Meeting Notes from September 5, 2001. Philomath police station

Announcements:

(action items in italics)

Lance announced that water temperature monitoring work is proceeding. Surprisingly, cutthroat trout are being found near Wren, unusual considering the temperatures.

Steering Committee: Chuck Lane reports that the long-term plan was discussed further by the Committee. It was previously thought that the plan just needed some additional information added from the Watershed Assessment. However, OWEB has further defined what should be included, and the emphasis is on specific potential project work, and information on past (completed) projects. This leads to more information needs to finalize our plan: types of projects, lands accessibility, viable potential projects. Chuck notes that surveying for access on private land is sensitive. Council would design and carry out such a survey to provide for this plan.

Amy says that water quality monitoring data should be available for this plan. Gary Blanchard notes that Starker Forests is doing a lot of enhancement work on their own, at no cost to the State, and would provide (non-proprietary) information on such projects for the plan.

Sandra has written an expanded version of the grant application, and increased the request from $15K to $65K. It will be submitted by October 1.

Steering Committee has submitted Articles of Incorporation for State review, after which it will go to the IRS. Also the Committee has found that the State has liability insurance for Watershed Councils in place. Dwight Giese suggests that this be confirmed.

Water Quality Committee:

Amy announces that a grant has been received for monitoring. A company, EMS, and Anton Grube have completed five samples with some volunteer help. Bacteria sampling shows Oak Creek a possible concern. Thirteen sites will be sampled monthly, a representative sample from each tributary. Widespread sampling will serve as scoping to identify specific areas for further sampling.

Culvert Committee:

Gary reports that three members met. Chuck Knoll plans to host a field trip with the County and Starker, to show work to date. Hope to get public involvement and find additional projects - any suggestions on mailing lists to distribute announcement? No action yet on culvert proposal submitted to OWEB, but they have suggested modifications, and are “looking upon it favorably”.

Education Committee:

Mark announced the Willamette River float trip on 9/15. The 5-hour float will put in at Willamette Park (Corvallis), and take out at Hyak Park (near Albany). It will feature interpretive talks. Pre-register.

The long-term plan for the Education Committee is complete.

Land and Water Use Committee:

The first draft of the long-term action plan was distributed for comment by those in attendance
Comments received
• Objective I: need a purpose for it
• Much information is available in the Watershed Assessment. It is on website, and available for use. Also, may want to look for projects, as well as issues
• Is the goal of objective I to identify items for the WC to consider
• Objective 2 seems like the overarching goal - objective 1 could fall under that. Also note that making contacts is relatively easy, and then fairly static after that
• Be careful in outside contacts that the committee not speak for the Council
• Objective 3 - need to be more specific on the purpose of the contacts
• There are many contacts for historical info not listed here.

It was agreed that the draft will need some more fleshing-out, and perhaps re-organization.

Announcements:

Lance announced that he would like volunteers to help with school programs (6th to High School) dealing with salmon and habitat.

Tom notes that according to USGS flow data, the Marys is close to the 40-year average. May be due to less withdrawal, less evapotranspiration load, and good groundwater baseflow.

Jesse notes that Al Miner’s (OSU) data set from the precip. study at Greasy Creek is still available. Precipitation has been highly variable.

Mark appealed for volunteers to help with Corvallis outdoor school, particularly instructors for soils and aquatic. Lance reminds all that his request is “senior” to Mark’s!

Speaker: Jared Rubin, Oregon State DEQ: Total Maximum Daily Loads

There are four main steps in the implementation of TMDLs:

1. Clean Water Act requires State DEQ to identify beneficial uses, set standards, and monitor.

2. Streams are assessed every two years, based on data submitted by federal agencies (MOU exists between Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to provide info to DEQ) and private landowners and DEQ monitoring. Those streams in excess of standards are in violation of the 303(d) portion of the Clean Water Act. A few good years of sampling are needed, including trend. The information is evaluated at Portland office.

3. Once streams are on the 303(d) list, DEQ must develop TMDLs for that particular stream.

4. A water quality management plan is developed and implemented to maintain TMDLs below set limits.

TMDLs are based on beneficial uses which would suffer as a result of poor water quality. These could include drinking water, irrigation, hydroelectric, salmonids (most sensitive). TMDLs are an estimate of what the system can absorb (loading capacity) and still protect the most sensitive beneficial use, usually salmon habitat, if it is a salmon stream.

TMDLs are designed for each specific pollutant and are summed from:
• Point sources: municipal and industrial discharge
• Non-point sources: run-off, farming, logging
• Natural processes (e.g. mercury
• Include a safety margin
• Include future needs (reserve capacity)

The entire state is under a court-ordered schedule to complete TMDL standards. The Marys River is to be done by 2003, all are to be completed by 2007. The plans are submitted to the EPA for approval.

The plans are done for large basins, but contain chapters and analysis specific to individual streams. The plans are made with the involvement of others - watershed councils, for example. Data is assembled, the load capacity is calculated, inputs allocated, and the whole process documented.

Water quality monitoring plans are developed, these include
• Actions needed
• Schedule for completion
• Who is responsible
• Indicators to be monitored
• Monitoring plan
• Adaptive management - how will new information be used
• Public involvement
• Estimated costs
• Mechanisms used include: Forest Practices Act, SB 1010 (Ag. Prohibited Conditions), Federal land management BMPs, Point Source Permitting process (DEQ) and local government.

Current conditions
• Willamette basin - 11% is impaired (1,436 stream miles of 13,253 total miles
• The top 3 problems, in order: temperature (exceed 64 degrees f), bacteria, toxics
• The Marys River - 303(d) listed up to Greasy Cr. confluence, and a “concern” above that. The issues are temperature, bacteria (fall, winter and spring), and flow modification. Flow modification is not addressed in TMDL, and is unusual - probably based on quality objectives.

Bacteria standard, formerly based on coliform (Marys listed for coliform), but now based on E. coli. It is possible Marys will be de-listed for bacteria. Bacteria counts are greater during higher flows, due to flushing. It is monitored bi-monthly on a permanent site at river mile 2.

Questions:

Q. Where did the temperature standard come from? Could the Marys ever have been 64 degrees? How can standards be changed if found to be inappropriate?

A. The Environmental Quality Commission, a State body, sets the standards. If it can be proven that a standard is inappropriate for a stream, and it is meeting the standard that is appropriate, it can be de-listed, but only through the TMDL process - create the WQM plan, monitor, and see.

Q. What is the source of the DDT and PCBs in the lower Willamette
A. It is probably residual from several decades ago, stored in sediment and soil.

Q. How do wildlife factor into TMDLs - for example, runoff from fields with heavy use of wintering waterfowl
A. Not sure.

Q. Do you think industry has been regulated as much as non-point source (farm and forest
A. Industry has been the most closely regulated, the challenge now is the non-point source.

Q. What are reference points to base TMDLs on
A. For some, such as toxics like DDT, it is easy. But for temperature, it is more difficult. Historical vegetation types have been used as a basis. It is not precise.

Contact:
http://waterquality.deq.state.or.us
Jared Rubin, Willamette Basin Coordinator
Eugene: (541) 686-7838 x 261
rubin.jared@deq.state.or.us