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Home My WebLink Aboutres2006-028WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL AGENDA BILL NO, 2006 -147 CLEARANCES kidW Date Date Received in Council Office Agenda Date Assigned to: ;otor: on ,r 3113106 - � � —. , - �- 3114106 Finance /Coun Division Head Ary 1 pp -J AR 13 2006 11 5RA L W1 Dept. Head: P,'oseaaor: IATM J114 Purchasin Bud er: 'r� fyif' ?�Juc Executive: TITLE OF DOCUMENT: Resolution in support of protecting Lake Whatcom ATTACHMENTS: SEPA review required? ( ) Yes ( ) NO Should Clerk schedule a hearing ? ( ) Yes ( ) NO SEPA review completed? ( ) Yes ( ) NO Requested Date: SUMMARY STA TEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE: (If this itent is all ordinance or requires a public hearing, you must provide the language for use in the required public notice. Be specific and cite RCW or WCC as appropriate. Be clear in explaining the intent of the action.) COMMITTEE ACTION: COUNCIL ACTION: 3/14/06: Forwarded to Council for approval 3/14/06: Approved with attachment 7 -0 Related County Contract #: Related File Numbers: Ordinance or Resolution Number. Res. 2006 -028 Please Note: Once adopted and signed, ordinances and resolutions are available for viewing and printing on the Coun 's website at: www.co.wltatcom.wa.us /council. SPONSORED BY: Consent PROPOSED BY: Executive INTRODUCTION DATE: 3/14/06 RESOLUTION NO 2006 -028 SUPPORT OF PROTECTING LAKE WHATCOM WHEREAS, Lake Whatcom is the drinking water supply for over half of the County's residents; and WHEREAS, Whatcom County, City of Bellingham and Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District jointly manage the Lake Whatcom Watershed through the adoption of the Lake Whatcom Management Program; and WHEREAS, the Lake Whatcom Management Program identifies "Stormwater Management' as a high priority; and WHEREAS, federal mandates of the Clean Water Act require the County to be in compliance with Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and Phase II Stormwater requirements; and WHEREAS, the County recognizes the need to manage stormwater in urbanizing areas of the Lake Whatcom Watershed; and WHEREAS, the Geneva and Cable Street areas of the Lake Whatcom watershed are located near water supply intakes; and WHEREAS, the County desires to intercept and treat urban stormwater prior to its introduction into Lake Whatcom; and WHEREAS, the County intends to construct stormwater facilities throughout the Lake Whatcom Watershed; and WHEREAS, federal, state and local funding will be needed to construct the stormwater facilities. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Whatcom County Council strongly supports the efforts of the County Executive and his request for a congressionally designated appropriation to allow the continuation of this very successful project. 'r4l(3 ' �rthj� 14 day of March , 2006. ,�•ytHATC•.� WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL 0 Cl WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON Bt vgrpeai 91erk ot a ouncil Laurie Caskey - Schrieber, Council Chair •.• DIN ;.' �% �ifl _► 4r ACTIONS TAKEN TO REDUCE STORM WATER IMPACTS TO LAKE WHATCOM 1) Whatcom County has used conservation futures funding and other funds leveraged with the conservation futures fund to obtain approximately 600 acres within the watershed. 2) Whatcom County implemented a new zoning ordinance for Lake Whatcom watershed that has reduced potential density around may parts of the lake from urban and suburban levels to rural density. The zoning change reduced the potential number of homes around the lake by approximately 3,000 homes. The purpose of this zoning change was to reduce storm water impacts on the Lake. 3) Whatcom County has implemented new land clearing and development standards that will protect water quality. These standards include seasonal restrictions (September through April), native vegetation preservation, impervious surface limitations such that only 10% of the lot can be impervious in rural zoning and in the remaining urban lots the impervious area is limited to 2,500 square feet, and storm water controls on all developed property as well as a variety of other land use restrictions within the watershed. 4) The County in conjunction with the Sudden Valley Community Association has nearly completed a lot reduction program that will remove 1,400 vested lots within the Sudden Valley area of the lake from development. This will reduce the build out of Sudden Valley by 30 %. 5) The County has and continues to support a wide variety of educational efforts for residences and users of the watershed. All trails maintain mutt mitts for removing dog waste, boat kits are provided to all boaters, and integrated pest management classes are provided for residences. 6) The County has passed a phosphate fertilizer ban within the Lake Whatcom watershed to reduce the amount of phosphorus entering the lake. 7) The County has passed a restriction on the types of motor boat engines allowed on the Lake. Standard 2- stroke carburetor engines will be banned from the use on the Lake. 8) The County supported the implementation of the Lake Whatcom Landscape Plan. The Landscape Plan prescribes how Washington State Department of Natural Resource forestlands are managed in order to protect water quality. The landscape plan as implemented will reduce the amount of timber harvest the County receives from those lands. 9) The County has set up and has successfully started transferring development rights out of the watershed. We anticipate that this program will be expanded.