West Sound (original) (raw)

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PART 2: SAN JUAN COUNTY CHARACTERIZATION REPORT

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CHAPTER 6: DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INDIVIDUAL PRIORITY WATERSHEDS

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East Sound | Friday Harbor | Westcott/Garrison Bays | Fisherman Bay | Roche Harbor | Mud/Hunter Bays | West Sound | Deer Harbor | False Bay

West Sound

Beneficial Uses

The West Sound watershed was ranked seventh in the 1988 San Juan County Watershed Ranking Report. Historically the sound was fished heavily for commercial herring and shrimp harvests. The area contains critical habitat for Pacific Herringand River Otter and many species of migratory waterfowl, including Buffleheads, scaups, goldeneyes, grebes and scoters. The west side of West Sound is a highly active Bald Eagle nesting area. Currently, there are no identified shellfish, shrimp or crab harvesting locations in West Sound. There are sizable areas of eel grass beds and intertidal nearshore habitat. Several midden areas are found along the shores of West Sound, including White Beach Bay, which derived its name from the abundance of shell remains left by native residents.

West Sound watershed contains Schaefer Lake, a Class 2 water body of about 4 acres, a large marsh area of about 60 acres, numerous ponds and small wetlands, but no major surface water resources. There are three main drainage systems in the watershed and several smaller ones. The largest system is the Crow Valley drainage which terminates near Westsound, with an estimated annual runoff of 2,276 acre-feet, the second largest drainage basin in the county. The second largest drainage in the watershed terminates at Bayhead, near Orcas Village. The third major drainage terminates at the head of Massacre Bay.

Orcas Knob in the West Sound watershed is an important natural area with near-climax forest conditions. The south slope of Turtleback Mountain has a rare open woodland oak-savannah landscape mixed with Rocky Mountain Juniper.

Watershed Condition

The West Sound watershed has the largest area of open farmland and wet meadows on Orcas Island, including Crow Valley and Warm Valley, and receives the bulk of the drainage from the eastern side of the Turtleback range. Much of the land adjacent to the major drainage corridors through Crow Valley is wetland and is in agricultural use. There are several livestock operations that include fields for grazing and hay. Most of the stream corridors in Crow Valley have excellent vegetative cover, but some are disturbed, and animals have access to streams and wetlands in some areas. A group of residents are working to reestablish a fish run in the Crow Valley Creek. A large and valuable marsh in the eastern part of the watershed collects runoff from Mount Woolard, which is extensively forested, and drains to Bayhead, next to Orcas Village.

Orcas Village is located at the edge of West Sound, on the southeastern end of the watershed, and contains a small public dock and private marina, fuel dock, fuel storage tanks, ferry landing, and several commercial businesses. This area is served by a sewer system. Large parking areas serve the ferry dock and businesses in the Village. The village area is designated for future commercial growth as an activity center under the County's comprehensive plan. All the vehiculartraffic coming to and going from Orcas Island passes through this location.

There are about 15 miles of major county roads in the West Sound watershed. Fuel service is provided at Orcas Village and West Sound Marina. In the past, fuel was available at the Westsound Store.

West Sound Marina is located near the center of the eastern shoreline of West Sound. The marina has permanent moorage for 160 boats, transient moorage, boat ramp, and full boat service including haul-outs up to 30 tons. Liveaboards are allowed and pump-out facilities are available. A county dock, two private marinas, at Bayhead and White Beach, and several community docks are also located in West Sound. The area is popular as a boating rendezvous location. A large log rafting operation is located near White Beach. In the past a lime kiln operation was located in West Sound.

Two of the streams monitored between spring of 1997 and spring of 1998 showed fecal coliforms in excess of state standards. In the upper reaches of the Crow Valley Creek, 100 percent of six samples taken exceeded 50 cfu/100mL. The creek drainage from Warm Valley exceed 50 cfu/100mL in 42 percent of the samples taken. (See Chapter 5, Water Quality, for more information about these sample results.)

Between December 1993 and October 1994, the San Juan County Conservation District conducted a survey of well water quality in 41 wells in the Crow Valley area. Out of 80 samples taken for coliforms, 16 samples were positive for fecal organisms. The wells contaminated with fecal coliforms were shallow, dug wells, generally with direct contact to surface runoff from adjacent farm activities.

Agricultural land in Crow Valley has decreased over the last 50 years and forest is beginning to encroach on some long established pastures. Conversion of farm and forest land to residential use is reducing the number of larger landholdings.

Large areas of this watershed are currently well below the development potential designated in the county's comprehensive plan, including Turtleback Mountain, Mt. Woolard and much of Crow Valley. Crow Valley's agricultural land has a density designation of one residence per 20 acres. The upland areas of the watershed have a five or 10 acre per unit density designation. The shoreline areas have a density of two acres per unit. Orcas Village contains an urban area designated 6 units per acre, with a one-half acre per unit density for rest of the area. One of the greatest concerns for the watershed is the erosion potential of Turtleback Mountain and parts of Mount Woolard as land is converted to residential use. All but a few small areas of the watershed have severely limited soils for on-site septic systems.

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