Section 319
NDNPDINT SOURCE PROGRAM SUCCESS STURY
Implementing Management Practices Reduces Bacteria Levels
\A/ t h H I H Fecal coliform (FC) bacteria from agricultural activities and leaking
VVaiGrDOQy irnprOVGQ septic systems impaired shellfish harvesting and primary contact recre-
ation uses in the Chehalis River watershed. As a result, the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology)
added 28 segments of the Chehalis River to the state's 1996 Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list
of impaired waters. To address the problems, farmers installed numerous agricultural best management
practices (BMPs), and local governments increased efforts to identify and upgrade septic systems. FC
levels are decreasing across the watershed. Two segments are now consistently meeting FC water qual-
ity standards, prompting Ecology to remove them from Washington's impaired waters list in 2008.
Problem
The Chehalis River drains approximately
2,660 square miles on the coast of Washington
(Figure 1). The river begins in the eastern Willapa
Hills and discharges into Grays Harbor. More than
80 percent of the watershed is forested with anoth-
er 10 percent dedicated to agriculture. Although
the Chehalis Basin has a high proportion of forest
lands, development is concentrated in areas close
to waterways, enabling pollutants such as bacteria
and nutrients from agriculture and septic systems
to be more easily introduced into surface waters.
The watershed supports economically important
fish, which are vital for commercial, tribal and sport
fishing. Four major population centers depend
on surface waters for a large portion of their
municipal and industrial water supply. The Chehalis
Confederated Tribes also call the watershed home.
Waters in the upper and lower Chehalis River Basin
are designated for drinking water, recreational and
fish habitat uses. Waters in the lower Chehalis
River are also designated for commercial and public
shellfish production. The applicable FC water qual-
ity standard requires that FC not exceed a geomet-
ric mean of 100 colonies (col) per 100 milliliters (ml)
and that no more than 10 percent of samples be
greater than 200 col/100 ml. Monitoring in 1992,
1994 and 1996 indicate that numerous segments in
the upper and lower Chehalis River Basin violated
water quality standards for FC. Therefore, in 1996,
Ecology added 28 segments in the upper and lower
Chehalis River to the state's CWA section 303(d) list
for FC impairment.
Ecology developed a total maximum daily load
(TMDL) for FC for Grays Harbor/Chehalis River in
2002 and for the upper Chehalis River in 2004. The
TMDL assessments found that most of the Chehalis
River's FC load originates in the upper watershed,
and that the FC sources in the upper watershed
Figure 1. The Chehalis River drains approximately 2,660
square miles in Washington. Colors represent subbasins
in the Chehalis River watershed. The letters denote where
the lower (A) and upper (B) Chehalis basin segments are
now delisted.
are nearly all nonpoint in origin. Primary FC sources
of concern are animal waste from livestock opera-
tions and livestock stream access, agricultural and
storm runoff and untreated human sewage from
failing residential and commercial septic systems.
Wastewater and sewage treatment plant discharges
also contributes FC. To prioritize projects, local part-
ners and Ecology developed a comprehensive water
quality implementation plan in 2004.
Project Highlights
Efforts to improve water quality have been under-
way for more than a decade. Beginning in 1998 a
group of farmers implemented numerous BMPs
near the city of Centralia and adjacent to the upper
Chehalis River site that now meets water quality
standards. BMPs included implementing nutrient
management and forage harvest management plans
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in the floodway. The farmers partnered to store
manure during wet periods to prevent it from being
washed into the river. They apply manure on fields
according to approved nutrient management plans.
One dairy farmer took extra steps to accommodate
the project goals—implementing nutrient and irriga-
tion management plans, building a new manure
storage structure, installing underground pipe to
pump manure and adding new pumps to spread
manure more efficiently. His project cost-share was
$445,000. The Thurston Conservation District (CD)
helped to develop the farm conservation plans and
locate Environmental Quality Incentive Program
grants that paid for about 75 percent of the BMP
construction costs.
Elsewhere in the Chehalis River watershed, farm-
ers installed 159 agricultural BMPs on more than
151 farm parcels, addressing more than 6,600
acres. They also completed 57 farm plans, and
added more than 100 miles of fencing and riparian
plantings through partnerships with the Thurston,
Mason, Grays Harbor and Lewis County CDs. The
Chehalis Confederated Tribes installed numerous
riparian planting and fencing projects on reservation
land, as well as in partnership with many nontribal
public and private landowners. CWA section 319
and state Centennial Clean Water Fund (CWF)
grants supported many of those projects.
Using CWF grants and state revolving fund loans,
local agencies worked to reduce sewage-related
pollution. Thurston and Lewis County Health
Departments conducted training to teach septic
system owners about proper septic system mainte-
nance and offered low interest loans to families with
failing systems to have them repaired. Local govern-
ments upgraded seven sewage treatment plants
and added two new ones in Centralia and Chehalis.
Other ongoing efforts include protecting existing
healthy lands. The Capital Land Trust, Chehalis River
Land Trust, the Audubon Society and The Nature
Conservancy have acquired more than 4,800 acres
for perpetual conservation in the upper basin alone.
Results
Two segments are now consistently meeting water
quality criteria for FC—one segment each in the
lower Chehalis River Basin and the upper Chehalis
River Basin. The lower Chehalis River segment is at
the mouth of Grays Harbor. Monitoring data from
2000 to June 2009 in the lower basin segment show
no exceedances of the FC water quality criteria.
Data compiled from March 2005 through June 2009
have a geometric mean FC count of 17 col/100 mL
with no percentile exceedances.
The upper Chehalis River segment is on the main-
stem of the river near Centralia. Monitoring from
March 2004 through March 2005 indicate that the
upper basin segment had a geometric mean FC
count of 22.5 col/100 mL with no percentile exceed-
ances. Two years later, the FC counts had dropped
even further—to a geometric mean of 4.8 col/100 mL
with no percentile exceedances during the period
of July 2008 through March 2009. Because those
two segments are consistently meeting standards,
Ecology removed them from Washington's list of
impaired waters in 2008. Recent data show that
numerous additional segments in the upper and
lower basins are also meeting standards. If future
data support the finding, Ecology will consider
removing them from the impaired waters list in 2012.
Partners and Funding
Farmers worked with the Thurston, Mason, Grays
Harbor and Lewis County CDs to implement BMPs.
Other partners include the Natural Resources
Conservation Service, Washington State Department
of Agriculture, Thurston and Lewis County Health
Departments, Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis
Indian Nation, cities of Centralia and Chehalis,
Port of Centralia, Chehalis Land Trust, Chehalis
River Council, Capital Land Trust, Chehalis Basin
Partnership, Chehalis Basin Education Consortium
and local schools, watershed residents, and Ecology.
Between 1996 and 2008, project partners received
almost $96 million to address both point ($91.5 mil-
lion) and nonpoint source ($4.3 million) pollution
in the Chehalis River Basin. Point source project
funding included $75.5 million in state revolving
fund loans and $16 million in Washington's CWF
grants for wastewater treatment plant upgrades.
Nonpoint source project funding included $675,000
in CWA section 319 grants; $2.2 million in CWF
grants to Thurston, Mason and Lewis County
CDs; $500,000 in Local Toxics Control Account
grants (for stormwater improvements); $400,000
in Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account grants
for habitat improvement and vegetation control;
and $502,000 directed by the state Legislature for
nonpoint source protection work. Landowners and
project sponsors contributed an additional $1 mil-
lion toward the projects in cost-share funds.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA841-F-09-001II
November 2009
For additional information contact:
Dave Rountry
Water Quality Program
Washington Department of Ecology,
Southwest Regional Office
360-407-6276 • David.Rountry@ecy.wa.gov
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