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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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-