Ross Point, the most popular fishing spot for surf smelt in
Kitsap County, will become a little more friendly to the little
fish following the removal of a concrete bulkhead along the shore
of Sinclair Inlet.
Brittany Gordon, habitat
biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife,
examines an old bulkhead about to be removed from Sinclair
Inlet.
Photo: Christopher Dunagan
The bulkhead removal, scheduled to begin Aug. 12, will create
more spawning area for surf smelt, an important food source for
salmon and other fish. Smelt also are favored eating by some
people, who typically catch them with dip nets.
In addition to increasing smelt habitat, the project will
enhance the migration of young salmon along the southern shore of
Sinclair Inlet. Like most bulkheads built in the tidal zone, this
84-foot-long structure forces juvenile salmon to swim into deeper
water out from shore, making them more vulnerable to predators.
Concerns about the endangered southern resident killer whales
seems to be spurring legislative support for new enforcement tools
that could be used to protect shoreline habitat.
Bills in both the state House and Senate would allow stop-work
orders to be issued by the Washington Department of Fish and
Wildlife when shoreline construction is done without permits or
exceeds permit conditions. If passed, the law would require that
Fish and Wildlife officials first work with contractors and
property owners to achieve “voluntary compliance.”
Working with property owners is the key, stressed Jeff Davis,
deputy director of Fish and Wildlife in charge of habitat
protection. Under current law, property owners who commit serious
permit violations are charged with criminal misdemeanors. That’s
neither good for the agency nor for the property owner, who may end
up battling each other in court, said Davis, who once worked as a
Fish and Wildlife habitat biologist in Kitsap County.
The criminal approach may work well with “egregious violations
of the law,” Davis told the House Committee on Rural Development,
Agriculture and Natural Resources, “but it’s not an appropriate
tool for the vast majority of noncompliance we see out there. We
would rather work with people so they are in compliance and there
aren’t impacts to fish.”
State health officials have reduced shellfish-closure areas
around 20 marinas in Puget Sound, allowing more commercial
shellfish harvesting while inching toward a goal of upgrading
10,800 acres of shellfish beds by 2020.
In all, 661 acres of shellfish beds were removed from a
long-standing “prohibited” classification that has been applied
around marinas, based on assumptions about the dumping of sewage
from boats confined to small areas.
Poulsbo Marina // Photo:
Nick Hoke via Wikimedia
“We have seen pretty significant changes in boat-waste
management,” said Scott Berbells, shellfish growing area manager
for the Washington Department of Health, explaining how the
upgrades came about.
New calculations of discharges from boats in marinas and the
resulting risks of eating nearby shellfish have allowed health
authorities to reduce, but not eliminate, the closure zones around
the marinas.
A sophisticated analysis of sea-level rise in Puget Sound and
along the Washington Coast offers shoreline residents and land-use
planners a new map-based tool to assess potential flood hazards for
the coming years.
Click on map to access online
interactive map
Map: Washington Coastal Hazards Resilience
Network
Sea-level rise depends on two factors: how fast the oceans rise
and the rate of vertical land shifts. Uplift, such as what occurs
along the Washington Coast, slows the rate of sea-level rise
relative to waterfront property. Subsidence, which occurs in
Central Puget Sound, results in elevated tides sooner than in
stable or uplifting areas. One map on this page shows the measured
uplift and subsidence and another shows the uncertainty in that
measurement.
Ian Miller, a coastal hazards specialist at Washington Sea
Grant, has worked on studies that describe sea-level rise in Island
County and on the Olympic Peninsula. The new report, titled
“Projected Sea Level Rise for Washington State” (PDF 10.4 mb)
goes well beyond what he and his colleagues have done before. It
takes a more detailed look at where the land is uplifting and
subsiding, according to Miller, the lead author on the new report
that involves work by scientists at Sea Grant and the University of
Washington’s Climate Impacts Group.
Witnessing Puget Sound’s “king tides” could return as a more
popular outdoor activity this year, as Washington Sea Grant takes
the lead in promoting the event.
Locations where people have
posted king tide photos on the Witness King Tides
website
“King tides,” which are recognized in coastal areas across the
country, is the name given to the highest tides of the year. These
are times when people can observe what average tides might look
like in the future, as sea levels continue to rise.
The highest tide of 2018 is forecast for this Friday around 8
a.m., although the exact time depends on the location in Puget
Sound.
Activities include taking pictures of shoreline structures
during these high-tide events and then sharing the photos with
others. One can try to imagine what the landscape would look like
in a given location if the water was a foot or more higher. King
tide activities can be fun while adding a dose of reality to the
uncertainty of climate change.
King tides by themselves have nothing to do with climate change,
but these extremes will be seen more often in the future as new
extremes are reached. As things are going now, experts say there is
a 50 percent chance that sea levels in Puget Sound will rise by at
least 7 inches in the next 22 years and keep going from there. They
say there is a 99 percent chance that sea levels will be at least
2.4 inches higher by then. Check out the story I wrote in October
for the Encyclopedia
of Puget Sound.
Washington Department of Ecology, which had been promoting king
tides each year, has backed away from the event in recent years. In
the beginning, I thought the idea of king tides seemed kind of
silly, because high tides are affected by weather conditions on a
given day. But I came to embrace the idea that watching these
high-tide events will help shoreline residents and others
understand the challenges we are facing in the Puget Sound
region.
Addressing sea level rise may not be easy, but some waterfront
property owners are beginning to face the problem, as I described
in another story in the Encyclopedia of
Puget Sound.
During a king tide event in December 2012, the Kitsap Sun and
other newspapers covered the resulting flooding by running
photographs of high water in many places throughout Puget Sound. A
low-pressure weather system that year made extreme high tides even
more extreme. In fact, officials reported that the high tide came
within 0.01 feet of breaking the all-time tidal record set for
Seattle on Jan. 27, 1983. See
Water Ways, Dec. 18, 2012.
Washington Sea Grant, associated with the University of
Washington, has now taken over promotion of king tides, and we
should soon see an improved website, according to Bridget Trosin,
coastal policy specialist for Sea Grant. Bridget told me that she
hopes to promote more local events, such as getting people together
to share information during extreme high tides.
Sea Grant is sponsoring a King Tide Viewing Party this Friday at
Washington Park boat launch in Anacortes, where Bridget will spell
out what high tides may look like in the future. Warming
refreshments will be provided, according to a
news release about the event.
Wherever you live around Puget Sound, you can go down to the
water to document the high tide, perhaps starting a new photo
gallery to show how high tides change at one location during king
tides in the future, as some folks are doing in Port Townsend.
For tips on preparing and posting photos, visit the “Witness
King Tides — Washington State” website, then check out the page
“Share
Your Photos.” To see the locations where photographs have been
taken, go to the
map page. One can click on locations on the map to see the
photographs taken from that spot.
King tides occur when the moon and sun are on the same side of
the Earth at a time when the moon comes closest to the Earth. Their
combined pull of gravity raises the sea level. The presence of a
low-pressure system can raise the tides even higher than
predictions published by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Friday’s high tide is predicted to be 13.2 feet in Seattle at
7:55 a.m. We won’t have a tide that high again until January of
2019, according to NOAA. Still, Feb. 2 will see a 13.1-foot tide in
Seattle, and tides exceeding 12 feet are predicted for June 16,
Nov. 27, Dec. 1, Dec. 10, and daily high tides from Dec. 26 through
the end of this year.
Rising sea levels and isolated floods will be an increasing
challenge for waterfront property owners, according to experts I
interviewed for a story published this week in the Encyclopedia of
Puget Sound.
The Vechey home and bulkhead
before the big move. // Photo: John
Vechey
Changing conditions call for property owners to consider their
options with regard to their shoreline — not just for today but for
the long run. What I learned while researching this story is that
every waterfront site will respond differently as the highest tides
go higher and higher. But whatever the level it comes up to, it’d
always be beneficial if you’d a business directory
handy because you might never know when you’d need it. A business
directory holds records of the myriad services that you might be in
need of.
Before I started my inquiry, I thought the obvious answer would
be for people to build taller and stronger bulkheads — despite
well-known environmental damage. And that may be the only answer
for some. But for others, that approach could be a waste of money,
as bigger walls degrade the owners’ enjoyment of the beach as well
disrupting natural systems. Alternatives include moving or raising
a house or even replacing a bulkhead with “soft shore”
protections.
After the home was moved back
from shore and the bulkhead removed. // Photo: John
Vechey
Sea levels in Puget Sound are rising slowly at this time, with
the actual rate dependent on location. We live in a tectonically
active area, with major movements along continental plates. As a
result, the ground is sinking in most areas around Puget Sound,
adding to the relative rise in sea level.
In Seattle, the sea level has risen about 9 inches since 1900
and is expected to rise an additional 4 to 56 inches (4.75 feet) by
2100. The uncertainty reflected in that range relates to whether
greenhouse gases continue to increase, thus accelerating the rate
of melting of land-based ice in the polar regions.
Some changes can be expected regardless of the human response
over the next 80 years. For example, one analysis looking at
Whidbey Island suggests that there is a 99 percent chance that by
2040 — just 13 23 years from now — sea level will
be at least 2.4 inches higher than today with a 50 percent chance
that it will be 7.2 inches higher. After 2040, the tides will keep
rising even faster. Take a look at the related story “Average high
tides are creeping higher in Puget Sound.”
John Vechey of Orcas Island, who I featured in my story, took
sea level into account when deciding whether to remove his bulkhead
while seeking to improve the beach for family activities and for
the environment. His solution was to move his house and give the
beach more room to function naturally.
Moving a house will not be the answer for everyone, but I can
safely say that everyone should consider their long-term picture
before making any investments that will last a lifetime — and that
includes changes to the shoreline.
I believe it is generally possible, certainly with professional
help, to calculate elevations for the house and any low spots on
the property, add one to four feet above the current high-tide
mark, and then consider tidal surge, which is the wave height
caused by weather conditions. In some counties, professional help
is available if you are considering whether to remove a bulkhead.
Check out the “Shore
Friendly” website and “Resources
in Your Area.”
At this time, future sea levels do not enter into regulatory
considerations about where a person can build a house. One problem
is the uncertainty surrounding the amount that sea levels will
actually rise. But some environmental advocates say it is time to
require additional setbacks, not only to protect the environment as
tides push back the natural beach but also to protect homeowners
from future losses.
For some people, sea-level rise is a distant worry, but for
others the threat is just around the corner. I was reading this
morning about how high tides are already affecting Naval Station
Norfolk. Check out
“Rising Seas Are Flooding Virginia’s Naval Base, and There’s No
Plan to Fix It” by Nicholas Kusnetz of Inside Climate News.
A new Government Accountability
Office report, released yesterday, cites estimates of future
property damage totaling between $4 billion and $6 billion per year
in the U.S. as a result of sea-level rise and more frequent and
intense storms. The report outlines the need for a coordinated
federal response.
Sen. Maria Cantwell discusses the new GAO report and calls for
better planning in the video below.
If you are planning to gather some shellfish to eat over Labor
Day weekend — or anytime for that matter — state health officials
urge you to follow the “three Cs” of shellfish — check, chill and
cook.
The state’s Shellfish Safety
Map shows areas open and closed to harvesting.
Map: Washington State Dept. of Health
At least 10 cases of an intestinal illness called vibriosis have
been reported this year to the Washington State Department of
Health, all resulting from people picking oysters themselves and
eating them raw or undercooked. The disease is caused by a
bacteria, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, an organism that occurs
naturally and thrives in warm temperatures.
“The shellfish industry follows special control measures during
the summer months to keep people who choose to eat raw oysters from
getting sick,” said Rick Porso, director of the Office of
Environmental Health and Safety, in a
news release. “For those who enjoy collecting and consuming
their own shellfish, it’s important that they follow a few simple
measures to stay healthy.”
The combination of warm weather, lack of rain and low tides all
contribute to the growth of bacteria in oysters growing on the
beach.
The state Department of Health uses the “three Cs” as a reminder
for recreational shellfish harvesters as well as people who gather
shellfish from their own beaches:
CHECK: Before heading to the beach, make sure
that shellfish in the area are safe to eat. The Shellfish
Safety Map, updated daily, will tell you where it is safe to
gather shellfish. At the moment, many areas are closed because of
paralytic shellfish poison produced by a type of plankton. Unlike
Vibrio, PSP cannot be destroyed by cooking.
CHILL: Gather shellfish as the tide goes out,
so they are not allowed to sit for long in the sun. Put them on ice
immediately or get them into a refrigerator.
COOK: Cooking at 145 degrees F. for at least
15 seconds should destroy Vibrio bacteria, health officials say. It
is not enough to cook them until their shells open.
Symptoms of vibriosis include diarrhea, abdominal cramps,
nausea, vomiting, headache, fever and chills. The illness usually
runs its course in two to three days. For information see
“Vibriosis” on the Department of Health’s website.
Symptoms of paralytic shellfish poisoning usually begin with
tingling of the lips and tongue, progressing to numbness in fingers
and toes followed by loss of control over arms and legs and
difficulty breathing. Nausea and vomiting may occur. PSP can be a
life-threatening condition, so victims should seek medical help
immediately. For information, see
“Paralytic shellfish poison” on the Department of Health’s
website.
Besides health advisories, the Shellfish
Safety Map mentioned above also includes the water-quality
classification, a link to shellfish seasons to determine whether a
beach is legally open along with other information,
Hood Canal Coordinating Council has finally found some shoreline
property to compensate for environmental damage from the Navy’s
$448-million Explosives Handling Wharf at Bangor.
The shoreline of a 6.7-acre
property to be used for mitigation of the Navy’s Explosives
Handling Wharf at Bangor. // Photo: Hood Canal Coordinating
Council
The 6.7 acres of waterfront property — located near Kitsap
County’s Anderson Landing Preserve on Hood Canal — becomes the
first saltwater mitigation site in Washington state under an
in-lieu-fee mitigation program. The $275,000 purchase was approved
Wednesday by the coordinating council, which manages the
in-lieu-fee program.
The Navy itself is not a party to the transaction, having paid
the coordinating council $6.9 million to handle all the freshwater
and saltwater mitigation required for the wharf project — including
managing the mitigation properties in perpetuity.
The coordinating council’s in-lieu-fee program, which is
overseen by state and federal agencies, allows developers to pay a
flat fee for their environmental damage instead of undertaking
mitigation work themselves.
Mike Anderson, chairman of the Skokomish Watershed Action Team,
and Thom Johnson, a leading expert in the recovery of Hood Canal
summer chum salmon, have been named recipients of this year’s Hood
Canal Environmental Awards.
Other recipients of the awards, which are sponsored by Hood
Canal Coordinating Council, are Shore Friendly Mason and Shore
Friendly Kitsap, two programs that actively enlist waterfront
property owners in the protection and restoration of their
shorelines.
Hood Canal // Photo:
Dale Ireland
I learned this afternoon that the awards ceremony on Nov. 4 will
be dedicated to Rich Geiger, the longtime district engineer for
Mason Conservation District. Rich, who died unexpectedly on Sept.
22, held the “technical vision” for the restoration of the
Skokomish River watershed, according to Mike Anderson. (See
Water Ways, Oct. 8.)
Chum salmon are beginning to make their way into Central and
South Puget Sound, which means the orcas are likely to follow.
Given this year’s dismal reports of chinook salmon in the San
Juan Islands, we can hope that a decent number of chum traveling to
streams farther south will keep the killer whales occupied through
the fall. But anything can happen.
Data from the Washington
Department of Fish and Wildlife
On Oct. 2, orcas from J and K pods — two of the three Southern
Resident pods — passed through Admiralty Inlet and proceeded to
Point No Point in North Kitsap, according to reports from Orca
Network. The whales continued south the following day and made
it all the way to Vashon Island, according to observers.
On Tuesday of this week, more reports of orcas came in from
Saratoga Passage, the waterway between Whidbey and Camano islands.
See the video by Alisa Lemire Brooks at the bottom of this page. By
yesterday, some members of J pod were reported back of the west
side of San Juan Island.
The movement of chum salmon into Central Puget Sound began in
earnest this week, as a test fishery off Kingston caught just a few
chum last week, jumping to nearly 1,000 this week. Still, the peak
of the run is a few weeks away.
