It seems like only yesterday that the Kitsap County Health District started a major Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC) project all around Dyes Inlet.
Now, after five years, the health district has released a report showing major improvements in water quality in all the major streams. See my story in today’s Kitsap Sun or check out the report (PDF 1.7 mb).
During the project, area residents were assisted in finding and repairing their aging septic systems in various parts of the watershed. Businesses were shown how to maintain nearby storm sewers and were encouraged to flush washwater down the sanitary sewers, not the storm drain. Even old sewer lines were inspected and repaired in some cases.
Here are some specific water-quality data on Dyes Inlet
streams:
The first number is the average fecal coliform counts in 2006. The second is the average fc counts in 2009. Also listed is the percentage improvement during that short time.
– Enetai Creek: 116, 56, 52 percent
– Barker Creek: 89, 53, 40 percent
– Clear Creek: 137, 30, 79 percent
– Strawberry Creek: 52, 29, 45 percent
– Chico Creek: 19, 18, 5 percent
– Mosher Creek: 31, 14, 55 percent
– Ostrich Bay Creek: 212, 88, 59 percent
– Phinney Creek: 992, 364, 63 percent
A second report released by the health district is called the 2010 Priority Area Work List for the PIC Program (PDF 752 kb). It includes a rationale for why certain water bodies were selected for pollution investigations in the current year.
