Chapter 3
Water Quality Improvement Action Plan

Overall Goals

NNWC’s water quality monitoring and improvement plan seeks to identify and locate sources of water quality problems in the watersheds and use this information when planning future projects. Actions to improve water quality include: develop and implementing projects that reduce instream temperatures to meet aquatic and salmonid requirements, reduce instream fine sediment to meet salmonid requirements, and reduce instream fecal bacteria concentrations to meet shellfish harvesting and recreational contact standards

 

Back ground
 

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) establishes standards to protect beneficial uses of water. Beneficial uses for water in the Nestucca and Neskowin watersheds include resident fish and aquatic life, salmonid fish spawning and rearing, anadromous fish passage, public and domestic water supply, industrial water supply, irrigation, livestock watering, water contact recreation, aesthetics, fishing, shellfish harvesting, wildlife and hunting, and boating.

In addition to setting water quality standards, DEQ is required to develop a list of waterbodies that do not meet water quality standards. DEQ’s requirement to create a list of water quality limited waterbodies is part of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) and is described in section 303(d) of that act. For this reason, the list of waterbodies that do not meet the standards is commonly called the "303(d) list."

Section 303 of the CWA further requires that Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL’s) be developed for all waters on the 303 (d) list. A TMDL defines the amount of pollutant that can be present in the waterbody without causing water quality standards to be violated. The total amount of allowable pollutants is then allocated among the background resources, point sources, nonpoint sources and includes the amount needed as a measure of safety. The point sources are assigned a wasteload allocation, the nonpoint sources a load allocation (Nestucca Bay TMDL Analysis, 2001).

Parts of the Nestucca River, Nestucca Bay and several tributaries were listed as water quality limited under section 303 (d) of the Clean Water Act resulting from excessive stream temperatures, sedimentation, or elevated concentrations of bacteria. Data collected in the Neskowin watershed has shown low concentrations of fecal coliform and stream temperatures are within DEQ standards for salmonid spawning and rearing.



 

Waterbodies in the Nestucca Watershed listed as water quality limited under section 303 (d) of CWA (DEQ 1998).
 

Water Quality Act ions

Water Quality Action #1: Continue to implement a water quality-monitoring program for temperature, bacteria and turbidity and other parameters such as dissolved oxygen/nutrients, salinity or conductivity to quantify water conditions in the watersheds, and establish trends.

Specific Tasks for Implementation:

• Obtain funding for supplemental equipment and sample processing
   
• Continue sampling following DEQ-approved protocols
   
• Obtain landowner permission for access to sampling sites
   
• Recruit and train volunteers to perform sampling
   
• Involve various land use groups in this activity
   
• Report data to DEQ using approved reporting systems
   
• Share data with public in a meaningful context
  
   

Education Component:
 

• Report monitoring data to Council, public and local schools
   
• Establish volunteer monitoring training partnerships with local schools and community groups
   

Lead/Sponsor: Council staff, members, volunteers, schools, government agencies, interested organizations, service clubs, community.

Water Quality Action #2: Assist DEQ, ODA and other stakeholders to implement Water Quality Management Plans to improve water quality.
 

Specific Tasks for Implementation:

• Assist agencies in landowner contact and data gathering
   
• Obtain landowner permission for access to sampling sites
   
• Provide technical assistance
   
• Continue to provide monitoring data for future updated plans
   
• Conceive and implement projects to improve water quality

Education Component:

• Report to Council
   
• Volunteer training and education

Lead/Sponsor: Council staff, members, volunteers, government agencies, schools, community.

 

Water Quality Action #3: Develop and implement a pesticide/herbicide assessment.

Specific Tasks for Implementation:
 

• Survey county department, agencies, and retailers to update information on pesticides used, application rates, and number of acres treated
   
• Develop a preliminary plan for a pesticide characterization and monitoring program
   
• Obtain funding for a pesticide characterization and monitoring program
   

Education Component:

• Report to Council
   
• Provide landowner information, resources, and referrals
   

Lead/Sponsor: Council staff, members, volunteers, government agencies, schools, community.
 

Water Quality Action # 4: Support Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) to ensure adequate flow levels are met for aquatic life during low flows.Specific

Tasks for Implementation:

• Encourage enforcement of instream water rights and strict limits on future water rights to meet minimum ODFW streamflow levels to protect salmon habitats
   
• Encourage individual water right holders to retire their water rights to ensure adequate summertime flow levels for other aquatic organisms
   
• Work with OWRD and other agencies to maintain gauges and train volunteers
   
• In cooperation with Tillamook County, ODFW and OWRD, monitor the McGuire Reservoir Expansion Project to verify instream flow requirements for fish during summer and fall flows below McGuire Dam
   
• Support Tillamook Estuaries Partnership (TEP) and Tillamook County Emergency Management to obtain funding for gauging stations
   
• Support the OWRD in the development of Basin Management Plans
   

Education Component:

• Sponsor public forums on McGuire Dam topics
   
• Volunteer training and education

Lead/Sponsor: OWRD, Tillamook County Emergency Management; Council staff; TEP, sanitary districts.

Water Quality Action #5: Inventory roads to identify sources of sedimentation.

Watershed Level Strategy:
 

• Headwater areas: Encourage road inventories and road stabilization projects
   
• Mid-slope areas: Encourage and assist in inventory of roads on private lands (industrial and small woodlot) and recommend areas needing stabilization
   
• Lowland areas: Encourage and assist in inventory of roads on private, state and county lands and recommend areas needing stabilization.
   

Specific Tasks for Implementation:
 

• Compile road inventory data
   
• Survey roads where needed
   
• Work with landowners to encourage road stabilization
   
• Seek funding for restoration projects
   

Education Component:

• One-on-one consultation with landowners
   
• Participate in federal or state workshops on road stabilization

Lead/Sponsor: Council staff, members, volunteers, government agencies.

Water Quality Action #6: Conduct tree planting in riparian zones to improve water quality


Watershed Level Strategy:
 

• Headwaters areas: Encourage and support the implementation of stream buffers and riparian planting
   
• Mid-slope areas: Assist in riparian planting through volunteer efforts or support landowners by obtaining grants
   
• Lowland areas: Assist in riparian planting through volunteer efforts or support willing landowners by obtaining grants to fund streamside planting programs
   
• Support landowners and land uses such as rural residential landowners that are currently not supported by other county wide programs
  
   

Specific Tasks for Implementation:
 

• Conduct outreach to landowners and respond to landowner requests
   
• Assemble and maintain a database of riparian conditions, including streamside vegetation
   
• Prioritize list of streams for possible restoration sites
   
• Contact landowners and determine interest and obtain permission to field check sites for need/type of plantings
   
• Design, implement and maintain projects
   
• Obtain funding, materials, labor and volunteer labor
   

Education Component:
 

• One-on-one discussions with landowners
   
• Demonstration projects and tour sites
   
• Flyers and newspaper articles about relationship between healthy riparian areas and water quality
   
• Involve schools and volunteers in tree planting projects
   

Lead/Sponsor: Council staff, members, volunteers, SWCD, BLM, USFS.

 

Water Quality Action #7: Encourage and implement fencing and off stream watering projects to improve water quality

Watershed Level Strategy:

• Headwaters and mid-slope areas: No action needed
   
• Lowland areas: Conduct projects where needed to protect streambanks and riparian vegetation
  
   

Specific Tasks for Implementation:

• Coordinate activities with SWCD and other groups involved in similar projects
   
• Work with willing landowners to determine interest and field check sites for type of protection and fencing needed
   
• Design and implement projects
   
• Obtain funding, supplies and equipment, labor and volunteer labor
   
• Work with landowners to maintain and monitor projects

Education Component:

• One-on-one discussions with landowners
   
• Demonstration projects and tour sites
   
• Flyers and newspaper articles announcing prioritized streams
   

Lead/Sponsor: Council Staff, members, volunteers, SWCD, TEP, Tillamook County Creamery Association.

 

Water Quality Action #8: Work with county, federal and state agencies to conduct assessments to identify sources of pollutants.

Specific Tasks for Implementation:
 

• Assist County Development Department with sanitary surveys in populated areas with high bacteria concentrations
   
• Assess roads with high potential for sedimentation
   
• Assist agencies in landowner contact and data gathering.
   
• Provide technical assistance
   

Education Component:
 

• Report to Council
   
• Volunteer training and education
   

Lead/Sponsor: Council staff, members, volunteers, government agencies, schools, community.

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