Marine Water Quality
This indicator measures water quality based on seawater density stratification from 1998-2004 in Puget Sound and 1999-2004 in the Georgia Basin. Seawater density stratification is an indicator of: (1) the degree of mixing within the water column; (2) its resilience to mixing; and (3) the likelihood that aspects of poor water quality will develop due to human-induced pressures.

What are we doing about it?

We cannot change or influence our oceanographic features, tides and winds, but we can minimize pollution from humans that is more likely to affect stratified (and more sensitive) marine waters.

Marine Water Quality Standards

In Washington State, marine waters are regulated (Washington Administrative Code 173-210A, Section 30-1(c))¹⁹ according to water quality criteria that apply to certain waters. The criteria apply to dissolved oxygen, water temperature, pH, and toxic/radioactive or deleterious materials.

Solutions for the impacts associated with stratification are similar to the actions to protect shellfish, marine mammals, fish and freshwater systems. In the Puget Sound Georgia Basin, there are number of government agencies that are working with communities, non-profits and businesses to improve freshwater and marine water quality. Joint efforts include the work associated with the International Task Force, the Puget Sound Water Quality Work Plan and the 2003-2005 Georgia Basin Action Plan.

All of these efforts have in common coordinated policy development, research, monitoring, specific workplans and community outreach.

Public Policy Responses

Areas of focus include:

• Stormwater Planning: There are extensive plans and best management plans that are designed to reduce the amount of polluted stormwater reaching freshwater and marine resources.
• Low Impact Development: Many agencies are focusing on the use of site specific strategies that use landscaping design (plants and rocks) and reducing impervious surfaces to increase infiltration, thereby reducing polluted runoff.
• Farm Planning and Dairy Nutrient Management Plans: These efforts focus on the relationships between natural resource agencies like the BC Ministry of Environment or the Washington State Department of Ecology, and Farm Associations, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, Extension services (Washington State University) and Conservation Districts. Planning, technical assistance, funding and public outreach are involved with all efforts.
• Natural Landscaping: Many public agencies sponsor programs that encourage the use of natural landscaping techniques that build healthy soil and plants without chemical herbicides and fertilizers.
• Pollution Prevention and Purchasing Strategies: These same agencies have developed programs to help homes and businesses reduce polluted stormwater runoff. As a corollary to operations and maintenance issues such as storage, preventing oil spills and proper disposal of products, there is a strong effort to reduce or eliminate the use of products that contain toxic materials (see the Solid Waste and Recycling Indicator).

Business Responses

There are a plethora of business organizations that see the value in protecting marine resources. In addition, there are many examples of collaborative alliances that help businesses become more economically successful by avoiding fines, taxes, excess insurance and poor public relations associated with litigation and pollution. An example includes the Network for Business Innovation and Sustainability.²⁰

In Seattle, the Chamber of Commerce has a new Sustainable Business Committee, and the Resource Venture provides technical assistance to businesses in water conservation, stormwater, green building and waste reduction and recycling.²¹

The Washington Department of Ecology's Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction Program offers substantial technical outreach and funding to businesses and communities related to industrial processes, building, stormwater management, pollution prevention, and solid waste reduction.²²

Landscape and Land Use Issues (Public Policy Responses)

• Protect watersheds by preserving native vegetation, soils, wetlands, rivers and other elements that keep water flowing the system at rates and patterns that minimize runoff. This can be accomplished through Alternative Futures planning and land use planning that protects the shoreline from development in shellfish growing areas;²³
• Preserve forest cover by working to keep forests in forestry through economic and trade strategies and limiting forest fragmentation (through road building and development);
• Preserve and restore wetlands and limit channeling, armoring, piping and other hydrologic modifications that increase runoff;
• Promote low impact development and on-site water infiltration and minimize the connection between impervious surfaces and freshwater and marine waters²⁴

 

 

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