Dyes Inlet 2015

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DYES INLET WATERSHED

2015 Water Quality Monitoring Report

Kitsap Public Health District

Dyes Inlet 2015

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Dyes Inlet 2015

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2015 WATER QUALITY SUMMARY

The Dyes Inlet watershed is designated as Primary Contact waters by the State is located in

Central Kitsap County. Four of the nine streams show a long term improving water quality

trend with the remaining streams showing stationary trends. Although Phinney creek has

shown improvements in water quality over time bacteria levels are still elevated so the public

health advisory will remain in effect in 2016. The Health District is continuing clean-up efforts in

the watershed.

Waterbody

2015

FC Bacteria

GMV

Met WQ

Standard in

2015?*

Long term

trend

Health

Advisory?

Barker Creek (BK01)

72 Part 1 only IMPROVING No

Chico Creek (CH01)

27 YES STATIONARY

No

Clear Creek (CC01)

31 YES IMPROVING

No

Kitsap Mall Creek (KW01)

26 YES

STATIONARY

No

Mosher Creek (MS01)

61 Part 1 only

STATIONARY

No

Ostrich Bay Creek (OB01)

248 NO

STATIONARY

No

Pahrmann Creek

(PA01)

31 YES

STATIONARY

No

Phinney Creek (PH01)

146 NO IMPROVING YES

Strawberry Creek (SR01)

37 Part 1 only IMPROVING No

Overall marine water

(includes Dyes Inlet and Port

Washington Narrows)*

12 of 15

Stations

9 of 15

stations

Improving

* Dyes Inlet watershed marine waters include Dyes Inlet and Port Washington Narrows.

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HOW ARE WE DOING?

Current Water Quality clean-up projects:

• Kitsap Public Health was awarded a Centennial Clean

Water Fund grant from the Department of Ecology to

conduct The Dyes Inlet Pathogen Reduction. The project

began in 2012, and includes concentrating on pollution

identification and reduction in Ostrich Bay Creek,

Ridgetop Creek, the southern Dyes marine shoreline, and

Kitsap Lake. Since the beginning of the project there have

been 411 properties inspected, and 89 failing septic

systems identified. Of these failing systems, 66 have been

repaired. The project will be completed in 2016.

Kristina Bonsell, Environmental Health Specialist

Past Projects:

• Since 1990, on-site sewage system (OSS) sanitary surveys have been conducted in the

Rocky Point/Marine Drive area, Tracyton, Erlands Point, and along the western shoreline

of Dyes Inlet. 607 properties have been inspected, and 55 failing septic systems

repaired as a result.

• From 2001 to 2005, the Kitsap Lake and Chico Bay Pollution Identification and

Correction project was conducted in the Chico Creek watershed. 14 failing septic

systems were corrected, which lead to part of Chico Bay being reopened for shellfish

harvest.

• From 2004 to 2007, the Barker Creek Restoration Project, to address pollution in Barker

Creek and the eastern shoreline area of Dyes Inlet. Found and corrected 7 failing septic

systems.

• In 2005, the Dyes Inlet Restoration and Protection Project was initiated and includes the

areas along Clear Creek, Ostrich Bay Creek, Phinney Creek, Chico Creek. Some sections

of marine shoreline covered in previous projects were also revisited. These extensive

surveys found 76 septic failures, and 79 problems with maintenance of private

commercial storm water systems.

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Shellfish Classification Upgrades

PIC water quality projects have resulted in shellfish growing area

upgrades. In 2003 DOH upgraded over 1498 acres in Dyes Inlet from

Prohibited to Conditional. In 2008 there was another upgrade of 20

acres from Prohibited to Approved.

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SHELLFISH CLASSIFICATIONS

The following map shows shellfish growing areas and classifications of Dyes Inlet from the

Washington State Department of Health.

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STREAMS WITH IMPROVING WATER QUALITY TRENDS

BARKER CREEK (BK01)

The headwaters of Barker Creek originate at Island Lake. The total length of the main channel

and tributaries extend more than six miles. Barker Creek met water quality standard in 2015

and statistical analysis for the creek shows a long term improving trend.

CLEAR CREEK (CC01)

Clear Creek is composed of about 12 miles of streams and tributaries. The headwaters of Clear

Creek originate at Naval Submarine Base Bangor, it flows through a variety of areas including

agricultural properties, residential properties then through the urbanized area of Silverdale to

its discharge point at the northern end of Dyes Inlet. Statistically analysis shows a long term

improving trend.

0

50

100

150

05

-06

05

-06

06

-07

06

-07

07

-08

08

-09

09

-10

10

-11

11

-12

12

-13

13

-14

14

-15

An

nu

al

FC

GM

VYear

Barker Creek

2005-2015

0

50

100

150

200

An

nu

al

FC

GM

V

Clear Creek

1997-2015

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PHINNEY CREEK (PH01)

Phinney Creek is a small year-round stream that flows north from the Kitsap Way area and

discharges into Phinney Bay. Land use in the Phinney Creek drainage is urban residential, with

commercial use along Kitsap Way. Water quality is very poor. To protect the public from

contact with Phinney creek, the public health advisory will remain in effect in 2016.

While Phinney creek has failed to meet water quality standards for the past several years the

bacteria levels in the creek have been declining. Statistical analysis indicates a long term

improving trend.

STRAWBERRY CREEK (SR01)

Strawberry Creek is composed of approximately 3.8 miles of streams and tributaries that

discharge into the northern end of Dyes Inlet. Statistical analysis for the creek shows a long

term improving trend.

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

05

-06

05

-06

06

-07

06

-07

07

-08

08

-09

09

-10

10

-11

11

-12

12

-13

13

-14

14

-15

An

nu

al

FC

GM

V

Phinney Creek

2005-2015

0

50

100

150

200

An

nu

al

FC

GM

V

Strawberry Creek

1997-2015

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MARINE WATER MONITORING DATA SUMMARY The map below shows the location of marine monitoring stations in Dyes Inlet. The stations

with statistically significant improving long term trends included: DY07, DY20, DY24, DY25,

DY27, DY28, DY29, DY31 and DY34. The remaining stations, DY05, DY14, DY15, DY33, DY37 had

stationary trends.

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MARINE WATER QUALITY STANDARDS

Fourteen of the fifteen monitoring stations met water quality standards during the 2014-2015

monitoring year. In addition, twelve of these exceeded the state marine water standard for

temperature. These typically occurred during the summer months.

OVERALL MARINE WATER QUALITY TREND

Dyes Inlet Marine Water Summary

1996 – 2015

Dyes Inlet marine waters as a whole show a stationary global trend because the trends are

not equal at stations. Nine of the fourteen individual sampling stations (DY07, DY20, DY24,

DY25, DY27, DY28, DY29, DY31, DY34) show a significantly improving long-term trend.

Max

75%

Median

25%

Min

Most

Recent

12-