The Quilcene-Snow watershed – or Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 17 – covers more than 250,000 acres of the northeastern Olympic Peninsula, in Jefferson and Clallam counties. Port Townsend is the main population center, and nearly 27,000 people live in the watershed. WRIA 17 extends from the northeast flank of the Olympic Mountains to Hood Canal and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The watershed includes direct drainages to Puget Sound from Jimmycomelately Creek in the northwest to the Big Quilcene River in the south. More than 70% of the watershed is privately owned, while federal and state lands cover the remaining area. The Quilcene-Snow watershed contains these 10 sub-basins: Big Quilcene, Chimacum, Dabob-Thorndyke, Indian-Marrowstone, Little Quilcene, Ludlow, Miller, Quimper, Salmon-Snow, and West Sequim Bay.
WRIA 17 and the other 61 water resource inventory areas in Washington state were established by the Washington State Legislature when it passed HB2514, the Watershed Management Act of 1998. The purpose of the Watershed Management Act is to provide a framework for addressing water quality, water quantity, and salmon habitat issues at the local level. The Act provides grant funding to Planning Units, which are councils of governmental and non-governmental entities, to perform two tasks:
• Determine the status of water resources in a watershed; and
• Resolve the often-conflicting demands for that water, including ensuring that enough water is available for salmon.
Each Planning Unit is responsible for a specific geographic area, or Water Resource Inventory Area. The WRIA boundaries are established in the state’s administrative code (Ch. 173-500) (Watershed Management Plan for the Quilcene-Snow Water Resource inventory Area 17. October 2003).
What is a watershed plan?
A watershed plan is an area-specific strategy to address current and future water management issues such as water quality, water quantity, and habitat issues. A watershed plan is built on an understanding of the status of local water resources and provides a framework for resolving conflicting of competing water demands, including insuring that enough water is available for salmon.
According to the WRIA 17 Planning Unit, “the purpose of the watershed plan is to create a decision-making tool for water resource management, including future appropriation of water and land use and development decisions. It is the intent of the plan to recommend actions to ensure clean water in sufficient quantities to provide both adequate habitat for fish and an adequate supply for human uses. Therefore the plan will include provisions for water quality protection and enhancement, water conservation, and habitat protection/restoration.” (Watershed Management Plan for the Quilcene-Snow Water Resource inventory Area 17. October 2003)
What problems do we have in our watershed?
To understand the challenges confronting the watershed, the WRIA 17 Planning Unit commissioned a Technical Assessment, completed in 2000. This analysis summarizes existing scientific information about water quantity, water quality, habitat, and instream flows in the watershed. It provides a scientific foundation for watershed planning and identifies the following issues of concern:
• The lower reaches of the Big Quilcene River have experienced greater habitat degradation than the upper reaches. Hydraulic continuity – that is, connections between surface water and groundwater –means that pumping groundwater from wells can reduce stream flows. Accordingly, water use in the lower watershed may exacerbate these habitat issues.
• In the lower reaches of the Chimacum sub-basin, surface water quality is degraded, and use of both surface and groundwater is relatively high. Surface water quality is most degraded in the middle reaches of the creek. Hydraulic continuity is rated high to moderate high for much of the basin, and habitat along both forks of Chimacum Creek has been degraded. By 2016, more than 1,500 new residents are expected to live in the sub-basin, a 30% increase.
• In the Dabob-Thorndyke sub-basin, Tarboo Creek faces surface water quality and habitat issues, along with high hydraulic continuity. Existing land uses in the sub-basin have degraded stream health. • The Little Quilcene River has problems with habitat, water quality, water quantity, and hydraulic continuity along much of its length. Near Lake Leland, surface water use from Leland Creek is relatively high. Future growth in this sub-basin is expected to be relatively low.
• In the Ludlow sub-basin, habitat in Shine Creek has been degraded, while the area adjacent to Ludlow Creek is the focus of relatively high groundwater use and surface water rights near Port Ludlow. Coupled with Ludlow Creek’s high potential for hydraulic continuity, this water use could affect stream flows. By 2016, population in this sub-basin will likely more than double.
• Habitat in the Salmon-Snow sub-basin has been altered, including creek relocation (now largely restored), and the sub-basin has relatively high potential for hydraulic continuity. In the lower Salmon and Snow Creeks, many surface water rights are allocated, which could affect seasonal low stream flows. By 2016, approximately 400 new residents will likely live in the sub-basin, a 30% increase (Watershed Management Plan for the Quilcene-Snow Water Resource inventory Area 17. October 2003).
What is the "Instream Flow Rule"?
The term "instream flow" is used to identify a specific stream flow (typically measured in cubic feet per second, or cfs) at a specific location for a defined time, and typically following seasonal variations. Instream flows are usually defined as the stream flows needed to protect and preserve instream resources and values, such as fish, wildlife and recreation. Instream flows are most often described and established in a formal legal document, typically an adopted state rule.
The Department of Ecology continues to work with local governments, tribes, business owners, environmental organizations, residents and other entities in Jefferson and eastern Clallam counties to develop a proposed instream flow and water management rule for the Quilcene-Snow Water Resources Inventory Area (WRIA) 17. The rule will guide water use planning and decision-making for future domestic needs while maintaining enough water in streams to protect important fish species and existing water rights. Preparation for the rule development process for WRIA 17 has involved several years of discussion on the following topics:
- watershed planning
- stream hydrology and fish habitat data
- ground water data
- stream temperature analysis
- stream management options.
Ecology has a legal obligation to provide for reliable supplies of drinking water and to protect instream resources.
For more information, visit Ecology's website: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/instream-flows/quilsnowbasin.html
In 1991, the Washington State Department of Ecology selected the Dungeness-Quilcene watershed as a pilot area to test the feasibility of local watershed planning under the Chelan Agreement. The Dungeness-Quilcene Plan, developed between 1991 and 1994, was the result of this pilot project. The plan, also known as the D-Q Plan, contains recommendations for water conservation, public education, protection of fish stocks and habitat, restoration of instream flows, protection and restoration of water quality, and provision of water for growth. The D-Q Plan, although focused on WRIA 18, covers areas of WRIA 17 and provided the foundation for watershed discussions and planning in WRIA 17 (Watershed Management Plan for the Quilcene-Snow Water Resource inventory Area 17. October 2003).
The locally-led Quilcene-Snow Watershed Planning Unit completed a comprehensive watershed plan for the Quilcene-Snow in October 2003. The committee decided it did not have sufficient information at that time to make instream flow recommendations to Ecology. However, a key commitment in the watershed plan was to continue working with Ecology to try and reach consensus on instream flows. The watershed management plan was approved by Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners on January 10, 2005.
During 2005 Ecology proposed draft rule language and held two open houses to discuss the proposal with the public. However, that work was suspended when Ecology officials learned their public involvement effort was inadequate. Since then, Ecology managers and consultants have met with Jefferson and Clallam county residents to resume the watershed management effort in a more inclusive way. Most recently, Ecology hosted a public forum in May 2007 to solicit comments from the public and educate the public on specific issues relating to the instream flow rule (http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/instream-flows).
What are the instream flow study methods used in Washington and how is the minimum instream flow determined?
Instream Flow Incremental Methodology or IFIM is the most commonly used method for determining how much water fish need. IFIM is a series of computer-based models that quantify the amount of fish habitat at different flow levels in a river or stream. By matching those depths and velocities to fish preferences for those factors, the model will tell you how many square feet of habitat will be available at different flow levels. Physical Habitat Simulation (PHABSIM) is the subset of IFIM used extensively in Washington state.
For more detailed information visit Ecology's website: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/instream-flows/isfsci.html
Where can I find the project documents and meeting minutes for the WRIA 17 instream flow rule?
Visit the WSU Jefferson County Extension website at www.jefferson.wsu.edu and click on "Water" and then on "WRIA 17 Instream Flow" for information relating to this process and relevant WRIA 17 project documents.
The Planning Unit Steering Committee meeting minutes are available at www.wria17.org (click on "Steering Committee" on the left-hand panel). Project documents are also available on this site.
What other areas in Washington are going through this process?
There are a total of 62 Water Resource Inventory Areas in Washington state in various stages of watershed planning. You can read about their activities by visiting www.ecy.wa.gov/apps/watersheds/wriapages/index.html.
What is the timeline for developing the instream flow rule?
The first community forum was held in Chimacum and Quilcene on May 15 and 16, respectively. The purpose of this forum was to talk about issues relating to instream flow and what's important to the community. In July, Ecology will hold another meeting to talk about options and solutions. After this meeting Ecology will spend the fall working with local governments, tribes, and members of the community to develop a rough draft instream flow rule. After a rough draft is developed, Ecology will hold another community forum to discuss the draft, after which Ecology will write a formal draft rule and then hold formal public hearings on the draft rule and receive public comments. Finally the instream flow rule will be adopted.
Who do I contact to give my opinion or get information?
There are several ways to share your opinions, make suggestions, and ask questions. Click on the comments link on the right side of this page to share your views or read other people's comments in a public forum. You can sign your comments or you can post anonymously.
To mail or email your comments or suggestions directly to Department of Ecology send to:
awes461@ecy.wa.gov
or
Attn: Ann Wessel
Department of Ecology Water Resources Program
P.O. Box 47600
Olympia, WA 98504-7600