Puget Sound Watershed Characterization Project Information to support watershed-based land use decisions July 12 Webinar: WSU Stormwater Center

Outline for Today’s Webinar Introduction to Characterization Project and Tools Users Feedback: Pros and Cons of Tool Scientific Basis for tools How the tool works Future tools Applying the tool: Duvall Example – Aaron Booy ESA

Introduction to The Puget Sound Watershed Characterization Project A multi-agency effort to provide land use planners with a watershed context for decision making Comprehensive Plan updates Shoreline Master Program Sub-area plans A resource for conservation planners and restoration practitioners across Puget Sound. Inform mitigation or restoration design at coarse scale TDR programs Conservation easements Stormwater retrofit

Purpose of the Characterization Where on the landscape should planning and management efforts be focused first Why are those places relatively more or less important than other places What general types of activities and actions are most appropriate at that place Water Flow assessment is the primary model for establishing measures to be taken for landuse actions/activities Other assessments designed to inform those decisions but are not individually designed to set different land use recommendations.

Feedback from Users Pros: “Good filtering tool” to help staff frame the problems and issues. Provides an impartial analysis of watershed conditions. More useful when used in conjunction with other tools and data. Provides information across a watershed in a consistent manner. Helps fill in knowledge in areas of a watershed where there is a lack of environmental data. Department of Ecology staff is very accessible and helpful which is key to the usefulness of the tool. Water Flow assessment is the primary model for establishing measures to be taken for landuse actions/activities Other assessments designed to inform those decisions but are not individually designed to set different land use recommendations.

Feedback from Users Cons: Too complicated for most stakeholder groups, citizens and decision makers to directly use and understand. Does not help explain “cause and effect” relationship which stakeholder groups want. Results can oversimplify actual conditions and lead to incorrect conclusions. Inability to simply “grab” the results from the characterization website and use. Guidance is insufficient for a user to run models and then apply and interpret results. Does not incorporate the “open standards framework. Water quality and fish and wildlife model results are difficult to apply and understand. Water Flow assessment is the primary model for establishing measures to be taken for landuse actions/activities Other assessments designed to inform those decisions but are not individually designed to set different land use recommendations.

Scientific Basis Broad Scale Broad scale – water flow assessment Mid & fine scale - In stream flows modeled by Salmon recovery plan ..such as water and sediment movement at the watershed scale Broad Scale Ecosystem Services: Insert PSP priorities – Puget Sound Map and Stormwater Map of Puget Sound PSP- Action Agenda NEP Grants ..such as habitat for birds ..such as a stream channel or estuary delta Water Flow model establishes overall land-use recommendations Mid Scale Fine Scale

Helps Integrates Watershed Data Across Multiple Scales Broad Scale – 100’s of sq. miles Fine Scale – less than 1 sq. mile Scale: Mid Scale – 1 to 100’s of sq. miles + = Integrated result Helps Integrates Watershed Data Across Multiple Scales Application : Land Use Planning - Type, & location of new development and development standards Design of Restoration and Mitigation Projects What to Use: Assessments of watershed processes such as those found in Puget Sound Characterization Salmon Recovery & Basin Plans, Hydrologic, Water Quality & Habitat Studies Type of Data & Information: Coarse scale data and Information on land cover, geology, precipitation, topography, land cover Site specific data on biological, physical and chemical conditions What it tells you: The most important areas contributing to processes such as movement of water, sediment, nutrients & general level of integrity of watershed. Quantifies: hydrologic flows, limiting water quality factors, habitat structure & functions Key Questions to Ask: Will the level of integrity in the watershed support downstream restoration actions over the long term? What is the condition of upstream processes & if degraded will they sustain the project as designed? What it Tells You: The best location

Data Integration at the Broad Scale Assessment of: Water Flow & Water Quality Processes – Vol.1 Terrestrial, Freshwater, & Marine shoreline habitats – Vol. 2 Users Guide – Vol. 3 Peer Reviewed Documents Available At: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/services/gis/data/inlandwaters/pugetsound/characterization.htm

How the Tool Works: Water Processes Assessments Water Flow Importance and Degradation models for Delivery + Movement + Loss Water Quality Export Potential and Degradation models for Nitrogen Phosphorus Sediment Metals Pathogens

Model Water Flow Processes….. Model 1 - Importance Model 2

Model Water Flow Processes….. Model 2 – Degradation to Water Flow Processes Model 2

Overall Water Flow Results Sound Wide Mt. Vernon Seattle Have the maps show seattle, bremerton, oly. Tacoma

Combine Importance and Degradation models

Watershed Management Recommendations

Future Tools: Mid-Scale Assessment Landscape Characterization 6/28/05 Future Tools: Mid-Scale Assessment Developing quantitative measures of watershed condition at the mid or reach scale, using: High Pulse Counts Low Flows Alternative Futures Tool to allow users to assess future development patterns

Hydrologic Condition Index (HCI) By summing the calibrated “high pulse count” for different land uses along a flow path, the Hydrological Condition Index can be determined for a stream system HCI index can measure the difference in hydrologic impacts based on location of development in watershed The HCI values could be compared across Puget Sound as a standard measure of stream condition

Develop Alternative Futures Tool Using HCI in one watershed, test and develop an Alternative Futures Tool Test 3 Development Scenarios: High, Medium and Low Intensity Determine if HCI results detect any difference between scenarios High Density Scenario Low Density, Conservation Scenario

Examples of Application of Characterization Tool Gorst Subarea Plan (2013).. http://www.ci.bremerton.wa.us/696/Documents Duvall Watershed Plan (2015). http://www.duvallwa.gov/350/Watershed-Plan Mukilteo Stormwater Retrofit Plan (2012) – http://archive.ci.mukilteo.wa.us/Page.asp?NavID=336