Water Quality Monitoring and Dye-testing
(Includes establishing water quality monitoring, ambient monitoring, targeted shoreline monitoring, storm/event sampling.)
Investigative/enforcement water sampling has been used to identify pollution sources.
The sampling of ambient freshwater samples changes over time based on available funding. The CWWG makes sampling site recommendations each year. The Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe and other jurisdictions have independent sampling programs. The PIC plan will include baseline monitoring for hot spots for OSSs. The CWD recently did sampling at 9 to 15 stations (the variety is due to occasional problems with access due to water level) in the MRA but funding for this effort ended in March.
The County does not actively perform shoreline monitoring. The CWD, however, did some grab samples out of shoreline areas for MST studies.
Office Evaluation
(Includes GIS and other existing data evaluation.)
n/a
Parcel Inspection (Sanitary Survey)
Persistent notification is a good way to fix many pollution violations.
Visual Inspections from Vehicle
n/a
Experimental Methods
Microbial Source Tracking (MST)
MST studies found non-native livestock associated with Olympic Game Farm in the Matriotti Creek watershed. The Dungeness Microbial Source Tracking Study (PDF) found non-native game farm animal and human DNA. Both of these led to clear sources. The Microbial Source Tracking was used as a way to educate politicians about some of the potential problems areas in the CWD.
Plane Fly-Overs
n/a
Scent Testing
n/a
Incentives
EH and CCD jointly run an incentive program for OSS inspections, pumping, and risers.
Agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs)
Fencing of Heavy Use Areas
Heavy use area protection is a common practice promoted by CCD, particularly with horse farms. Heavy use area protection enables farm operators to remove their livestock from pastures during the wet season and properly collect and store animal wastes.
Riparian Buffers
CCD promotes riparian buffers through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). Several miles of riparian buffers have been restored through CREP.
Farm Plans
CCD works with willing farm operators to develop and implement farm conservation plans and provides financial assistance to implement BMPs. An arrangement with Ecology allows the CCD to work with landowners before enforcement action is taken. The critical areas ordinance regulates agricultural impacts in environmentally sensitive areas, such as stream buffers, wetlands and critical aquifer recharge areas; however, like Ecology enforcement, County critical areas ordinance enforcement is complaint driven.
Operation and Maintenance
The creation of a Marine Recovery Area (MRA)mandated for areas with impaired shellfish beds, resulted in Operations and Maintenance (O&M) requirements for OSSs. A Dungeness Wastewater Feasibility Study was conducted in 2013 and found broad support for OSS O&M and enforcement to manage wastewater. However, enforcement of the on-site sewage ordinance has been problematic due to staff capacity issues in both the Environmental Health Section and the County Prosecutor's Office.
One of Clallam County's recent successes with pollution control has been with a program targeting mobile home parks (MHP). Seven out of 12 parks went through the program. Although acceptance and trust by mobile home park owners took time, eventually the project was successful with the seven MHPs participating. CCD has received state funding to provide financial assistance to homeowners for repair of failing OSSs. CCD is working closely with EH and is scheduled to implement four repairs in 2014.
Other Tools
CCD led a comprehensive effort to pipe irrigation ditches that limited fecal coliform contamination and conserved water in the area. Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) monitoring before the advent of the CWD helped to convince the Game Farm to install BMPs.