Draft Steering Committee Meeting Summary – September 13, 2007

WRIA 9 (Green/Duwamish and Central Puget Sound Watershed)

Steering Committee

Draft Summary for September 13, 2007

ATTENDEES

Steering Committee:

Name / Affiliation
Mayor Joan McGilton (Acting Chair) / City of Burien
Sharon Nelson (for Councilmember Dow Constantine) / KingCounty
Al Barrie / Trout Unlimited/Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group
Jeff Bash / WA Department of Ecology (DOE)
Councilmember Richard Conlin / City of Seattle
Jay Covington / City of Renton
Noel Gilbrough / US Army Corps of Engineers
Paul Hickey / Tacoma Public Utilities
Garrett Huffman / Master Builders Association
Susie Kalhorn / Vashon/Maury Island Community Council
Mayor Shawn McEvoy / City of NormandyPark
Paul Meyer / Port of Seattle
Councilmember Marlla Mhoon / City of Covington
Don Nettleton / Plum Creek Timber
James Rasmussen / Green/Duwamish Watershed Alliance
Councilmember Dennis Robertson / City of Tukwila
Councilmember Chris Wythe / City of SeaTac

Other Attendees:

Name / Affiliation
Julie Hall / City of Seattle
Josh Kahan / KingCounty
Mike Mactutis / City of Kent
Pat Sumption / Friends of Green River/Green/Duwamish Watershed Alliance
Linda Grob / WRIA 9 Administrative Coordinator
Doug Osterman / WRIA 9 Watershed Coordinator
Gordon Thomson / WRIA 9 Habitat Plan Manager

I. Welcome and Introductions

Acting Chair Joan McGilton opened the meeting and invited attendees tointroduce themselves.

II. Public Comment

There was no public comment.

III. Approval of Meeting Summary

On page 2, second bullet under The Science of Puget Sound,“Parts of the Sounds are two meters deep” will be corrected to read “two hundred meters deep”.

The Steering Committee unanimously approved the summary for the August 23, 2007 meeting as edited.

IV. Updates

2007 Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB) Projects:

Doug Osterman, Watershed Coordinator, reminded the group of the sixSRFB project proposals they approved at the July Steering Committee meeting: North Wind’s Weir Shallow Water Habitat Rehabilitation, Fenster/Pautske Levees Setback and Removal, Beaconsfield on the Sound Acquisition, Point Heyer Drift Cell Preservation, and Raab’s Lagoon/Pocket Estuary Restoration Feasibility Study. Since then the Technical Advisory Group reviewed all the sites, and for the first time in a couple of years, none of the projects were designated a “project of concern”. He said Karen Bergeron, the new Habitat Project Coordinator,was a big part of that success, coming on board and learning the system very quickly. Doug also reported that, thanks to Noel Gilbrough, the Corps is looking to get funding for Site One/North Wind’s Weir, as well as unspent money from previous allocations for the project. Doug said we think every project on our list will get funding. The next step is for project sponsors to prepare final applications for submittal on Monday, September 17, with SRFB making their decision on project proposals in December.

Puget Sound Partnership:

Doug Osterman announced that WRIA 9 has been assigned to the Puget Sound Partnership’s (PSP) South Central Puget Sound ActionArea, along with WRIAs 8, 10, and parts of 12. As a next step PSP is calling forself-nominations for one member from each Action Area to serve on the Ecosystem CoordinationBoard (ECB), which will be the advisory board to the PSP Leadership Council. The time commitment for this position is expected to be ~20 hours/month, and membership will also be drawn from business, the Association of Washington Cities (AWC), etc. Doug reported that Joan McGilton has self-nominated for our Action Area, WRIA 8 is talking to a couple of its members to ask them what they want to do, and Dave Seabrook from the WRIA 10 Steering Committee has also self-nominated. PSP staff will make recommendationson who should be named to the ECB.

Joan McGilton provided her background information (degree in marine biology, project management experience) and explained why she would like to serve on the board. She said she is dedicated to seeing the Salmon Habitat Plan moving forward, especially because local governments are going to be the implementers. She explained that the model that happened in WRIA 9 really works and it is what we need for the PSP. She has also submitted her nomination to bethe Association of Washington Cities representative to the Ecosystem Restoration Board.

The Steering Committee unanimously supported Councilmember Joan McGilton’s nomination to the Puget Sound Partnership Ecosystem Restoration Board for the South Central Puget Sound Action Area.

V. Lower Newaukum Creek SRFB Project

Josh Kahan, King County Green/Duwamish and Newaukum Creek Basin Steward,reported that the Lower Newaukum Creek project received SRFB funding a few years ago. He said this area of Newaukum has been targeted for some time, and Chinook spawn in the lower four miles of the creek. The original application focused in an area that would reinstitute a meander and bring in some long jams and re-vegetation. Since the application was approved one of the two landowners who signed a letter of cooperationpulled out, nullifying part of the project, so the county ecologist went back and found a suitable alternative.

Josh said that Lower Newaukum Creek used to have more meanders, and now acts as sort of a chute. During high flow eventsthe stream is now non-conducive to Chinook spawning and rearing. The new project goals include: 1) breachingthe berm in at least one place; and 2) stockingthe stream with log jams. The remaining property owner is very supportive, and happy with the new design. Based on the new project design, there will be several hundred thousand dollars left over, and we have found another piece of property to acquire with the money. In addition two other property owners have expressed interest in placing some additional logs upstream. Mike Ramsey of SRFB supports this alternative, and Josh said that’s why he has come to the Steering Committee for approval of a major amendment to purchase the property. If we don’t approve an amendmentwe may have to return several hundred thousand dollars to SRFB.

Discussion:

  • Al Barrie asked if this plan deals with the buildup of gravel in the mouth of the creek. Josh Kahan replied that there is some thinking that it could be problematic for Chinook, and our ecologist’s thinks that placing log jams will increase the dynamic action in the stream, spawning, and upstream migration. He said we will not engineer the gravel itself.
  • Noel Gilbrough inquired if the county has thought of putting a logjam at the mouth of Newaukum. Josh explained that FlamingGeyserState Park and the WhitneyBridge, which are just upstream, are where people put in lots of boats. KingCounty is very sensitive of citizen safety. Noel commented that the more critical issue now is the establishment of healthy habitat in the Middle Green.
  • James Rasmussen remarked that there has to be a compromise that can be reached on the boater issue, and we need to outreach to the appropriate groups so warnings are placed. The county needs to find out who to outreach to, where that valuable place is, and how to extrapolate that we need some large woody debris (LWD) in particular areas. Ski areas have black diamond warning signson the most difficult runs so if someone dies the ski area is not responsible. Josh Kahan noted that at KingCounty it is not going to happen at the project level. Al Barrie commented that this part of the Green has one of the best fishing holes in the river, so everybody has to be aware of the safety issue.
  • Pat Sumption, Friends of the Green River and Green/Duwamish Watershed Alliance, announced that she is a boater, and boaters have been working a number of years with KingCounty and the Corps, both of whose placement of logs is sometimes the best. She asked if someone could come to the Boater Safety Commission to start a dialog going, and to get a general idea of boaters’ concerns. Boaters are kind of the minority on the placement of logs issue, and they sometimes feel they’re not being listened to. Pat suggested possibly havingJudy Taylor who lives on the river come talk to the Steering Committee. Doug Osterman proposed that we tee up a presentation for the Boater Safety Commission. He said we could talk to our Flood Hazard Section, and the discussion would have to be done at least county-wide.

The Steering Committee unanimously supported the Newaukum Creek project redesign and additional purchase.

VI. New Habitat Plan ProjectProposals

Gordon Thomson, Habitat Plan Manager, explained that the Steering Committee needs to make a recommendation on adding eight new projects, a new policy, and new information/issues as amendments to the Salmon Habitat Plan.

Project amendments:

  • Icy CreekAcquisition: Doug Osterman reported that KingCountymay bemoving forward with the acquisition through a complex land deal involving county properties near MapleValley. Icy Creek protection is a WRIA 9 priority. Josh Kahan worked hard to purchase the 270 acres at the time we were working on the Habitat Plan, but a subdivision was proposed for the property. The 270 acres includes the part that was platted. The county at that time could not reach agreement with the property owner.

Pat Sumption said Icy Creek is really cold and the quality of the water is important for the fish that hang out in the creek. The purchase is not a done-deal yet, and putting the label of approval on the acquisition would be important to the purchase. Icy Creek is a high priority for fish and recreation, and we don’t want this to slip through our fingers again.

Susie Kalhorn explained that part of the direction at that time the Plan was being drafted was that we were going to look at coho and the tributaries. Now that we are taking an ecosystem approach, we need to look at cold water for the health of the watershed. Doug Osterman added that after we did the study of the water quality and quantity of Icy Creek, we found out there is 60 csf of flow, the temperature doesn’t vary throughout the year,and the group said this is clearly a case of ideal water.

  • Lower Soos Creek Rehabilitation:This project would place log jams by helicopter. Noel Gilbrough said he fully supports the project, but had concerns about the exact mile location of the fish hatchery. He said the project could backwater on to the hatchery, so the hatchery location is a box we need to check.
  • Frager RoadSetback: Sets back the levee to provide more space. The setback is adjacent to the superfund site. Mike Mactutis reported that the levee is a mile south of the Segale property. There are some private owners, but the City of Kentowns most of it.
  • Off-Channel Habitat Rehabilitation (RiverviewPlaza): The property, which is south of 405, isowned by theCity of Tukwila. Julie Hall, City of Seattle, reported that KingCounty did some seining here and caught Chinook.
  • Duwamish Slip 4 Restoration: Julie Hall explained that this is an early action superfund cleanup site, with Seattle and KingCounty partnering on it and doing some rehabilitation. Boeing is not involved in this particular project. Joan McGilton noted that the site has significant PCB contamination. James Rasmussen said work would not be done until the contamination is cleaned up and contained.
  • CampKilworth Acquisition: Gordon Thomson said this project, once the site of a Boy Scout camp, would be the onlyFederal Way project in the Plan. Dennis Clark worked with the city to secure grants for this project, which would protect the feeder bluff.
  • Des Moines Creek Estuary Restoration: This project will remove 500 feet of the seawall. Des Moines wants to make the park a better place for people, and it is impossible to get to the beach now. Doug Osterman reported that the area north of the mouth of Des Moines Creek is in NormandyPark, and is one of the most starved beaches in south Puget Sound.
  • Amending NS-17 Functioning Nearshore Habitat Protection Restoration on Vashon/Maury Island: This amendmentadds 32 additional areas to the Plan. Properties were identified in Anchor Environmental’s marine shorelines prioritization study, which was unavailable until after the Plan was completed.

Deleted project:

  • NS-6 Skeeter Creek Pocket Estuary on Vashon: Susie Kalhorn reported that if the culvert is removed the entire stream is still channelized concrete. She said it is really low priority now. Jay Covington suggested leaving it on the list, while acknowledgingthat it is not an area to focus on.

New information/issues:

  • Inventory and Assessment of Current and Historic Beach Feeding Sources/Erosion and Accretion Areas for the Marine Shoreline of Water Resource Inventory Areas 8 and 9 (2005).
  • Prioritization of Marine Shorelines of WRIA 9 for Juvenile Salmonid Habitat Protection and Restoration (2006).
  • A description of the Puget Sound Partnership and the role of the watersheds.
  • Issues facing WRIA 9 in the future (steelhead listing, funding strategy, more detailed ecological economics anaylsis).

New Policy:

  • Single-Family Bulkheads: Joan McGilton commented that while a bulkhead policy is not going to be popular with nearshore city planning directors, it would be good towrite it up so the cities have something they can respond to. Gordon Thomson said he has been meeting with city staff on the issue.

Richard Conlin asked if we are we looking at administrative changes or policy direction on bulkheads, and ifit something the city councils need to vote on. Doug Osterman responded that it could be both, depending on what your individual cities need. City staff are not necessarily aware yet of what the nearshore is, and what the bulkhead exemption is. For example, huge houses on a bluff that do not face imminent danger are getting the exemption, when exemptions are mostly needed for houses on the beach that are consistently threatened by waves. Richard said we are also talking about a policy development concept that could be forwarded to the cities.

Garrett Huffman remarked that he doubts that the Master Builders will support a bulkhead policy. Joan McGilton explained that we are not looking to approve a policy tonight, but are going to write one that will be distributed to the cities for consideration. The idea is to have a consistent approach to reviewing bulkhead proposals throughout KingCounty.

James Rasmussen said there is also a problem of not looking at existing bulkheads that have been there for years. We are not going to move or eliminate the railroad, but we need to look at how to alleviate the effect. Doug Osterman mentioned that we can soften the effect of bulkheads. There are better technologies out there, and we can often get better results from vegetation.

The Steering Committee unanimously approved the adoption of the Salmon Habitat Plan project amendments, and directed staff to work with WRIA 9 nearshore jurisdictions to develop a proposed armoring policy and model ordinance.

VIII. Public Comment

There was no public comment.

XI. Wrap Up/Next Steps

The meeting was adjourned at 7:55 p.m. The next meeting will be in early 2008. Doug Osterman said that the boater safety issue would be a topic for 2008 discussion.

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