The Shellfish Strategic Initiative Lead (SIL) is pleased to announce the funding recommendation for the 2024 Request for Proposals (RFP) to increase harvestable shellfish acreage in Puget Sound. $6 million from EPA’s Puget Sound Geographic Funds will support 9 proposals. 

The Washington State Department of Health is responsible for the classification of shellfish growing areas based on Federal and State rules. This classification involves the evaluation of marine water quality (for fecal coliform), point and nonpoint fecal pollution sources, and environmental conditions in the area. 

These new investments will address an array of needs that help reduce fecal pollution that benefits marine water quality. This work protects and restores shellfish harvest opportunities; commercial, recreational, and Tribal Treaty Rights. Doing this by: 

• Supporting Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC) programs.  
• Supporting Onsite Sewage System (OSS) management. 
• Supporting work that addresses manure runoff. 
• Addressing impacts from Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP) on shellfish bed classification.  

Below are the highlights of each project across the Shellfish SIL’s 2024 investment priorities.   

Support work that addresses fecal pollution impacts to shellfish growing area classification protection and restoration.  

Many programs support work that reduces fecal pollution from entering waterways. This investment priority supports these programs in being able to support staff capacity, program development and implementation, conduct community outreach and education to generate watershed stewardship, and provide technical and financial assistance to help correct fecal pollution sources. Investments include: 

Hood Canal Coordinating Council for supporting regional PIC work, continuing to build on its strong collaborative foundation to advance approaches to the essential work of maintaining and improving water quality by reducing bacterial and nutrient pollution. Work includes shoreline monitoring and pollution source investigations, agricultural technical assistance support, OSS maintenance rebates, outreach and education, management of mobile discharges from RVs and boats, and workshopping a regional approach to the threat of sea level rise inundation of shoreline OSS. 

Mason Conservation District for providing technical assistance to livestock owners including performing site visits and developing written, prioritized recommendations for individual farms. Funds will also support classroom education and field experience opportunities to improve local awareness of the environmental resources in South Puget Sound, common activities that are affecting the health of Puget Sound, and actions that residents can take to protect and restore the area. 

Skagit County Public Health to provide economically disadvantaged, low-income OSS owner access to financial assistance options for their maintenance inspections and any necessary repairs, replacements, or upgrades. 

Swinomish Indian Tribal Community to support ongoing PIC program work including staff capacity for outreach, field work, sampling analysis, and database management. As well as repairing and relocating of two large STEP tanks impacted by erosion.  

Thurston Conservation District to support incentive-based, non-regulatory technical assistance and outreach to help farms reduce nutrient impacts in shellfish production areas, inspiring voluntary conservation practices for the benefit of current and future generations. 

Whatcom County to support PIC program work including partner coordination, data coordination and visualization, supporting seasonal strategies, assessing sea level rise risk to OSS, and analyzing bacteria loading related to changing climate and extreme weather events. 

Support innovative solutions to address fecal pollution impacts to shellfish growing area classification protection and restoration. 

Funds and capacity to explore innovations in management, planning, monitoring, source tracing, education, and enforcement are not always available. This investment priority supports programs in being able to explore and implement innovative solutions in addressing fecal pollution reduction needs. Investments include: 

Washington State Parks for implementing a mobile restroom demonstration project at Potlach State Park to replace the existing day-use restroom, acting as a pilot for facilities at risk from sea level rise. As well as supporting the foundation for master planning of the Park’s future.  

University of Washington for developing hydrodynamic models for fecal bacteria assessment at six priority shellfish growing area sites: Skagit bay, Dye Inlet, Dungeness Bay, Annas bay, Budd Inlet, and Commencement Bay. Modeling may help characterize potential fecal pollution sources within areas and may inform monitoring and growing area analysis. 

Integrate shellfish growing area classification priorities in Wastewater Treatment Plant operation, planning and/or upgrades. 

Following Federal and State rules, shellfish harvest is prohibited adjacent to WWTP outfalls as a precautionary closure zone to protect public health from an upset condition (loss of disinfection). These precautionary closure zones are required regardless of permit discharge limits and permittees’ compliance with permits. To reduce their impact on a shellfish growing area, there are modifications that a facility may take that could result in a resized closure zone or eliminated it if the outfall is removed or relocated. This investment priority supports work that can help prepare a WWTP for those changes, and/or use funds to make small scale upgrades. Investments include:  

Lakehaven Water and Sewer District for side-sewer rehabilitation and construction improvements. This will help reduce the amount of groundwater from infiltrating into underground sanitary sewer pipes, impacting wet weather overflow events at the Redondo WWTP.  

Taylor Bay Beach Club for pipe repair. Sealing the leaking collection pipe will reduce infiltration and inflow, resulting in reduced winter, spring, and fall inflow rates to the WWTP, thereby improving the efficacy of wastewater treatment. 

Did You Know? 

The programs funded in this RFP are prioritizing actions to increase climate resiliency and promote good water quality sustainably. These programs are taking adaptive management strategies to be able to pivot strategies based on evolving scenarios. Among these actions, two stand out: programs are investing in infrastructure that will withstand future climate conditions and intentionally using nature-based solutions to improve water quality while providing co-benefits that contribute to the ecosystem's resiliency. The Shellfish SIL works to leverage resources and capacity to enhance these climate-minded actions over the course of the awards.