Presentation Abstract
Drayton Harbor’s 2016 reopening of 810 acres of commercial, tribal, and recreational shellfish harvesting area marked a significant achievement in the efforts to improve water quality and allow year-round harvest of the productive shellfish growing area. Public outreach over the past 20 years played a critical role in engaging the local community and encouraging on-the-ground actions to reduce pollution throughout the watershed. Bacteria pollution is a complex issue requiring diverse solutions; no single fix exists. In the Drayton Harbor watershed, a variety of organizations, agencies, and community members participated in developing and carrying out a robust and diverse outreach strategy that was adapted over time. We will review the history of these key outreach players and their roles in Drayton Harbor water quality improvements. Successful outreach efforts from Whatcom County’s Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC) Program included the development of online water quality summaries, online interactive results map, community events, video shorts, and the septic system maintenance rebate program. Future outreach goals include the use of social marketing to normalize pollution prevention actions such as routine septic system maintenance. Ultimately, sustaining good water quality and safe, year-round shellfish harvest requires ongoing community engagement.
Session Title
Drayton Harbor Shellfish Recovery: A Case Study of Local Collaboration
Keywords
Shellfish, Drayton Harbor, Collaboration, Outreach
Conference Track
SSE2: Collaboration and Engagement
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE2-93
Start Date
6-4-2018 9:30 AM
End Date
6-4-2018 9:45 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)
Water quality management--Washington (State)--Drayton Harbor; Nutrient pollution of water--Washington (State)--Drayton Harbor; Poisonous shellfish--Washington (State)--Drayton Harbor
Geographic Coverage
Drayton Harbor (Wash.)
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
Public outreach: growing and adapting with changing times
Drayton Harbor’s 2016 reopening of 810 acres of commercial, tribal, and recreational shellfish harvesting area marked a significant achievement in the efforts to improve water quality and allow year-round harvest of the productive shellfish growing area. Public outreach over the past 20 years played a critical role in engaging the local community and encouraging on-the-ground actions to reduce pollution throughout the watershed. Bacteria pollution is a complex issue requiring diverse solutions; no single fix exists. In the Drayton Harbor watershed, a variety of organizations, agencies, and community members participated in developing and carrying out a robust and diverse outreach strategy that was adapted over time. We will review the history of these key outreach players and their roles in Drayton Harbor water quality improvements. Successful outreach efforts from Whatcom County’s Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC) Program included the development of online water quality summaries, online interactive results map, community events, video shorts, and the septic system maintenance rebate program. Future outreach goals include the use of social marketing to normalize pollution prevention actions such as routine septic system maintenance. Ultimately, sustaining good water quality and safe, year-round shellfish harvest requires ongoing community engagement.
