the restoration effort.

OHA, in partnership with Trout Unlimited, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center, worked with the land stewards to find the most cost effective ways to address the wetland degradation. The team seeks to improve hydrologic connectivity between Myers Creek and the adjacent wetland, improve fish and wildlife habitat including re-establishing beaver, and restore native wetland vegetation.

OHA secured community-based, federal and state funding—including funds from the settlement agreement reached between Ecology and the owners of the Buckhorn Mountain gold mine for environmental remediation. In addition, local groups, clubs, students, and community members have so far provided more than 1,400 volunteer hours to help restore the wetland.

Engineered beaver dams helping restore Triple Creek wetland


From left to right: In August 2016, Triple Creek restoration team installs structure mimicking a beaver dam. In May 2017, the red arrow would be underwater as the structure is overtopped. In August 2017, the structure is adaptively managed to extend its functional life. By May 2018, Myers Creek comes close to spilling over its banks onto the floodplain. Photo courtesy Julie Vanderwal, Okanogan Highlands Alliance.

The restoration team is focused on reducing the severe stream channel incision that disconnected Myers Creek from the floodplain. The project design mimics the work of beavers by using lines of wooden posts that are woven with branches to slow and redirect stream flows as needed. The structures help capture sediment to build the streambed back up and raise the water table. They also help make the channel longer while reducing its slope, making the system more stable.

By emulating the effect of beavers to slow stream flows, capture sediment, and connect the water with the land, the project aims to improve water quality and increase water storage capacity. Re-establishing beavers, and the plant life they need, is a key component of mitigating local drought and fire issues—increasing resilience to climate change. Wetlands help store water that becomes available later in the season to support streams and underground sources of water, and to offset the effects of drought.

Triple Creek wetland project achieving success

The first structures were installed in the field season before two years of intense flooding, creating optimal conditions for transforming the site. As Myers Creek interacts with the human-made beaver dams, the team's objectives for the stream are being realized more rapidly than expected. In places, the streambed at the site is more than four feet higher now than when work started in 2016—with a 23 percent increase in the overall channel length of Myers Creek within the project area.


Beaver at the restoration site captured on wildlife camera in fall 2017. Natural beaver activity will be critical to long-term project success.

The team continues to repair and enhance instream structures and is dedicated to establishing a healthy riparian plant community. A diverse and robust buffer zone will not only improve native vegetation but will encourage beavers to recolonize the area, and modify and maintain the site into the future.

Beavers have already shown increased interest in the project site, starting just a few days after construction began in 2016. Beavers even wove a post line themselves in 2017, before the project team could get to it!

By Curt Hart, Ecology, and Julie Vanderwal, Okanogan Highlands Alliance

Understanding the environmental impacts of more water over the dam

Ecology to consider allowing more water to spill over dams to help salmon migrate.

Spring spill season for dams along the Columbia and Snake rivers is approaching. During this time, generally from April through June, large amounts of runoff from the melting snowpack lead to high water flows. When hydropower operations cannot pass all of the water through turbines or store it, water is spilled over the dams through spill gates. Spill is used to manage incoming water and to help move juvenile salmon past dams, downstream towards the ocean. During this time, upwards of 100 million juvenile salmon migrate down the Columbia River.

This action would apply to eight dams on the lower 

Columbia and Snake rivers.

Juvenile Chinook, photo credit: Amy Hansen, USGS

Responding to the need for more salmon

Ecology, in support of the new agreement for flexible spill operations at four lower Columbia and four lower Snake River dams, is proposing a short-term modification that would allow more water to spill over the dams, with the goal of improving the survival of juvenile salmon migrating to the ocean. Under the flexible spill agreement, the increased spill would happen during hours of relatively low energy demand, balancing salmon survival rates while managing power costs.

The short-term modification would apply to state Water Quality Standards, specifically the Total Dissolved Gas criteria. When water is released from spill gates at the top of the dam, the plunging water can trap air (mostly nitrogen and oxygen gas) in the water. This could pose a threat to aquatic organisms, such as the adult salmon who are migrating back upstream and resident fish including white sturgeon or mountain whitefish. In this situation, fish are susceptible to ‘gas bubble trauma’ or what you could call giving fish ‘the bends’, if you are familiar with the scuba diving term. 

Currently, the total dissolved gas criteria is 110% for Washington State. There is a special condition to aid fish passage past dams during the spill season for the Columbia and Snake rivers, allowing total dissolved gas levels of 115% in the forebay, 120% in the tailrace of dams, and a maximum one-hour average of 125%. Spilling water over dams is recognized as one of the best ways to protect fish as they move past dams. 

The Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission and a coalition of Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association, Columbia Riverkeeper, and Save Our Wild Salmon have requested Ecology remove the 115% forebay criterion for total dissolved gas for the 2019 spring spill season and maintain the 120% tailrace criterion in the Columbia and Snake rivers. The purpose for removing the 115% forebay criterion is to test the benefits of more spill on fish passage by allowing higher total dissolved gas levels. This would align with the flexible spill operations agreement.

Fish passage system for a dam, graphic courtesy of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Our Proposal 

The goal of the short-term modification is to understand if allowing more spill will improve the survival of juvenile salmon migrating to the ocean without too great of impact on salmon, resident fish, invertebrates and other aquatic life in the rivers.

At this time, we are considering a short-term modification that would remove the 115% forebay criterion for up to three years. This action would coincide with the flexible spill agreement that aims to benefit salmon and hydropower. 

Learn about our Environmental Impact Statement

In order to do a short-term modification to our Water Quality Standards, we must complete an Environmental Impact Statement. Drafts of our Environmental Impact Statement and short-term modification are now available for public comment. The Environmental Impact Statement, while technical in nature, provides extensive information on current available science, research, and data related to total dissolved gas. It also contains a discussion of potential alternatives for developing a short-term modification. 

Save the date for our upcoming hearings 

We are planning two public hearings that will begin with a short presentation, followed by questions and answers. The hearing portion will begin shortly after the questions and answers are finished. During the hearing, you may give oral testimony and written comments. Written comments will receive the same consideration as oral testimony.

Feb. 13, 2019: In-person in Vancouver, WA at 2:30 p.m.

Washington State School for the Blind

Fries Auditorium (Old Main Building)

2214 East 13th Street

Vancouver, WA 98661

Feb. 19, 2019: Public Hearing via Webinar at 6 p.m. (register for the webinar)

After reviewing the comments, we will release our final Environmental Impact Statement and make a decision on issuing the short-term modification. 

To learn more about Ecology's actions to support orca and salmon recovery, visit our Orca task force webpage.

By Colleen Keltz, Water Quality Program

Ecology seeking comment on Clallam County's proposed shoreline master program revisions



Shoreline along Lake Sutherland, about 17 miles west of Port Angeles in Clallam County

Starting today, we are accepting public comment until Thursday, Feb. 28, about significant revisions Clallam County is seeking to make to its shoreline master program (SMP).

The locally-tailored set of land-use policies and regulations is designed to protect and guide how Clallam County will develop, restore, and preserve more than 600 miles of marine and freshwater shorelines in the county, including:

• Approximately 130 miles of marine shoreline including a portion of the Pacific Ocean coastline, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and numerous saltwater inlets such as Clallam, Crescent, Dungeness, Freshwater, and Sequim bays.
• More than 480 miles of freshwater shoreline along the Bogachiel, Calawah, Elwha, Quillayute, and Sol Duc rivers.
• About 1,500 shoreline acres around six lakes in the county including Beaver, Crescent, Dickey, Elk, Pleasant, and Sutherland.

Clallam County last amended its SMP in 1992. The revised SMP will replace the county’s current master program and is designed to:

• Prioritize water-oriented uses and development in Clallam County.
• Provide for public access to public waters and shorelines.
• Support restoration actions consistent with the county’s shoreline restoration plan.
• Incorporate critical area regulations to ensure environmentally-sensitive areas within the county’s shoreline jurisdiction are protected.

Shoreline along the Elwha River in Clallam County.

Draft SMP documents available for review online or by appointment

Electronic copies of the county's draft SMP documents are available for review and comment through our website while printed copies are available for review, by appointment, at Ecology and Clallam County. To arrange a time to view printed documents at Ecology, please contact Michelle McConnell. Her phone number is 360-407-6329 and Ecology's physical address is:

Washington Department of Ecology
Southwest Regional Office
300 Desmond Dr.
Lacey, WA 98504

To review the draft SMP documents at Clallam County, please contact Steve Gray. His phone number is 360-417-2520 and the county office is located at:

Clallam County
Department of Community Development
223 E. 4th Ave., Suite 5
Port Angeles, WA 98362

How to submit public comments

Comments only need to be provided once before the Feb. 28 deadline at 5 p.m.. While we prefer public comments be submitted through our online comment form, we also will accept comments by mail sent to:

Michelle McConnell
Washington Department of Ecology
Southwest Regional Office
PO Box 47775
Olympia, WA 98504-7775

Next steps

Once the public comment period closes Feb. 28, Ecology will compare Clallam County's proposed SMP to requirements under the state Shoreline Management Act and Shoreline Master Program Guidelines. Based on the comparison, we will decide whether to:

• Approve Clallam County’s proposed SMP as is.
• Approve the updated SMP with recommended changes.
• Send the proposed SMP back to Clallam County with required changes to meet statutory and rule requirements. Recommended changes may also be included with the required changes.

Ecology approves Pierce County's revised shoreline master program

Pierce County's updated shoreline master program will protect and guide

shoreline uses in the county, including these shores on the south end of Key Peninsula.

Photo courtesy Hugh Shipman.

 

On Oct. 12, we approved Pierce County’s updated shoreline master program (SMP), the first comprehensive revision to the county’s master program since 1975.

Pierce County’s locally-tailored land-use policies and regulations will protect and guide the use of 225 miles of marine and 880 miles of freshwater shoreline in the county, including the shorelines around or along:

• Anderson, Fox, and McNeil islands in Puget Sound
• The Tacoma Narrows
• Portions of Key and Gig Harbor peninsulas
• Chambers, Clover, and Spanaway creeks
• Carbon, Nisqually, Puyallup, and White Rivers
• Lake Tapps

The county’s revised SMP:

• Protects the county’s environmental resources in its shoreline areas for future generations.
• Provides for public access to public waters and shorelines.
• Plans for water-dependent uses such as aquaculture, maritime and boating activities, and shoreline recreation.

Pierce County's updated SMP takes effect Oct. 26, unless the joint local-state decision is appealed to the state Growth Management Hearings Board.

Finding common ground for clean water and healthy farms

Bill Dewey new co-chair of our Ag/Water Quality committee 

Livestock producers, crop growers, shellfish farmers, environmental groups and Ecology are sitting at the table – together – finding common ground on protecting clean water and supporting a healthy agricultural industry.


Bill Dewey, committee co-chair, on his clam farm on Samish Bay.

Most recently, the Agriculture and Water Quality Advisory Committee came together on October 3 in Union Gap to discuss a number of statewide and local issues, as well as welcome Bill Dewey of Taylor Shellfish as the new co-chair. Dewey has served on the advisory committee since it began in 2014 and brings more than 35 years of shellfish farming experience.

“I believe the best approach to our complex challenges is to work in partnership,” says Bellon. “I’m grateful that the agricultural community is willing to continue our work together to make meaningful strides toward identifying lasting solutions that keep working lands productive in an environmentally friendly way.”

Ecology Director Maia Bellon first created the advisory committee to improve our working relationships with the agricultural community. The group provides a forum for open dialogue about complex issues that affect the industry and how they intersect with efforts to prevent water pollution.

 “Our state is making huge strides through collaboration, which allows us to reduce conflict and have open dialogue on difficult issues. Bringing people together leads to solutions that stick,” said Dewey at the October meeting. As a shellfish farmer, Dewey brings a unique perspective to the group as part of an industry that is directly affected by pollution flowing downstream but who also understands the daily challenges of farming.

Clam farms need tractors, too.
Dewey's boat, The Clamdango, is used to bring a tractor back to land.

Polluted runoff from our streets, forested lands and farms can carry nutrients, bacteria and other pollution into our lakes, streams and rivers. Preventing this type of pollution is our greatest challenge to restoring the health of Washington’s waters – a public resource.

Bellon relies on the committee to connect with real farmers and ranchers who provide valuable feedback on our work.
Since the group’s inception, they’ve discussed many topics, including:

• Developing voluntary clean water guidance
• Updating and implementing the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation general permit
• How to evaluate risks to water quality on agricultural lands
• An innovative agreement with Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association

The meeting is also an opportunity to talk about priorities for future years and share local success stories. Committee members don’t always agree, yet the group remains committed to exploring innovative ways to ensure clean water for farms, clean water for communities, and a healthy agricultural industry.


Views of another type of Washington farming:
on top of Steptoe Butte looking at farm hills in the Palouse region.

 “One of the most important aspects of this committee is the opportunity for face-to-face interactions. Personally engaging with those directly affected pays tremendous dividends to all of us. I recognize and value that it’s not enough to simply talk about what needs to be done. The how can be just as important. I believe we’ve made real progress,” Bellon said.

For more information on the committee and the meeting schedule visit our Agriculture and Water Quality Advisory Committee webpage.

Colleen Keltz, Communications Manager, Water Quality