Welcome to Skagit County
June 18th, 2012
Samish Bay closed to shellfish harvest again due to high fecal coliform bacteria
counts
SKAGIT COUNTY - The Washington
State Department of Health has temporarily closed Samish Bay for commercial
and recreational shellfish harvest due to high fecal coliform bacteria levels
in samples collected by Storm Team volunteers on June 17, 2012. This closure
was a confirmation of the precautionary closure instituted by the Department
of Health based on the Samish River rising more than 100 cfs on June 17. The
Samish River also rose more than 100 cfs on June 18 and Skagit County personnel
have collected samples to confirm or rescind the additional closure.
This closure is just another in a series of at least eight closures that have
occurred since March 1st. "These high fecal coliform levels and resulting
shellfish bed closures continue the disappointing pattern we have seen this
spring," said Skagit County Public Works Water Quality Analyst, Rick Haley
Above normal precipitation this spring has caused increased runoff in the basin
which is picking up fecal coliform bacteria on its way to the Samish River and
its tributaries and ultimately to Samish Bay. Precipitation levels in the Samish
Watershed in April were approximately 170 percent of normal, and May rainfall
was about 110 percent of normal. June rainfall has already equaled the monthly
average.
High fecal coliform counts this spring have come after an increased effort by
state and local organizations in the past two years has focused on the fecal
coliform problem in the basin as part of the Clean Samish Initiative. Work to
address fecal coliform from livestock, septic systems, and pet waste appeared
to have been bearing fruit as the number of closures and the overall concentrations
of fecal coliform fell through this winter. The results even led to optimism
that the State Department of Health could upgrade the status of Samish Bay this
spring from "conditionally approved" to "approved". This
upgrade could have happened if there was no more than one closure during the
critical evaluation period from March 1 through June 30.
All of the agencies in the Clean Samish Initiative, including the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Washington Departments of Agriculture, Ecology, and Health
as well as Skagit County have already begun to increase efforts in the past
few weeks. "Please take another look at your property to make sure you
are not a source of pollution." said Water Quality Analyst Rick Haley.
"With continued heavy rainfall, land use practices that may have been sufficient
to prevent pollution in the past may need to be revised to respond to increased
runoff. We're going to need everyone to do their part if we're going to solve
this problem."
The major sources of polluting bacteria are:
- Residential and business
onsite septic systems
- Various small and commercial
farming operations with livestock
- Farming operations that
spread animal manure as fertilizer
- Human recreational activities
including boating, hunting, fishing, and hiking
- Marine live-aboard boats
- Waterfowl attracted to
fields planted in grain mostly during the winter months
- Mishandled pet waste
All of these sources, if
managed properly, need not pose a threat to water quality. Livestock owners
are encouraged to contact the Skagit Conservation District at (360) 428-4313
to make sure you are using appropriate management practices to keep livestock
out of the waterways. Homeowners are required to ensure that their septic systems
are in proper working order by having their systems inspected. Contact the Skagit
County Health Department at (360) 336-9380 for more information on septic systems.
Pet owners are encouraged to pick up after their pets. If you have questions
about other potential sources of fecal coliform pollution, please contact the
Skagit County Public Works Department at (360) 336-9400.
For more information on clean water efforts in the Samish Watershed, current
status of the bay (open or closed for harvest), a calendar of Samish bay shellfish
bed closures to date, or to report a water quality problem, visit www.skagitcounty.net/cleanwater.
For more information, contact Patti Chambers at 360-360-9400 or pchambers@co.skagit.wa.us