Kennedy-Goldsborough Watershed Planning (WRIA 14)

Lead agency contact:

Pam Bennett-Cumming
Mason County Department of Community Development
(360) 427-9670 ext. 287
pambc@co.mason.wa.us

Ecology contact:

Phil Wiatrak
Department of Ecology
(360) 407-6652
pwia461@ecy.wa.gov

Implementation phase:

Planning phase: Planning Activities Terminated

Optional elements: Quality, Habitat, Flows

Plan due: December 2005

Grants awarded: $770,000 through June 2005

Initiating governments: Mason County, Mason PUD #1, City of Shelton, Squaxin Island Tribe, Thurston County

Plan website: Planning for the Future of our Water

Progress

During 2002 the Planning Unit completed a draft Phase 2 Level 1 assessment which identified and detailed what is known about water issues in the watershed. A key finding concludes that while much less than 1% of the total amount of available water is actually used, there are still serious availability problems throughout the watershed during the low-flow summer months.

Supplemental grant funds were awarded in 2003 and 2004 for water quality activities, a water storage study and instream flow assessments. The focus included identifying and prioritizing "data gaps" based on the Level 1 assessment, conducting a surface-groundwater interaction study, developing a water quality monitoring plan, and developing goals, objectives and an outline for the final plan.

The Planning Unit completed a final draft plan in February 2006. Several recommendations proposed by the Squaxin Island Tribe were not included in the final draft plan since consensus on those recommendations could not be reached among the other Initiating Governments.

In May 2006, the Planning Unit took a final vote on the draft plan. The plan was not supported by the Squaxin Island Tribe and therefore was not adopted. The Tribe would not agree to the continuation of the planning process thereby terminating it.

SPECIAL NOTE: A disclaimer in the draft watershed plan states that the documents prepared by the Planning Unit are "unapproved", and should only "be considered informational resources that provide a record of the planning process".

Documents prepared by the planning unit

Aerial Survey of Skookum and Goldsborough Creeks, WA Thermal Infrared and Color Videography (1466 kilobytes)
WRIA 14 Final Draft Watershed Plan (981 kilobytes)
WRIA 14 Surface Water Quality Montioring Strategy (6184 kilobytes)
Final Preliminary Assessment of Hood Canal Streams (2417 kilobytes)
WRIA 14 / Kennedy-Goldsborough Watershed Phase II Hydrogeologic Investigation (Final Report) (8299 kilobytes)
WRIA 14 / Kennedy-Goldsborough Watershed Preliminary Build-Out & Projected Water Quantity Analysis Step C Instream Flow Grant Addendum (1523 kilobytes)
Kennedy-Goldsborough Watershed Water Storrage Assessment - Figures and Appendices (26085 kilobytes)
Kennedy-Goldsborough Watershed Water Storrage Assessment (415 kilobytes)
Kennedy-Goldsborough Watershed Phase 2: Level 1 Assessment (15138 kilobytes)

Studies or data relevant to planning for this area

Washington State Department of Ecology home page

Please send additions or corrections to Chris Anderson, (360) 407-6634.