Stillaguamish TAG Presentation Loren Brokaw, WDFW Restoration - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Stillaguamish TAG Presentation

• Loren Brokaw, WDFW Restoration Coordinator
• Doug Hennick, WDFW Watershed Steward

• I. Project Background / Summary
• II. Groundwater Report
• III. Moving Forward

• 2004 - SRFB funded DU (project proponent) to design,

permit, and construction of levee setback project. ($569k) 2007 - SRFB cost increase to account for construction

• 2007 - SRFB cost increase to account for construction
• f final design. ($98k)
• Proposed Construction to commence 2008.
• Restore approximately 115 acres of estuarine

intertidal vegetated wetlands, 72 acres of freshwater wetland habitat on the Leque Island Wildlife Area.

• Project Delays and Amendments:
• 2008 – DU submits streamlined HPA

2009 Farm Bureau contests use of streamlined

• 2009 Farm Bureau contests use of streamlined

process

• 2010 DU submits full permit package and fees to
• Sno. Co.
• Groundwater contamination concerns led to EPA

requiring approved groundwater study

• 2011 SRFB amends DU award to include 12

month EPA approved study completed by PGG Nov 2011 – Sept 2012: Study implemented,

• Nov 2011 – Sept 2012: Study implemented,

data collected

• Final report: Submitted to EPA and technical

review team in December 2012

• EPA is reviewing Groundwater Report to

determine if it satisfies requirements

• Groundwater Report disseminated to
• Groundwater Report disseminated to

stakeholder group in December

• Determination expected by January 31

• Study, modeling, and report completed by

Pacific Groundwater Group

• Probes collected data in 8 drilled wells and 3
• Probes collected data in 8 drilled wells and 3

existing private wells in study area between Leque and Camano.

• Monitored groundwater flow direction and

water quality

• Groundwater flow currently is from Camano

towards Leque.

• Groundwater and surface water in study area
• Groundwater and surface water in study area

are currently brackish -- similar salinity range to Port Susan and Skagit Bays.

• Seawater recharge during inundation
• Evapotranspiration of shallow

groundwater

• Deposition of salt spray

• Post-inundation salinity will be the same.
• With inundation, two changes:
• Increased recharge of groundwater with
• Increased recharge of groundwater with

average 5 hours inundation/day

• Increased surface water drainage efficiency

as channels are developed.

• Big Question: Will those two factors cause

reversal of groundwater flow direction?

• Ran 2-D model to determine potential rise in

groundwater level

• Level could rise as much as 1 foot
• Ran 3-D model to determine if 1 foot rise could

cause reversal of flow direction

• 4 iterations run, all showed no potential

for reversal.

New Developments present opportunity to address Constraints:

Constraint #1: Concern over impacting sole source aquifer New Development: Groundwater Study Constraint #2: Concern over conversion of farmland New Development: Draft Sustainable Lands Strategy

Constraint #3: Need to build setback dike to protect SR532 New Development: WSDOT on schedule to raise and widen highway this Summer.

Constraint #4: Opposition from stakeholders results in delays. New Development: WDFW is beginning round of initial

• utreach in February, prior to drafting design alternatives.

Constraint #5: Existing funding expires this Spring. New Development: Drafting of alternatives, outreach, selection of preferred alternative, and 60% design of preferred alternative included in ESRP proposal.

Long Term Timeline

QUESTIONS ?