Presentation Abstract
Since the late 1990s several efforts have been initiated to reduce fecal coliform pollution in the Nooksack River and shellfish harvest areas in Portage Bay. Agriculture has historically been a significant contributor of fecal coliforms, however other sources include human waste from septic systems, pets, and wildlife. To protect the watershed and preserve the shellfish harvest areas the agriculture sector, particularly the dairy sector, has committed great amounts of labor and resources to adopt nutrient management planning and improve manure storage and handling practices. These changes on-farm have resulted from both voluntary initiatives as well as from implementation of new regulatory tools. Washington’s 1998 Diary Nutrient Management Act (DNMA, RCW 90.64) required dairies to develop and implement plans to curtail sources of manure-laden runoff, but in recent years non-dairy operators have been asked to address the problem as well. Actions taken by the dairy industry in response to the enactment of DNMA have demonstrated that dramatic reductions of fecal coliform pollution can be achieved. British Columbia’s voluntary initiatives such as the Environmental Farm Plan Program and the Farmland Advantage Program have encouraged both education and uptake of improved management of riparian areas and manure. Ongoing voluntary and regulatory stewardship activities and innovative farm practices continue to be implemented by the agricultural community to reduce its contribution of fecal coliforms to the Lower Nooksack Watershed.
Session Title
British Columbia / Washington Collaboration on Transboundary Water Quality: Fecal Coliform Bacteria and Nitrogen in the Nooksack River
Keywords
Appel Farms, transborder cooperation, BMPs
Conference Track
SSE9: Transboundary Management and Policy
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE9-483
Start Date
6-4-2018 9:00 AM
End Date
6-4-2018 9:15 AM
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Agricultural pollution--Washington (State)--Nooksack River Watershed; Enterobacteriaceae--Washington (State)--Portage Bay (King County); Nutrient pollution of water--Washington (State)--Nooksack River Watershed--Regulation; Shellfish gathering--Effect of pollution on--Washington (State)--Portage Bay (King County)
Geographic Coverage
Portage Bay (King County, Wash.); Nooksack River Watershed (Wash.)
Appel Farms presentation
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Efforts of Washington and British Columbia agricultural producers to address fecal coliform bacteria pollution in the lower Nooksack watershed
Since the late 1990s several efforts have been initiated to reduce fecal coliform pollution in the Nooksack River and shellfish harvest areas in Portage Bay. Agriculture has historically been a significant contributor of fecal coliforms, however other sources include human waste from septic systems, pets, and wildlife. To protect the watershed and preserve the shellfish harvest areas the agriculture sector, particularly the dairy sector, has committed great amounts of labor and resources to adopt nutrient management planning and improve manure storage and handling practices. These changes on-farm have resulted from both voluntary initiatives as well as from implementation of new regulatory tools. Washington’s 1998 Diary Nutrient Management Act (DNMA, RCW 90.64) required dairies to develop and implement plans to curtail sources of manure-laden runoff, but in recent years non-dairy operators have been asked to address the problem as well. Actions taken by the dairy industry in response to the enactment of DNMA have demonstrated that dramatic reductions of fecal coliform pollution can be achieved. British Columbia’s voluntary initiatives such as the Environmental Farm Plan Program and the Farmland Advantage Program have encouraged both education and uptake of improved management of riparian areas and manure. Ongoing voluntary and regulatory stewardship activities and innovative farm practices continue to be implemented by the agricultural community to reduce its contribution of fecal coliforms to the Lower Nooksack Watershed.
