Community Newspaper for Blaine, Birch Bay and Semiahmoo, Washington

2001 IN REVIEW

Drayton Harbor Shellfish Protection District

By George Menzies

This past year has been a breakthrough year for all of us who are interested in cleaning up Drayton Harbor so that it will once again support the healthy harvest of shellfish. The list of those who are becoming involved is growing through new partnerships and community-building projects. The city of Blaine has made numerous improvements to its sewage collection system in the past few years. This includes reduction of direct storm water in-flow and leaks into the system, pressure testing the underwater force main, cleaning of all 1000 catch basins throughout the city, and completing the repairs to manholes and broken sections of a Marine Drive sewer line. Results of this work are evident with the recent storm of mid-December. In spite of high sewage flows to the treatment plant, Blaine was able to avoid the overflow of sewage-laden stormwater along Marine Drive under extremely wet weather conditions. Under these same conditions, Bellingham’s District 10 experienced sewage overflows into Lake Whatcom for several days. It is rare for them to have problems when we do not. Bravo to the city of Blaine and all of the public works employees who pulled this one off. The wastewater treatment plant has also gone for more than a year without violating their discharge permit. That’s also good news for area waters.

Grant Stewart, public works director, has also shown leadership by becoming an active participant in the “Shared Waters Roundtable” which is a cross border group of citizens, government agencies, and non-profit groups who are focusing on on-the-ground efforts to restore shellfish harvesting in Semiahmoo Bay and Drayton Harbor. It is very important to have Blaine represented at the table and his involvement shows the city’s commitment to good stewardship for the harbor.

In addition to participating in activities of the shellfish protection district and the community oyster farm project, the city of Blaine has recently cooperated with a community-based shoreline stormwater outfall monitoring program along the eastern shore of Drayton Harbor. Staff at the treatment plant have done the monthly laboratory analysis on all samples collected during this six-month program. Blaine will meet with citizen volunteers and other local agencies to review the results of this program and help design follow-up actions to control pollution sources where identified.

There is still much work to be done to restore Drayton Harbor but with this and numerous other partnerships underway, we should accomplish a lot of good work in 2002. The community has planted oysters in Drayton Harbor and a 2004 community oyster feed is scheduled. The clock is ticking..