WRIA 14 PLANNING UNIT MEETING

 

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Shelton Civic Center

Shelton, WA

 

 

Meeting Summary

 

Attendance:

Government Members Present:

Al Frey, Port of Shelton

Pam Bennett-Cumming, Mason County

Theresa Parsons, City of Shelton

John Konovsky, Squaxin Island Tribe

Jeanne Kinney, Thurston County

Chris Hempleman, Dept. of Ecology

Government Members Absent:

Mason County PUD # 1

 

 

Other Planning Unit Members Present:

 

Diane Cooper, Taylor Shellfish

Bob Simmons, WSU Extension

Drew Noble, Water Purveyors

Warren Dawes, SWPSWC

Alan Corwin, Thurston PUD

 

 

Others Present:

 

Stephanie Kenny, Mason Co.

Susan Gulick, Technical Project Mgr/Facilitator

 

 

1.      Comments on NWLW Water Quantity Analysis Flow  

q       The Planning Unit discussed the comments received on NW Land and Water’s Water Quantity Analysis as part of the Step C Instream Flow Grant.

q       Comments were received from John Konovsky and Bill Neal; however upon closer inspection Bill’s comments were on the hydro-geo report and not on the Step C report.

q       The Planning Unit agreed to ask NWLW to incorporate all of John Konovsky’s comments.  In addition, the Planning Unit asked for the following:

ü       Incorporate a range of consumptive use into the analysis (e.g. 20 to 60%, or 10 to 90% of total water use)

ü       Use a range of impacts to streams (i.e. don’t assume that all groundwater pumped would have a 1 to 1 impact on the stream).

ü       Discuss industrial water use in the basin

ü       Discuss or recommend an analysis that evaluates seasonal water use compared to Johns Creek flows

ü       Check the accuracy or the water rights listed in the tables

ü       Interface or review scenarios in the regional plan

ü       Respond to John Konovsky's written comments.

 

2.      Recommendations for the Watershed Plan

q       The Planning Unit revised some of the draft recommendations for the watershed plan (attached as a separate document). 

q       The Planning Unit hopes to have a complete draft plan for review before the next meeting.

q       The Planning Unit discussed septic issues and Bill Neal’s e-mail comments, including:

ü       The Planning Unit would like citations added to the plan wherever there are factual statements, particularly about the problems in WRIA 14 from septics that are not designed, sited, operated or maintained properly.

ü       The initial Planning Unit recommendations are focused on the proper siting and maintenance of septic systems.  Septics are an acceptable and even desirable waste management system when properly designed, sited, operated and maintained.

ü       Regulations require a mandatory closure of shellfish areas where there is an outfall, regardless of the quality of the effluent.  However, even if City’s outfall were removed it is unclear whether shellfish beds could reopen due to stormwater and other pollution sources.

ü       The City of Shelton outfall does contribute to the problems, and the City is working toward upland discharge at the new plant.

ü       Simpson Timber has its own NPDES permit as required by Ecology and is required to meet minimum standards.

ü       Taylor Shellfish believes studies show that onsite septics that are not designed, sited, operated or maintained properly are a larger contributor to fecal coliform pollution in rural areas than sewage outfalls.  Ecology confirms this conclusion.  Therefore, it is extremely important to the shellfish industry that the watershed plan addresses septic issues.

ü       The Planning Unit revised the recommendations on septics and sewage management based on this discussion (see attached 12/14/05 Draft Recommendations).

 

3.      Public Involvement Strategy for Plan Adoption 

q       The Planning Unit will host at least two public meetings to present the draft plan and gather public comments.  The dates are tentatively on the evenings of January 25th and February 1st.  One meeting will be held in Shelton; the PU is considering Allyn and a Thurston County location for the second and possible third meeting. 

q       Bob S. will work to find specific locations for the meetings.

q       Bob S. and possibly other PU members will also offer a PowerPoint presentation to interested civic organizations at their regular meetings.

 

4.      Upcoming Meetings 

q       The PU meeting originally scheduled for December 28th has been cancelled.

q       There will be an all-day retreat on Wednesday, January 11th to finalize recommendations for the plan.  The exact time and place have not been finalized, but it will likely be in the Shelton area from 9-4.