EXH2115033732

One more in my series, and the last for today... think this is the single biggest issue we need to resolve -- does the existing non-attainment of water quality standards in Des Moines Creek (and possibly Miller Creek) allow us to certify projects that will further adversely affect those streams? My read of the water quality standards and Clean Water Act suggests the answer is no, unless a project proponent includes adequate measures to allow those uses to be supported. This issue is at the heart of both the standards and the Act, and is the basis for most of our other issues -- meeting antidegradation, stormwater detention requirements, wetland mitigation, etc. Des Moines Creek is identified in the basin plan as not meeting several elements of the water quality standards. Because the standards apply to a waterbody and also to discharges into that waterbody, we need to determine not only if a discharge meets the required limits, but whether the waterbody is maintaining its existing and/or designated uses. In the case of Des Moines Creek, it is apparent that the creek does not adequately support various stages of fish life, and possibly other aquatic life. This is documented in the Des Moines Creek Basin Plan and in several other sources. Last year in working with the Port, we identified the key limiting factors as extremely high flows during storm events and extremely low summer flows. That finding was the primary basis for Ecology requiring the Port to do Level…

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PSCAA Advisory Council Meeting Agenda
Add to CalendarMWednesday Mar 11, 9:00am - 11:35am
1904 3rd Avenue, Suite 105, Seattle, WA 98101
Call to order – Roll Call – Quorum Established – Land Acknowledgement We would like to acknowledge that our Agency operates in four present-day counties, which are the traditional lands of the Coast Salish people, past and present. This acknowledgement does not take the place of authentic relationships with indigenous communities in our jurisdiction and [...]