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Ecology home > Water Quality > TMDLs Home > TMDL Activity  by WRIA - WRIA 3 > Samish Bay Water Quality:  Yours to Protect > Clean Samish Initiative

Clean Samish Initiative

More than 20 governmental, business and non-profit organizations have a role or interest in improving water quality in the Samish watershed and Samish Bay. Ecology agreed to coordinate these efforts. The member organizations have welcomed this coordination and interest and support development of a workplan for fall 2009 to speed up cleanup activities.  They are actively taking actions that will lead to improved water quality, and adopted a name for the overall effort: Clean Samish Initiative.

Ecology took the extra step to act as coordinator of the Clean Samish Initiative, but not to run the various activities. This was a natural outgrowth of Ecology’s recent work with Skagit County agencies, other organizations and Tribes to develop a water quality improvement plan (Total Maximum Daily Load, or TMDL) that identifies priority areas and actions for cleanup. EPA approved the TMDL in October 2009.

The Clean Samish Initiative workplan describes member-organization projects and a schedule aimed at making significant improvements in water quality by the end of the coming wet season.

• Education and outreach: A key Clean Samish focus, particularly in regard to domestic septic systems and farm animal management. In both areas, the public will be informed that compliance will play an increasing role. Skagit County, which mounted an intensive public outreach effort on required septic system inspections and maintenance, will follow up with enforcement as needed. Ecology assigned a water-quality inspector for outreach and compliance work in non-dairy livestock and poultry manure management. One of the objectives of education and outreach is to develop ways to present water quality data and findings to the public to ensure the problem is recognized and understood.
• Funding: Clean Samish partners intend to present coordinated cases to secure funding and other resources and assistance.
• Incentives: Clean Samish is working to develop incentives for landowners who protect water quality, and to recognize those who use practices that promote the achievement of water quality standards in the watershed.
• Monitoring: Clean Samish partners continue to coordinate and share monitoring results that will help identify some immediate problems, characterize the water quality problem, and prioritize areas for cleanup.

• Inspections:  Ecology is inspecting properties along highly-polluted reaches of the Samish where livestock access may be an issue:

  How Ecology conducts inspections presentation

Background

The Samish watershed has had problems with bacteria pollution for a couple of decades. Bacteria in the river, other streams and the bay frequently reach levels too high for safe shellfish harvest (and eating) and safe family recreation. In addition, farmers, especially those who irrigate from surface waters, are concerned about water quality. They want to provide assurance to consumers that their food products are safe.

In recent years, significant efforts by citizens and local agencies have led to measurable improvements in water quality. In the Edison area, for example, locally-led efforts, helped with County and state funding, led to the replacement of many failing onsite septic systems with a community wastewater treatment system. The marine waters off the village of Edison are measurably cleaner than before. Similar work in Blanchard led to replacement of individual onsite systems. Education and outreach by Skagit Conservation District has encouraged many farmers and landowners to adopt farm plans and add best management practices. Ongoing work by Skagit Health Dept. has resulted in a steady increase in the number of onsite systems throughout the County getting inspections and repairs.

Despite these valuable efforts, much work remains to be done. Samish Bay was closed to commercial shellfish harvest for a total of 10 weeks in 2008 and 2009. All the closures were related to rain events that carried high numbers of fecal coliform bacteria to the bay from throughout the watershed. (The state Dept. of Health monitors marine waters and has the authority to keep commercial shellfish beds open or close them if marine water quality is compromised.)

The TMDL implementation plan, developed in cooperation with state agencies, Skagit County, local organizations, and Tribes, identifies the major potential sources of polluting bacteria in the Samish as:

• Residential and business onsite septic systems.
• Various small and commercial farming operations with livestock.
• Farming operations that spread animal manure as fertilizer.
• Various human recreational activities, including boating, hunting, fishing, hiking.
• Marina live-aboard boats.
• Waterfowl attracted to fields planted in grain.

All these potential sources, if managed or practiced appropriately with water quality protections in place, need not pose a threat to water quality.

Clean Samish participating organizations and projects include:

• Skagit County Health Department: The Onsite Sewage (OSS) Management program requires homeowners and business owners in the Samish watershed to have onsite (septic) systems inspected by a county-certified OSS inspector.
• Skagit County Public Works: Conducts a monitoring program to track fecal coliform concentrations in the water and provides coordination for local and state sampling efforts.
• Skagit County Planning and Development Services: Skagit County Code 14.24.120 limits livestock access to streams and ditches.
• Skagit Conservation District: Conducts educational workshops and offers assistance to farmers in protecting water quality. Sponsors Skagit Stream Team and other volunteer monitors.
• Samish Indian Nation: Manages the restoration of a tribally-owned riparian area of Thomas Creek, and conducts water quality monitoring and outreach to neighbors.
• Skagit Conservation Education Alliance (SCEA): Nonprofit organization that educates the public about the health and economic risks of fecal coliform pollution, the benefits of improved water quality, and how basin farms and homes can contribute. SCEA raised funds for, and obtained permission for placement of Sanicans next to Samish River for hunters and fishers.
• EPA: Will provide financial and technical assistance for a pilot DNA study to determine presence/absence of human and livestock sources of bacteria in the watershed. EPA may be tapped as the enforcement backstop for Ecology for particularly large or difficult cases of compliance with water quality regulations.
• Washington Department of Health: The shellfish protection program monitors conditions in Samish Bay and determines whether commercial harvests may occur.
• Washington Department of Agriculture: Ensures that dairy farms meet the state’s nutrient management act requirements.
• Puget Sound Partnership: Provides funding and assistance related to water quality improvement and public education and outreach.
• Taylor Shellfish and other Samish Bay commercial shellfish growers: Participating in Clean Samish to raise awareness about the need for clean water for shellfish harvest.
• Agricultural organizations: Western Washington Agricultural Association provides a voice for the farming industry which is a significant land user, a possible source of bacteria, and a potential major force for bacteria control in the watershed.

Full list of Clean Samish members

For more information

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