II.1 Section Overview
II.1.2 Methodology for Information Collection:
The purpose of this section is to identify land use activities, above the City of Lynden and PUD water intakes, with a potential to impair source water quality in the Nooksack River. Within the Nooksack Basin, the furthest down-river water intake is the PUD's structure just south of the City of Ferndale at approximately Nooksack RM 5.5.
The methodology used for collecting the information discussed in this section involves three approaches:
1) Paper Inventory of Activities in the Subbasin: A paper inventory of activities involved reviewing county zoning maps, county zoning designations, local government documentation relative to permitting criteria for land use activities, and state and local government databases.
2) Verbal Communication with Cooperating Entities: This approach involved contacting staff at various state and local agencies -- government and non-government -- for information related to activities and land uses in the Nooksack Basin. The level of involvement of agency staff in this effort was dependent on the type of information being requested. For example, the Whatcom Conservation District and Natural Resource Conservation Service provided assistance by using their staff to calculate the volume of manure that would be released from an average size lagoon in case of a catastrophic event. The other end of the scale is state staff providing assistance over the telephone by responding to questions that related to the process involved in issuing NPDES permits.
3) Windshield Survey from Public Access Roads: The windshield survey involved driving through the Nooksack Basin on public roads by section, range, and township and documenting facilities, activities, and other uses. The purpose of conducting the survey is to supplement and support information gathered through the previous two approaches. The windshield survey is not intended as an inclusive inventory of all facilities and activities occurring in the Nooksack Basin. As previously inferred, private roads and logging roads were not surveyed. In addition, the windshield survey was not conducted below the PUD intake at RM 5.5. Further explanation of the methodology, conditions and assumptions used in conducting the field inventories is included in Appendix B.
In collecting information on the Nooksack Basin, efforts were made to identify the activities and land uses with potential to impair source water by subbasin: North Fork Nooksack, Middle Fork Nooksack, South Fork Nooksack and Lower Nooksack. Identifying activities and uses in this manner may provide agencies and water purveyors greater flexibility in how they approach source control programs. By examining each subbasin and its related uses and activities separately, agencies and water purveyors may be able to more clearly identify source control programs by regulatory authority, identify critical areas for protection, and set priorities for implementation of source control programs.
II.2 Land Use/Zoning
Impairment of source water quality from activities associated with the different zoning designations in the Nooksack Basin are discussed under their own heading with the exception of residential zoning designations.
Residential uses present a potential risk to source water quality in a number of ways: failing on-site sewage disposal systems, lawn and garden use of fertilizers and pesticides, animal waste from domestic pets and hobby farms, improper disposal of household hazardous waste, and runoff from impervious surfaces such as driveways are potential sources of contaminants. Contaminants associated with these sources include nutrients (both nitrogen and phosphorus compounds), organic and inorganic compounds, bacteria and other pathogens. The extent to which these activities may contribute to the potential for impairing water quality is dependent to some degree on density. In addition to density, the potential for these activities to influence source water quality is determined by the individual management practices for these land uses.
The incorporated areas of Ferndale, Lynden and Everson present potential risks to source water quality from contaminants associated with urban runoff including fecal coliform, nutrients, inorganic and organic compounds. Uses associated with urban areas generally include, but are not limited to, high-density single and multi-family residential, retail and commercial facilities, professional offices, transportation corridors, and public facilities. In addition to contaminants typically found in urban runoff, these urban areas may present risks to source water from point source contaminants from municipal or industrial discharges directly to the Nooksack River or indirectly through discharge to the sewer system, which ultimately discharges to the river. Potential impairment of source water from these urban areas is further discussed under the headings of Other Activities and Facility Discharges and Permits.
II.2.1 North Fork Nooksack Subbasin:
The land area within the North Fork Nooksack Subbasin is governed by four entities: the National Forest and National Park Services, Whatcom County Government, and the provincial government of British Columbia. With only slightly more than one half of one percent -- 1,077 acres out of a total of 185,600 acres -- lying within the boundaries of British Columbia, the focus of the discussion for the North Fork Nooksack Subbasin will be on the area lying within Whatcom County.
Zoning Designations:
Approximately 184,523 acres of the North Fork Nooksack Subbasin
are in Whatcom County. The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest,
North Cascades National Park, and National Wilderness areas comprise
about 60%, or 110,674 acres, of the Whatcom County acreage. In
these areas, land uses and activities are governed by federal
regulations and policies.
Whatcom County zoning[1] governs use on the remaining 73,849 acres in the subbasin. The primary zoning designations for this acreage is Commercial Forestry (CF) and Rural Forestry (RF), which accounts for 35% of total zoning. These forest-zones account for approximately 63,482 acres of which an estimated 33,932 acres are under Washington State ownership.
Whatcom County zoning designations for the remaining acreage in the subbasin, approximately 10,367 acres, include Rural 1 Unit/10 Acres (R10A), Rural 1 Unit/5 Acres (R5A), Resort Commercial (RC), Rural Residential 3 (RR3), Rural Residential 2 (RR2), General Commercial (GC), and Urban Residential 4 (UR4). The combined total acreage for all of these zoning designations only accounts for about 6% of the total zoned land area.
TABLE 9. NORTH FORK NOOKSACK SUBBASIN - WHATCOM COUNTY ZONING DESIGNATIONS
|
Zoning Designation |
|
Total Acreage |
Plan Designation |
| National Forest | 62,515 | 34.0% | National Forest |
| Commercial Forestry | 53,019 | 29.0% | Commercial Forestry |
| Wilderness | 41,734 | 23.0% | Wilderness Areas |
| Rural Forestry | 10,823 | 6.0% | Rural Forestry |
| National Park | 6,425 | 3.0% | National Park |
| Rural 1 Unit/5 Acres | 5,034 | 3.0% | Rural |
| Rural 1 Unit/10 Acres | 2,946 | 2.0% | Rural |
| Urban Residential 4 Units/Acre | 1,392 | 0.7% | Small Towns |
| Rural Residential 3 Units/Acre | 424 | 0.2% | Rural |
| Resort Commercial | 164 | 0.09% | Resort/Recreational |
| General Commercial | 22 | 0.01% | N/Ac |
| Rural Residential 2 Units/Acre | 19 | 0.01% | Rural |
| Tourist Commercial | 6 | 0.003% | Resort/Recreational |
| Total Acreage |
184,523 |
The zoning designations are used to provide regulatory consistency to the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan, which provides the guidance for land activity and development throughout Whatcom County. The land use designations used in the Comprehensive Plan are similar in description to the zoning designations. Table 9 identifies acreage in the North Fork Nooksack Subbasin by zoning designation and the corresponding Comprehensive Plan designation. Not reflected in the table is the number of home-based or small businesses located in the rural residential areas of Whatcom County. A windshield survey conducted on public access roads in the Nooksack Basin revealed a significant number of small business enterprises in these areas ranging from such activities as saw sharpening to automotive body shops.
Figure 14 maps the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan designations for the North Fork Nooksack Subbasin.
II.2.2 Middle Fork Nooksack Subbasin:
Zoning Designation:
The primary zoning designation for land within the Middle Fork
Nooksack subbasin is Commercial Forestry (CF) at 50% of the zoned
land area. National Forest and National Wilderness areas total
29% of the subbasin acreage. The remaining 21% of the acreage
is zoned Rural Forestry (RF), Rural 1 Unit/10 Acres (R10A), and
Rural 1 Unit/5 Acres (R5A). Zoning designations above the City
of Bellingham's diversion dam include commercial forestry, National
Forest, and National Wilderness.
Table 10 outlines the number of acres in the Middle Fork Nooksack Subbasin for each zoning designation. Also, listed in Table 10 is the Comprehensive Plan designation that corresponds to the zoning designations.
TABLE 10. MIDDLE FORK NOOKSACK SUBBASIN - WHATCOM COUNTY ZONING DESIGNATIONS
|
Zoning Designation |
|
Total Acreage |
Plan Designation |
| Commercial Forestry | 47,383 | 50.0% | Commercial Forestry |
| National Forest | 14,711 | 15.0% | National Forest |
| National Wilderness | 13,889 | 14.0% | Wilderness Areas |
| Rural 1 Unit/5 Acres | 9,447 | 10.0% | Rural |
| Rural Forestry | 5,773 | 6.0% | Rural Forestry |
| Agriculture | 2,684 | 3.0% | Agriculture |
| Recreation Areas | 980 | 1.0% | National Recreation Area |
| Rural 1 Unit/10 Acres | 558 | 0.6% | Rural |
| Rural 1 Unit/2 Acres | 162 | 0.2% | Rural |
| General Commercial | 38 | 0.04% | Resort/Recreational |
| Total Acreage | 95,625 |
The zoning designations are used to provide regulatory consistency to the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan, which provides the guidance for land activity and development throughout Whatcom County. The land use designations used in the Comprehensive Plan are similar in description to the zoning designations. Figure 15 maps the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan designations for the Middle Fork Nooksack Subbasin.
II.2.3 South Fork Nooksack Subbasin:
Zoning Designation:
The primary zoning designation for land within the South Fork
Nooksack Subbasin is Commercial Forestry (CF) making up 57% of
the total acreage in the subbasin. National Forest and National
Wilderness areas together comprise 27% of the total acreage. The
remaining 15% of the zoned area in the subbasin consists of Rural
Forestry (RF), Agriculture (AG), Rural 1 Unit/10 Acres (R10A),
Rural 1 Unit/5 Acres (R5A), Rural 1 Unit/2 Acres (R2A), General
Commercial (GC), and Urban Residential 4 Units/Acre. Table 11
outlines the number of acres in the South Fork Nooksack Subbasin
for each zoning designation. The corresponding Comprehensive Plan
designation is also shown in Table 11. Not reflected in the table
is the number of home-based or small businesses located in the
rural residential areas of Whatcom County. A windshield survey
conducted on public access roads in the Nooksack Basin revealed
a significant number of small business enterprises in these areas
ranging from such activities as saw sharpening to automotive body
shops.
The zoning designations are used to provide regulatory consistency to the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan, which provides the guidance for land activity and development throughout Whatcom County. The land use designations used in the Comprehensive Plan are similar in description to the zoning designations. Figure 16 maps the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan designations for the South Fork Nooksack Subbasin.
TABLE 11. SOUTH FORK NOOKSACK SUBBASIN - WHATCOM COUNTY ZONING DESIGNATIONS
|
Zoning Designation |
|
Total Acreage |
Plan Designation |
| Commercial Forestry | 43,639 | 57.0% | Commercial Forestry |
| National Forest | 15,388 | 20.0% | National Forest |
| Agriculture | 5,943 | 8.0% | Agriculture |
| Wilderness | 5,701 | 7.0% | Wilderness Area |
| Rural Forestry | 3,082 | 4.0% | Rural Forestry |
| Rural 1 Unit/10 Acres | 1,754 | 2.0% | Rural |
| Rural 1 Unit/5 Acres | 621 | 0.8% | Rural |
| Urban Residential 4 Units/Acre | 105 | 0.1% | Small Towns |
| Recreation Area | 26 | 0.03% | National Recreation Area |
| General Commercial | 18 | 0.02% | Small Towns |
| Total Acreage |
76,277 |
II.2.4 Lower Nooksack Subbasin:
Zoning Designation:
Although zoning designations and land use in the Lower Nooksack
Subbasin has the greatest variation of all the subbasins in the
study area, the primary zoning is for agriculture (51%) and rural
parcels on five acres (28%).
The incorporated areas of Ferndale, Lynden, and Everson and the corridor along State Road 539 (Guide Meridian) are characterized by urban-level residential densities and uses related to professional, retail, commercial, light industrial and manufacturing businesses.
Table 12 outlines the number of acres in the Lower Nooksack Subbasin for each zoning designation. Not reflected in the table is the number of home-based or small businesses located in the rural residential areas of Whatcom County. A windshield survey conducted on public access roads in the Nooksack Basin revealed a significant number of small business enterprises in these areas ranging from such activities as saw sharpening to automotive body shops.
TABLE 12. LOWER NOOKSACK SUBBASIN - WHATCOM COUNTY ZONING DESIGNATIONS
|
Zoning Designation |
|
Total Acreage |
Plan Designation |
| Agriculture | 53,750 | 51.0% | Agriculture |
| Rural 1 Unit/5 Acres | 29,931 | 28.0% | Rural |
| Commercial Forestry | 10,268 | 10.0% | Forestry |
| Rural 1 Unit/10 Acres | 6,214 | 6.0% | Rural |
| URc 3 Units/Acre | 1,336 | 1.0% | Urban Growth Area |
| Rural 1 Unit/2 Acres | 1,376 | 1.0% | Rural |
| RR1 | 950 | 0.90% | Rural |
| RR2 | 549 | 0.50% | Rural |
| General Commercial | 343 | 0.30% | Urban Growth Area |
| URc 4 Units/Acre | 295 | 0.30% | Urban Growth Area |
| Recreational Open Space | 281 | 0.30% | Public/Recreation |
| Neighborhood Commercial | 155 | 0.10% | Resort/Recreational |
| Heavy Impact Industrial | 135 | 0.10% | n/a |
| Light Impact Industrial | 118 | 0.10% | Major/Port Ind. Urban Growth Area |
| URc Medium Density 6 Units/Acre | 30 | 0.03% | Urban Growth Area |
| GM | 27 | 0.03% | General Manufacturing |
| Tourist Commercial | 7 | 0.007% | Urban Growth Area |
| Total County-Zoned Acreage | 105,765 | ||
| City of Ferndale | 3,700 | Ferndale Comprehensive Pland | |
| 6,750 (with UGA) | |||
| City of Lynden | 2,638 | Lynden Comprehensive Pland | |
| 3,819 (with UGA) | |||
| City of Everson | 735 | Everson Comprehensive Pland | |
| 1,371 (with UGA) | |||
Figure 17 maps the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan designations for the Lower Nooksack Subbasin.
II.3 Recreational Activities
Recreational activities occur within all four subbasins of the Nooksack: North Fork, Middle Fork, South Fork and Lower Nooksack. Potential impacts to source water from recreational activities vary with the type of activity and whether it is a contact or non-contact activity. Examples of contact activities are one in which humans are in the water for an extended period of time such as swimming and tubing. Non-contact activities are ones in which there is minimal contact with individuals and the source water such as with kayaking or fishing.
Contact recreation may present a risk to source water from fecal shedding and the resulting potential for introduction of pathogenic material to source water. Sources of contamination associated with non-contact recreation may include improper disposal of human waste, improper disposal of pet waste, petroleum contamination from boating or other motorized recreational vehicles, and improper disposal of solid waste.
II.3.1 North Fork Nooksack Subbasin:
Recreation within the North Fork Nooksack Subbasin include activities involving use of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Mt. Baker National Recreation Area, and the Mt. Baker, Noisy-Diobsud, and Glacier Peak Wilderness areas. Recreational opportunities within these areas include the Mount Baker ski area, unlimited hiking opportunities, and camping (both designated campsites and wilderness camping). Other recreational opportunities in the North Fork Nooksack Subbasin include both contact and non-contact activities such as fishing, swimming, and river rafting. In addition, use of off-road motorized vehicles is a recreational activity pursued in the North Fork Subbasin. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources allows the public to access logging roads for hiking purposes. Although hikers are allowed in gated areas, motorized vehicles are prohibited. (WADNR, 1999)
There are a number of organized camps and parks in the North Fork Nooksack Subbasin including Whatcom County Silver Lake Park, Boy Scouts of America Camp, and the Mt. Baker Baptist Camp. In addition to the public, nonprofit, and institutional facilities, there are a number of privately operated resorts and RV parks established to accommodate tourists and seasonal property owners.
II.3.2 Middle Fork Nooksack Subbasin:
Recreational opportunities within the Middle Fork Nooksack subbasin include activities such as hiking and fishing. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources allows the public to access logging roads for hiking purposes. Although hikers are allowed in gated areas, motorized vehicles are prohibited. (WADNR, 1999)
II.3.3 South Fork Nooksack Subbasin:
Recreational opportunities within the South Fork Nooksack Subbasin include hiking, fishing and, on the South Fork Nooksack itself, kayaking, canoeing and tubing. As with properties in the North and Middle Fork Subbasins, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources allows the public to access logging roads for hiking purposes. Although hikers are allowed in gated areas, motorized vehicles are prohibited. (WADNR, 1999)
II.3.4 Lower Nooksack Subbasin:
Recreational opportunities within the Lower Nooksack Subbasin that are above the PUD intake at RM 5.5 include a wide range of activities.
Whatcom County's Hovander Homestead Park is located near Ferndale. Recreational opportunities within Hovander Park involve scenic attributes such as a Victorian farmhouse, antique farming implements, farm animals, picnic grounds, and a mile of Nooksack River beachfront. Annual events utilizing this recreational site includes the Ski to Sea Race which runs through Hovander Park in June and an antique car show at Hovander Park in September.
Additional recreational opportunities lie within city parks located in the Lower Nooksack Subbasin including Heritage Park and City Park adjacent to Fishtrap Creek in Lynden; Bender Park and Northwest Washington Fair grounds also in Lynden; Vanderyacht Park and Pioneer Park in Ferndale; and Riverside Park in Everson.
The Lower Nooksack Subbasin includes four public campgrounds adjacent to the river, which accommodate both RV and tent use. The Northwest Holiness Association Bible Campground is an existing organized camp located in the Lower Nooksack Subbasin. Other recreational activities include four public golf courses, a skating rink, a shooting range, the Logging Show Grounds in Deming, the Mt. Baker Vineyard, the Nooksack River Casino, and the Deming Speedway. The Nooksack River itself offers activities such as fishing, swimming, river tubing, kayaking, and canoeing.
II.4 Agricultural Activities
II.4.1 Background Information:
Characterizing agriculture in Whatcom County presents challenges because of the changing nature of this Whatcom County industry. Commercial agriculture operations can change in response to such factors as market demands, regulatory changes, and production costs. This could result in changes in herd size on a dairy farm, conversion of silage fields for livestock feed to a market crop such as vegetables or berries or, conversion of an active farm to an alternative land use that is allowed or conditionally allowed under current zoning.
Another challenge in characterizing agricultural activities in the Nooksack Basin is that the methodologies used for gathering information, described in Section II.1.2, did not lend themselves to being able to distinguish activities by individual parcel. For example, during the windshield survey, a crop field may have been noted but the type of crop being grown was difficult to identify because the survey was conducted during the non-growing season. In addition, a farm where silage and hay were visible may have been an indication of the presence of animals but if the animals were not present, it was difficult to determine the type of livestock kept at the farm and whether it was a commercial operation or a noncommercial operation.
The paper inventory, which included reviewing maps and tax records, could not be used for identifying specific agricultural activities in each of the subbasins for the following reasons:
1) Agriculture zones allow for a wide range of agricultural activities ranging from dairy to crop production to, with administrative approval, surface mining. In addition to the allowed agricultural activities, accessory uses as defined in Whatcom County Code 20.40.100 are supported in agriculture zones. Therefore, the zoning designation alone provides insufficient information as it relates to the actual activities taking place on individual parcels.
2) The Whatcom County Assessor's records identify land use, or type of activity, occurring in agriculture zones. However, Assessor's records are primarily updated on a rotational basis, which occurs countywide as properties are assessed for tax purposes. Therefore, the agricultural activities occurring on each of the parcels may not reflect the actual activity occurring on the farm.
For the reasons outlined above, statistical information collected by the state that shows industry change over time is being presented as an overview. This information is in addition to information provided by the Whatcom Conservation District and Whatcom County Agricultural Preservation Committee on subbasin specific information, which is presented in the subbasin sections. A crop that is not listed in the state statistics is the raising of cottonwoods for pulp as an agricultural crop. A number of fields in the South Fork Nooksack and Lower Nooksack Subbasins have been converted to this use. In addition, information presented in the Washington State statistics is for all of Whatcom County and therefore, includes areas outside of the NSPP study area.
II.4.2 Overview of Whatcom County Agriculture:
The agriculture industry in Whatcom County consists of both crop farming and animal keeping. In terms of number of animals, dairy and beef make up the largest segment of the animal keeping operations (Tables 13 and 14).
Based on numbers provided by Washington Agricultural Statistics Service (Table 13), the number of milk cows in Whatcom County which had been increasing steadily between 1991 and 1995 leveled off in 1996 and then declined in 1998. Although there was a 7% decline in milk cows between 1997 and 1998, there was a 6% overall net increase in milk cows from 1991 to 1998. Since figures for 1999 were not yet available, it is unknown as to whether the decrease in milk cows is the start of a trend or if it was a single year occurrence. In addition, although there has been a net increase in milk cows during the 1991-1998 period, the actual number of dairy farms has been decreasing. This results in potentially larger animal densities per acre of land, which presents a challenge when managing manure.
As shown in Table 13, except for a small blip in 1997 (2% increase over 1996), the number of beef cows in Whatcom County has been steadily declining since 1992. The overall percentage decline in beef cows from 1991 to 1998 is 32%.
TABLE 13. WHATCOM COUNTY ESTIMATES FOR ALL CATTLE, BEEF COWS, & MILK COWS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
| All Cattle, Beef & Milk Cows |
123,000 |
124,000 | 121,000 | 124,000 |
117,000 |
111,000 | 106,000 | 119,400 |
| Beef Cows |
6,900 |
7,000 |
6,800 |
6,500 |
6,000 |
5,500 |
5,600 |
4,700 |
| Milk Cows |
59,300 |
60,000 |
61,700 |
62,000 |
65,000 |
67,000 |
67,000 |
62,700 |
TABLE 14. WHATCOM COUNTY ESTIMATES OTHER LIVESTOCK
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
| Hogs and Pigs |
300 |
100 |
200 |
100 |
300 |
|
| Sheep and Lambs |
|
600 |
600 |
700 |
500 |
500 |
| Broilers (Poultry) |
2,600,000 |
3,100,000 |
2,500,000 |
2,700,000 |
2,600,000 |
|
The other segment of Whatcom County's agricultural industry involves production of a variety of crops ranging from red raspberries to seed potatoes to hay and silage. Table 15 outlines food crop production and Table 16 outlines silage and hay production.
TABLE 15. WHATCOM COUNTY HARVESTED ACRES BERRIES AND POTATOES
|
|
|
|
| Blueberries |
480 |
271 |
| Red Raspberries |
4,200 |
3,577 |
| Strawberries |
420 |
450 |
| Potatoes |
1,500 |
1,600 |
TABLE 16. WHATCOM COUNTY HARVESTED ACRES HAYS AND CORN FOR SILAGE
|
|
|
|
| Alfalfa Hay |
3,600 |
4,800 |
| Other Hay |
21,800 |
21,700 |
| Corn Silage |
13,500 |
12,500 |
In the Nooksack Basin, with the exceptions noted in each subbasin discussion, all agricultural use is in the South Fork and Lower Nooksack Subbasins.
Agricultural activities are a potential source for a variety of contaminants. The types of contaminants are dependent to some extent on the nature of the operation. Potential contaminants from crop production typically include pesticides and nutrients. The potential contaminants from animal keeping operations typically include bacteria, viruses, protozoa, nutrients, and suspended solids.
The volume of waste generated from animal-keeping operations is significantly higher than what is generated by humans. Therefore, in areas where the land use is a mix of residential and animal-keeping activities, the greatest risk to source water quality from bacterial contamination is from animal waste rather than human waste. Table 17 is a general comparison of human and animal waste production and estimated volumes of waste produced by livestock in the Nooksack Basin. Manure volumes for livestock will vary at individual farm operations since manure composition can be influenced by different on-farm management practices including nutrition.
TABLE 17. ESTIMATED COMPARISON OF WASTE PRODUCTION
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
| Milk Cows |
1,400 |
117.7 |
7,379,790 lbs |
| Beef Cows |
800 |
47.3 |
222,310 lbs |
| Sheep |
60 |
2.4 |
1,200c lbs |
| Humans |
N/Ad |
0.55e |
86,625f lbs |
Dairy operations in Whatcom County have been a focus of Washington State Department of Ecology inspection and enforcement efforts due to both a) new regulatory requirements that require all dairies to be inspected at least every two years and b) investigation of complaints concerning manure discharge to waterbodies that drain to the Nooksack River. As of the beginning of March 1999, 45 of the approximately 120 dairies inspected were given correction notices. The notices require farmers to correct problems that could potentially lead to a discharge of manure to ground or surface water. As of March, all but one of the farms receiving the notices corrected the problems. In addition to the correction notices, six dairies had been fined for discharges to waterbodies.
Ground water contamination from pesticides[2] or a pesticide derivative has been detected at various concentrations in the north county areas. State Department of Ecology identified EDB cleanup sites at locations in an area northeast of Lynden and areas west of Lynden: 1) Northwood Road area, 2) Birch Bay-Lynden Road and Enterprise Road area and 3) Birch Bay-Lynden Road and Bob Hall Road area, respectively. (WADOE, 1999) There is limited information available on pesticide monitoring of surface water in the Nooksack River. Monitoring performed by the City of Lynden and City of Ferndale in accordance with Washington State Department of Health requirements does not indicate a presence of pesticides in source water (Klimpel, 1999; Leuenberger, 1999). Information on surface water monitoring for source protection is discussed further in Section III.
II.4.3 North Fork Nooksack Subbasin:
Agricultural activities in the North Fork Nooksack Subbasin are minimal. None of the land in the subbasin is zoned Agriculture by Whatcom County government. The few agricultural uses observed from public access roads via the field inventory include a small orchard, a large commercial mink farm, a couple of horse farms and approximately half a dozen hobby farms.
II.4.4 Middle Fork Nooksack Subbasin:
Agricultural activities in the Middle Fork Nooksack Subbasin are also minimal. Land in the Middle Fork Nooksack Subbasin that is designated by Whatcom County for agricultural purposes accounts for approximately 3% of the total zoned land area. Activities viewed from public access roads during the field inventory identified a Christmas tree farm in Township 39, Range 5E, Section 35 and approximately 25 hobby farms of various sizes scattered throughout the subbasin.
II.4.5 South Fork Nooksack Subbasin:
Land in the South Fork Nooksack Subbasin that is designated by Whatcom County for agricultural purposes accounts for approximately 8% of the total zoned land area.
As previously mentioned, current information on agricultural activities is difficult to obtain. Agriculture-related service agencies, such as the U.S. Agricultural Census and the Washington Agricultural Statistics Service, track and provide statistical information on agricultural crops and livestock by county. However, the data can be several years old and do not always account for recent changes made at operations in response to changing market demands. In addition, the tracking of acreage converted from one agricultural crop to another does not appear to occur in a timely manner either on a local level or state level. An example of a crop that is not included in the agricultural statistics but which has been planted in fields traditionally planted for corn, grass, or hay silage is hybrid poplars. During the field inventory process, several acres of hybrid poplars in various growth stages was observed in the South Fork Nooksack Subbasin. However, because statistics are not up-to-date the actual acreage and number of operations that have been converted to hybrid poplars is not reflected in Table 18. Identification of the total number of acres in hybrid poplars and the number of operations actually represented by the acreage is outside of the scope of this project but should be included as an implementation item.
Therefore, although Tables 18 and 19 provide useful information for purposes of identifying potential risks to source water from agricultural activities, consideration needs to be given to the fact that the local agricultural industry can change significantly and quickly in order to meet current market demands. In addition, because of the changing nature of the industry, information in the tables does not necessarily reflect actual conditions in the subbasin in terms of crop and livestock distribution.
Other than dairy, beef, horse, and hybrid poplars, agricultural activities observed during the field inventory of the South Fork Nooksack Subbasin include a llama farm and several Christmas tree farms.
TABLE 18. SOUTH FORK NOOKSACK SUBBASIN - DISTRIBUTION OF LIVESTOCK OPERATIONS
|
|
|
Livestock Per Farm |
| Dairy Cattle |
6 |
440 AU |
| Beef Cattle |
35 |
12 AU |
| Horse |
40 |
2.5 AU |
| Pigs |
|
|
TABLE 19. SOUTH FORK NOOKSACK
SUBBASIN - DISTRIBUTION OF CROP FARMS
|
|
|
|
| Raspberries/Strawberries |
|
440 AU |
| Cranberries |
|
12 AU |
| Potatoes |
|
2.5 AU |
| Vegetables |
|
|
| Orchards |
|
|
| Nurseries |
|
|
| Hybrid Poplars |
|
|
| Hay/Silage |
|
|
| Silage corn |
|
SOURCE: BASED ON 1992 AGRICULTURE CENSUS DATA AND WHATCOM COUNTY AGRICULTURAL PRESERVATION COMMITTEE SURVEYS
II.4.6 Lower Nooksack Subbasin
Land in the Lower Nooksack Subbasin that is designated by Whatcom County for agricultural purposes account for approximately 51% of the total county zoned land area. In addition to the commercial agriculture zoning, approximately 26,428 ac or 34% of the total county zoned land is designated rural 5 acre (R5) and rural 10 acre (R10) parcels. R5 and R10 zoning provides for many of the same agricultural activities as the commercial agriculture zone. One exception is that animal density on R5 and R10 may be lower than it is under agriculture zoning based on Whatcom County Code 20.80.805. Under County Code, limits are set for animal density on parcels less than 10 acres that are adjacent to residential uses and that are not part of a larger agricultural operation on contiguous property.
All types of agricultural activities are occurring in the Lower Nooksack Subbasin: commercial dairy, commercial beef, horse breeding, poultry, hybrid poplars, Christmas tree farms, orchards, nurseries, berries, seed potatoes, silage, and other crops.
As mentioned in the previous subbasin discussion, current information on agricultural activities is difficult to obtain. Agriculture-related service agencies, such as the U.S. Agricultural Census and the Washington Agricultural Statistics Service, track and provide statistical information on agricultural crops and livestock by county. The data presented by these entities can be several years old and do not always account for recent changes made at operations in response to changing market demands. In addition, the tracking of acreage converted from one agricultural crop to another does not appear to occur in a timely manner on either a local or state level.
Therefore, Tables 20 and 21 are representative of types of agricultural activities occurring in the Lower Nooksack Subbasin but does not reflect very recent changes in production or operation at different farm locations. An example of this is the increasing conversion of land to production of hybrid poplars. Although fields of hybrid poplars were observed during the field inventory, the statistical information used to prepare Table 21 does not reflect this change.
TABLE 20. LOWER NOOKSACK SUBBASIN - DISTRIBUTION OF LIVESTOCK OPERATIONS
|
|
|
Livestock Per Farm |
| Dairy Cattle |
147 |
440 AU |
| Beef Cattle |
267 |
12 AU |
| Horse |
505 |
2.5 AU |
| Pigs |
3 |
40 |
TABLE 21. LOWER NOOKSACK SUBBASIN - DISTRIBUTION OF CROP FARMS
|
|
|
|
| Raspberries/Strawberries |
|
62 |
| Cranberries |
|
15 |
| Potatoes |
8 |
160 |
| Vegetables |
|
|
| Orchards |
|
16 |
| Nurseries |
|
10 |
| Hybrid Poplars |
|
-- |
| Hay/Silage |
|
160 |
| Silage corn |
|
75 |
Source: Based on 1992 Agriculture Census Data and Whatcom County Agricultural Preservation Committee Surveys
Water quality impairment from agricultural sources has occurred in the surface and ground water resources in the Lower Nooksack Subbasin (Erickson, 1995; Joy, 1997; Whatcom Conservation District, 1998). The majority of violations issued by the regulatory agencies for waste discharge to ditches or other waterbodies have been in the Lower Nooksack Subbasin. In addition, the Washington State Department of Health and the Portage Bay Closure Response Team identify improper waste management on dairies as the largest contributor of fecal coliform levels in Portage Bay where commercial shellfish beds were recently closed. (Whatcom Conservation District, 1998) The ground water contamination previously discussed in the agriculture overview is also located in the Lower Nooksack Subbasin.
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[1]Whatcom County Zoning Ordinance Title 20 (08/01/98) and Ordinance No. 98-083 provide the regulatory framework for permitted and conditionally permitted uses and activities in designated zones.
[2]The term pesticide is used in the NSPP as a generic term and is intended to include insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, rodenticides, and other formulations used for pest control.