Lake Whatcom Management Program

1
Lake Whatcom Management Program

• Annual Program Review

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Todays Objectives

• Demonstrate scope and progress
  of LWMP work
• Review problem, causes and solutions
• Recognize significance
  of community
• Affirm the difficult
  decisions close at hand

3
A Brief History of Lake Whatcom Management

• A working watershed the first 150 years
• Contemporary timeline 1992 to 2007
• Accomplishments 2008

4
The 1990s

• First efforts to cooperatively manage watershed
• First stormwater retrofit project
• Lake Whatcom declared a sensitive water body,
  Interlocal Agreement for joint management
  formalizes Lake Whatcom Management Program (LWMP)
• Impervious surface limited for new construction
• Nutrient control required for large developments
• Stormwater retention and treatment required for
  new construction and renovation
• First 5-year Management Plan is adopted
• Created Silver Beach Ordinance and
  Watershed/Stormwater Overlays

5
The 21st Century

• Placed moratorium on land divisions smaller than
  five acres
• Permanently restricted building on over 1,200
  lots in Sudden Valley
• 1,400 potential dwelling units eliminated by
  downzone
• Clearing standards adopted for unincorporated
  areas
• Initiated TDR program moving 100 development
• Adopted second LWMP 5-Year Management Plan
• Banned 2-cycle boat motors
• P-fertilizer banned on residential lawns and
  public properties
• Invested in capital improvements to reduce
  pollutant loads
• Infiltration required for new construction and
  redevel0pment

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ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2008

• Purchased three watershed properties from
  development
• Pursued re-conveyance of over 8,000 acres of
  forest land
• Finalized Agate Bay Preserve conservation
  easement
• Implemented City and County Stormwater Plans
• Coordinated a watershed build-out analysis and
  developed a consistent methodology for future
  analysis
• Coordinated household hazardous waste collection
  resulting in over 11 tons of toxics removed

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ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2008

• Collected and presented monitoring data
• Chronicled land-use regulations that improve
  water quality
• Implemented new septic system maintenance
  regulations
• Surveyed illicit discharges
• Responded to Total Maximum Daily Load Technical
  Report
• Completed Northridge retrofit and Northshore
  Drive project
• Established/extended moratoria on subdivisions
  and building
• Initiated pilot projects on P-Best Management
  Practices

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Turning Plans into Action
Cable Street Vault Installation
Retention Pit Installation in Sudden Valley
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Turning Plans into Action
Northridge sand filter / detention pond
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Cost of Stormwater Infrastructure
City/County Capital Expenditures 5M over last
six years 9M next six years
Cable Street infiltration swale
North Shore Drive pervious bike lane
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Problems Causes
Solutions
Success
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The Problems

• phosphorus, algal blooms, dissolved oxygen,
  bacteria, metals, petroleum products, dissolved
  solids

amount and timing
of runoff
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The Causes

• animal waste, failing septics, yard waste,
  P-fertilizer, detergents, erosion, improper
  land-disturbance, atmospheric deposition,
  impervious surfaces, inadequate facilities

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The Solutions

• stormwater management plans
• LWMP Annual Work Plan
• TMDL Implementation Plan
• land-use compliance
• targeted land acquisition
• incentive programs
• outreach, outreach, outreach

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TMDL What is it and what does it mean?

• Department of Ecology determined that Lake
  Whatcom suffers from chronically low dissolved
  oxygen and elevated fecal coliform bacteria.
• Total Maximum Daily Load are the amounts of P and
  FC that the lake can receive and still meet water
  quality standards.
• An implementation plan must be prepared, approved
  and acted on.
• Insufficient action means non-compliance with
  State permits, fines and exposure to litigation.

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What is success?
A cleaner and more predictable water supply
healthy ecosystems

• Removing pollutant sources AND appropriately
  converting storm water conveyance to infiltration.

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Success is
convincing people that things must change in
order that our expectations for future quality of
life can remain the same
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Management Tools 1

• Source Reduction
• P-Fertilizer use (P)
• Animal waste (P, FC)
• Yard waste/compost (P)
• Cleaning products (P)
• Failing Septics (P, FC)
• Stream bank stabilization (P)
• Shoreline management (P, FC)
• Exposed soil (P)

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Management Tools 2a

• Stormwater Management

• For the Homeowner and Developer
• Residential LID options
• Homeowner retrofit programs
• Incentives
• Outreach, outreach, outreach

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Management Tools 2b
Stormwater Infrastructure
Cable Street Bio-infiltration Swale
North Shore Drive Pervious Bike Lane
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Management Tools 3

• People
• Governments can build infrastructure and create
  incentives, but ultimately the effort MUST HAVE
  COMMUNITY BUY IN
• Conduct targeted outreach
• Empower community champions
• Provide technical assistance
• Develop incentives

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Urbanization Land Development
Utilities and Waste Management

• Watershed Enforcement
• Permit Review
• Development Tracking

• OSS inspection
• Water Supply
• Waste Water
• Solid Waste

Stormwater Management

• COB Stormwater Plan
• WC Stormwater Plan
• LID Programs

Data Mgmt
ICT Staff Teams

• WC State Health, WC PW, COB PW, DOE, WWU

• Urbanization/Development Team
• Enforcement Team
• Data Management Team
• Stormwater Team
• Transportation Team
• Education Team

Land Preservation

• Development Rights Programs
• City Acquisition Program)
• Reconveyance

Community Outreach
Executive Management Team

• Lake Whatcom website
• Pledge Program
• Stewardship Incentives
• Sudden Valley education
• outreach

• City Council
• County Council
• Water Sewer District Commissioners

Transportation

• Transportation Planning

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2009 LWMP WORK PLAN

• Prepare TMDL Implementation Plan
• Implement stormwater plans
• Advance programmatic efforts
• Secure funding
• New 2010-2014 LWMP 5-yr Management Plan will be
  developed in 2009. It will reflect early actions
  of TMDL response plan.

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Work Plan Additions 2009

• Silver Beach Creek Phosphorus Reduction Pilot
  Project
• Interagency review of raingarden efficacy
• Refine Low Impact Development program
• Pursue animal waste management through
  Conservation Program on Agricultural Lands (CPAL)
  and outreach
• Refine education and community outreach strategy,
  techniques and messages
• Enhance compliance program for septic system
  maintenance

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2009 HighlightSilver Beach Creek Pilot Project

• Showcase key management tools in the highest
  priority urban watershed
• Promote community acceptance of stormwater
  facilities and stewardship messages
• Demonstrate rapid, scaleable deployment of
  stormwater programs
• Stimulate public dialog about benefits of
  stormwater management

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Project Components

• Bio-infiltration facility at Lahti Drive
• Retention pond retrofit
• Silver Beach Creek bank stabilization
• Targeted homeowner Low Impact Development (LID)
  and retrofit options
• Compliance /education program for regulated
  phosphorus and bacterial sources
• Monitor water quality improvements in Silver
  Beach Creek and Lake Whatcom

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The Long View

• TMDL response will renew focus on
• Stewardship changes (animal waste, car washing,
  composting, LID, incentives)
• Existing storm water plans
• Land-use regulations (e.g., zoning,
  redevelopment, retrofits)
• Engineering standards (private and public
  construction)
• Capital facilities
• Funding
• Community champions
• Cooperation and collaboration
• Leadership

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• http//www.lakewhatcom.whatcomcounty.org/index.sht
  ml

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