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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWater Work Session Feb 18 2020Whatcom County Council Water Work Session COUNTY COURTHOUSE 311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105 Bellingham, WA 98225-4038 (360) 778-5010 Committee Minutes - Final Tuesday, February 18, 2020 10:30 AM Civic Center Building Garden Room COUNCILMEMBERS Rud Browne Barry Buchanan Tyler Byrd Todd Donovan Ben Elenbaas Carol Frazey Kathy Kershner CLERK OF THE COUNCIL Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C. Council Water Work Session Committee Minutes - Final February 18, 2020 Call To Order Roll Call Council Chair Barry Buchanan called the meeting to order at 10:30 a.m, in the Civic Center Garden Level Conference Room, 322 Commercial Avenue, Bellingham, Washington. Present: 7 - Rud Browne, Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, Todd Donovan, Ben Elenbaas, Carol Frazey and Kathy Kershner Absent: None Watershed Planning Update The following people spoke and answered questions: Gary Stoyka, Public Works Department Steve Jilk, Public Utility District (PUD) General Manager Chris Elder, Public Works Department Paula Harris, Public Works Department Stoyka gave an update about Watershed Planning, including an upcoming update by Robin McPherson from the Department of Ecology (DOE) about the water right adjudication process and what it means for the Nooksack Basin. He and Jilk answered questions about the adjudication process and how existing plans or systems may be affected. Stoyka and Jilk updated about the Regional Water Supply Planning process for the Water Resource Inventory Area 1 (WRIA1) led by the PUD using grant funds from the National Estuary Program. They gave an update on the Technical Workgroup meetings with pilot area participants and their work of looking at not only water supply but also habitat and water quality, what funding sources are available, and next steps. Stoyka and Elder updated and answered questions about two water use efficiency projects, one to look at domestic supply issues and the other to look at agricultural efficiency issues. He spoke about the agricultural community's concern about the issue of relinquishment and a study and report done by RH2 Engineering on whether a water bank and/or the water trust program in the State could be used in Whatcom County to address that concern. He gave an update on the work of the Planning Unit and about improving communications between them and the Council. Whatcom County page t Council Water Work Session Committee Minutes - Final February 18, 2020 Stoyka and Harris updated and answered questions about planning for streamflow restoration grant funding and what kind of projects are being pursued. Lake Whatcom Management Program 2020-2024 Work Plan Other Business The following Public Works Department staff presented and answered questions: Gary Stoyka Chris Elder Ingrid Enschede Cathy Craver Paula Harris Stoyka presented on the Lake Whatcom Management Program 2020-2024 Workplan. He and staff answered questions about whether the County is in a land purchasing program like the City of Bellingham, how to view the metrics for each of the Program Areas covered in the presentation, how phosphorus in the lake is measured and reduced and how the State requirements for the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) can be met, how much of the projected five-year costs for the Stormwater Program Area are for capital projects and how much is for maintenance, managing hazardous materials in areas other than the lake, looking into the use of Roundup, whether there is a statewide aquatic invasive species act, and whether there is a solution to the problem of inspecting water planes that may come directly to the lake from another body of water. The following Public Works Department staff spoke and answered questions: Gary Stoyka Paula Harris Councilmembers and staff discussed looking at long term solutions to flooding in the County, a recently completed study by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) which was compared with past studies and showed a net accumulation of sediment in the lower river upstream of Everson, the movement of sediment over time showing how the river "digests" the mountain, what the latest flood and sediment movement will mean for the whole downstream system, and the status of County flood -related pilot projects. Councilmembers will get questions to Harris for further discussion at a future meeting. Whatcom County page 2 Council Water Work Session Committee Minutes - Final February 18, 2020 Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 12:09 p.m. The County Council approved these minutes on March 10, 2020. oi����t�$�S R�6BPPBf9��r ` H p 3 a" 4^ R n G 3 f �w-� r�, WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL ���� r:.•: WHATC"C)M C'Cli 1NTV WA is 7 `A Lana Br©yy1pai; ouncil Clerk i if d 1inaod Kristi Felbinger, Minutes Transcription Whateom County Page 3