About the Water Quality Program
Mission
To protect and improve the quality of Swinomish waters to ensure healthy ecosystems for fish, wildlife, and people.
Purpose
Regulated Waters of the Swinomish Indian Reservation support the production, preservation, and enhancement of fish, shellfish, and other aquatic resources. Natural fish and shellfish populations and the aquatic resources upon which they depend for survival are highly vulnerable to damage from degraded water quality and decreased water quantity.The Swinomish people are a fishing people and depend on fish and shellfish resources and other species dependent on water quality for subsistence, income, ceremonial, and cultural purposes and therefore for their ultimate survival. Surface waters are also in hydraulic continuity with groundwater aquifers within the boundaries of the Swinomish Indian Reservation.
Water quality monitoring is part of the integrated, Reservation-wide, environmental protection effort. Ongoing water quality monitoring also facilitates environmentally sound resource management and planning.
Recreational Beach Bacteria Monitoring
During the summer (June - August), bacterial monitoring is conducted weekly at six swimming beaches. More information on recreational beach bacteria monitoring.
Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC) Program
The focus of the PIC program is identifying, investigating, and correcting sources of bacterial pollution in Tribal marine waters. Swinomish Water Quality works closely with other local, state, Tribal, and federal PIC partners in a collaborative effort to reduce pollutants in our waterays.
To report a water quality concern, please contact our PIC Program Lead: Brooke Zibell at bzibell@swinomish.nsn.us.
The PIC Program has resources to help property and home-owners address water quality concern. For more information, visit the PIC Program page.
Water Quality Monitoring
Goals
The water quality monitoring program aims to:
- establish baseline water quality data and characterize the waters of the Swinomish Indian Reservation;
- identify water bodies which fail to meet proposed water quality standards;
- track potential pollutant sources (point and non-point);
- develop and implement EPA approved water quality standards; and,
- support data collection efforts designed to inform restoration projects.
Methods
Water quality monitoring includes regular monitoring for conventional parameters, bacteria, nutrients, and other pollutants of concern in marine water and freshwater bodies.
Source tracking of pollutants occurs during regular water quality monitoring, when a parameter falls outside of the water quality standards, or observed conditions indicate a potential pollution concern. When this occurs, we collect additional samples upstream and/or downstream of a problem area in an attempt to locate the source of pollution and address the issue. Source tracking is an important part of the Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC) program.
Water quality parameters measured include:
- temperature
- dissolved oxygen
- conductivity
- salinity
- pH
- turbidity
- nutrients
- algae (chlorophyll and cyanobacteria)
- fecal coliform bacteria (fish & shellfish harvest)
- enterococcus bacteria (water contact activities)
Bioassessments
Bioassessments are conducted every 1-2 years on each perennial stream and sample the benthic macroinvertebrate community. Habitat assessments that include characterization of the vegetation are included with the macroinvertebrate sampling every 2-3 years.
Outcomes
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Community alerts of unsafe beach conditions via social media, text alerts, website updates, and reader board
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Data collection efforts to support new restoration projects
- Inform local management and operation of facilities and infrastructure to address water quality concerns
- Development, implementation, and regulation of Swinomish Water Quality Standards
- Communication of ongoing water quality trends and issues at regional conferences
- Identification and correction of failing on-site septic systems
- Community awareness and collaboration with residents on water quality issues
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Resources
- Recreational Beach Bacteria Monitoring StoryMap
- Swinomish Water Quality Standards, Tribal Code Title 19 Chapter 6
- Per Chapter 19-06, Table 15, Footnote O: freshwater copper criteria have not yet been adopted. Once adopted, the Biotic Ligand Model input parameters used in developing the criteria will be listed here.
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Bioaccumulate Toxics in Native American Shellfish Project, 2002-2006
