Illahee Community

Wildlife Report - 5-31-11

2011-05-31T20:45:00.000-07:00

Deer Herd? What constitutes a herd of deer? It was reported that two bucks, three does, and two fawns was too much for one gardener to have in her yard and she tried to make enough noise to scare them away. They reported looked at her and slowly walked across the road stopping oncoming traffic. Gardeners we have talked to are seeming less patient as the number of deer in the area increases. But maybe we should consider the number of deer in an area as an indication of where the great gardens are? We will be checking next month to see if those interesting in hosting a garden tour are still interested, assuming the deer have left them something to show.

Coyotes? There have always been coyotes in the area, but some who live next to the Preserve, say the coyotes are getting more aggressive around their residents and pets. We would like to post some pictures of local coyotes so if you have any you would share please forward them.

Baby Ducks. We had reports of two baby mallard ducks along the waterfront and we saw two baby mallards in the Illahee North detention pond (see attached photo). Years ago we watched a mother duck try to get her ducklings from the waterfront to the pond and they didn't make it.

Canada Geese Families. We have watched three families of Canada geese come and go (see attached photos). Once the goslings get bigger the seagulls seem to leave them alone. The first photo is of a single goose that is raising two young ones by herself and is usually seen with the family in the second photo.

Killdeer Nest. We have been led away from Killdeer nests several times this spring and finally we have discovered a nest. Actually it isn't much of a nest at all and it appears the eggs were laid on the beach sand and broken shells. The attached photos show the eggs in the nest, the Killdeer on the nest, and the Killdeer doing its broken wing dance to draw us away from the nest.

Bird Tour. There was a bird tour in the Illahee Preserve early on Memorial Day morning. These tours are held regularly and quickly fill up. They are led by a Master Birder and past president of Seattle Audubon. If this is something that interests you, please let us know and we will pass the information on so you can be notified of the next tour. The photos were posted on Facebook and the link is: http://tinyurl.com/3f4z9ys

Lazuli Bunting Report in Last Update. This is a follow-up of the Lazuli Bunting sighting that was reported in our last Update. Joan Carson does a bird report in the Kitsap Sun each week and noted several sightings of these amazingly beautiful birds and also responded to the Illahee resident who reported the sighting with the following email:

It sounds like you were one of the lucky Friday the 13th birdwatchers! Seems like a wave of Lazuli Buntings hit Kitsap County that day. I had reports from west of Keyport and Bainbridge Island. Considering where you are, that's a wide area. A very small number of these birds migrate through our area in the spring, but they don't seem to show up every year. Certain conditions influence them somehow and I suppose it is the wind. Anyway, you were lucky and I'm still waiting - one of these years I hope.

Wildlife Pictures? We would love to pass on any wildlife photos or stories you have. We normally pass them on anonymously unless give specific authorization to use your name.

Jim Aho

Preserve, Wildlife, & BD Party - 5-18-11

2011-05-18T22:45:00.000-07:00

Preserve Litter & Cleanup? Tuesday morning we were asked to check on a campsite that had been in the Illahee Preserve for about a week. On the way in we were disappointed to see a stack of phone books and "Little Nickel" newspapers along one of the trails (see attached photo). When we came back later in the morning to clean up the campsite, the litter had been removed. We know of several people who regularly walk the trails who pick up the litter of others and we want to thank them for their efforts to keep the Preserve clean.

Illegal Campsite. We did find the campsite (see photo) and came back later with garbage bags to clean it up. The good news is that it was reported to the sheriff's department and a deputy visited the site and left a note that they had to leave. We found part of the note that had been burned. Others also reported the site and we thank all of you for notifying officials and us. After we cleaned up the site, the Park's department was notified that we had left the bags by the mutt mit station, and they came by later to pick up the trash.

Deer & Cat. We get a number of emails and photos and try to remember to send them on. This one came to us on Mother's day along with the photo.

I always enjoy my newsletter and Mother's Day morning, I had an interesting event in my backyard when the domestic and the wild came face to face. As one of my cats was in the back yard, she had a visitor. They were very curious about each other and watched each other for quite some time. I did run the visitor off when my raspberry bushes became a morning snack. What a great gift on this special day.

Amazing Colorful Bird. We have had some interesting birds in Illahee. Today an osprey flew over the area. But the bird in this story is amazingly beautiful. The response email is from Vic Ulsh along with the attached pictures of the Lazuli Bunting.

I live on a street just up the hill from the entrance to Illahee St Park and have a bird feeder and suet feeder on my deck. I enjoy watching all the different birds that come to the feeders so I look out my windows quite often. On Friday, May 13, I looked out and saw a bird on my deck railing that I have never seen before. It was about the size of a finch and had a orange-beige chest, a blue head and back, and dark wings with two white wing bands. It was just beautiful. My daughter looked it up in her bird book and we determined that it is a Lazuli Bunting. According to the information in the book, it’s not common to this area. I’m wondering if anyone in the area has seen this bird and if so have I identified it correctly.

Jim Aho forwarded your inquiry to me. I work with him at Illahee Preserve. Lazuli Bunting do occur in this area, but not common. It is a treasure to see one. I saw my first Lazuli Bunting within the Eastpark development area near YMCA last Memorial Day weekend. The day had awful, bright glare lighting with brisk winds, but I "chased" the little rascal around for some photos. The wind fluffed out his chest feathers in the first photo. See attached.

Here is another quick reference web site I like to use.

http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/204/overview/Lazuli_Bunting.aspx

You seem to have described a Lazuli. Does this look like your bird? Lazuli bunting is a beautiful, sweet little bird. Count yourself to be very fortunate.

Thank you for your email and for sending your photos. Yes, that is the bird I saw. He actually came to my deck twice that day. I can’t say if there was a female with him because I was so focused on the beautiful little male I was seeing and there were quite a few other birds at the feeder at the time. I’m hoping he will come back, but it sounds like it may be a one time sighting. I count my self lucky for seeing him and wish I would have had my camera handy.

Audrey Boyer Turns 93 Next Month. Audrey Boyer is one of the persons who was instrumental in the county obtaining the Illahee Preserve. We found out she will have a birthday soon and her children are having a party next month for her. See the following notice:

Audrey Boyer, Illahee Community Leader and Activist, Celebrating 93rd Birthday Audrey Boyer's family is planning a community gathering to celebrate Audrey's 93rd birthday. The gathering will be at Audrey's home in Illahee, on June 19, 2011. If you have worked with, known, or know of Audrey and her many accomplishments, as a teacher, Democratic Precinct Committee Officer, campaigner, Community Club leader, environmental activist, leader in establishing the Illahee Forest Preserve, Amnesty International member, and friend to many students and neighbors, she and her family hope you will be able to stop by to say hello. Also, if you know someone whom you think would like to hear about the celebration, please pass this invitation along to them:

Audrey Boyer's 93rd Birthday Celebration
5625 Ocean View Blvd
Bremerton, WA 98311
Sunday, June 19, 2011, 3-6 PM
Open House style, come when you can, cake-cutting at 5 PM
Your present is your presence.
Please walk or carpool if you can, as parking will be limited.

RSVP to Helen Boyer, helenaboyer@comcast.net

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous - 5-14-11

2011-05-14T22:50:00.000-07:00

Where Are The Updates? We have been asked about when the Updates will resume, so it must be time to continue them. We had a nice trip around the Baltic Sea, visiting and touring in Germany, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark. We were surprised at the low salinity and lack of tidal fluctuations in the Baltic Sea. After the trip I ended up with pneumonia and have finally recovered enough to want to sit at my computer. Not too many items to report so should be able to catch up with all I know in this Update.

Fawn Reports. Two sets of twin fawns have been reported, with one being hit by a car last Saturday just south of University Point. Some gardeners are reporting daily and nightly visits by deer and are realizing they need to get nets up if anything is going to survive.

Gosling Report. Not as many young Canada goose goslings reported, possibly because some of the seagulls are reportedly getting them when they are really small. We have seen this ourselves a few years ago where the goslings were swimming in a line between the two parent geese, and a seagull quickly swims up and takes a gosling before the adult geese can react.

Baby Possums. We had two reports of strange looking rat type creatures, which of course were small baby possums. These babies are cute when they are small and we have been surprised that cats seem to leave them alone.

Humming Bird Report. We received the following email regarding a large hummingbird:

Today 5-4-11, I saw or at least what I thought was the largest Hummingbird I have ever seen around this area (off of Wise Street). It seems to be about 4 or 5 inches long. Has a dark hood with white stripe from back of eye to back of head. Body is green, but may have dark/ Dk Blue back. I think at times you can see a red spot on the forehead area. It perches on on top of a 40 to 50 foot ceder tree of a neighbor. Attached are photos taken through a telescope. I could not ID this bird. See attachment.

Beverly Deitch Obituary. Received the following note while on our trip and heard a number of Illahee residents attended the memorial service.

Just to let you know that Bev Deitch has passed away. Her obituary appeared in the Kitsap Sun this morning (Thursday) . We are saddened to learn of her passing.

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/apr/27/beverly-ann-deitch-77/

Commissioner Brown's May Newsletter Mentions Illahee Film. There is a nice write-up about what is happening in Illahee in Josh Brown's May newsletter, which can be read by clicking on the following link:

http://www.kitsapgov.com/boc/Newsletter/May%202011%20Newsletter.pdf

Garden Tour? Have not had a chance to find out if a determination has been made about an Illahee garden tour this summer.

Jim Aho

2011-04-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

Frilled Dogwinkles? An article in the Kitsap Sun on Wednesday caught our eye when it mentioned "frilled dogwinkles." A few years ago our neighbor was cleaning his garage and was going to throw out a box of old frilled dogwinkle shells.

Were They From Illahee? We questioned our neighbor whether the frilled dogwinkle shells had come from Illahee because they didn't look like any snail shells we have seen around here. The frills on the shell extended out and they looked so nice that you would possibly want to display them. He said he and his brother collected them from the Illahee shoreline when they were kids in the 1950's.

Questions Raised Last Year. Last year we brought some of these shells to a beach watchers class to see if there was anyone who could explain why we don't see these intricate frilled dogwinkles on our beaches anymore. We only see a few snail shells out there now, but they are without the raised frills.

The Answer? Which brings us back to the Kitsap Sun article, as it explained that the changing chemistry of Puget Sound was increasing in acidification such that the "shells of marine snails called frilled dogwinkles get thinner." Is this the answer to our question?

Shellfish Expert. We hope to ask the dogwinkle question of Betsy Peabody, a shell fish expert, who is being asked to be in the Illahee film project and to comment about possible reasons for the diminishing shellfish in Illahee and the fouling of the shellfish beds from excessive sedimentation.

The Kitsap Sun Article. The title and link to the Kitsap Sun article is: Scientists checking changing Puget Sound chemistry http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/apr/12/scientists-checking-changing-puget-sound/

Piebald Deer Question. We asked the question of whether the piebald deer north of Illahee had migrated to the area south of Illahee State Park. From the response below, the piebald deer by the park has different markings:

I can confirm that the piebald I saw last week was not the one in the photo below. The individual I saw was cream colored and only had a few spots, which were along its haunches and lower parts of the leg, similar to what the writer described as potential offspring of the male in pictures. The individual I saw was also quite small. I do not know what sex it is.

Black Deer Pictures. These photos (from near Beamsville, Ontario, Canada) were sent in by a resident who noted a black deer is even more rare than piebald or albino deer.

Earthquake Fault Lines. We still get comments regarding the Updates we sent out regarding the fact the we have earthquake fault lines running through Illahee and whether residents should have earthquake insurance. Attached is a map showing just the Illahee area fault lines, that was taken from the county's website. The link to the county map is: http://kitsapgov.com/dcd/gis/maps/Standard_Maps/Environmental/FAULTS_DEC2006.pdf

Miscellaneous - 4-11-11

2011-04-11T22:40:00.000-07:00

Trillium Blooming In Preserve. One of first flowers to bloom in the forest are Trilliums. We took the following picture on Sunday to show just how beautiful these flowers are. A couple of interesting facts from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trillium are:

Picking a trillium seriously injures the plant by preventing the leaf-like bracts from producing food for the next year. A plant takes many years to recover. For this reason in Michigan^[1] and Minnesota^[2] it is illegal to pick and/or transplant trilliums from public lands without a permit from the State.

Trillium is one of many plants whose seeds are spread by ants. At maturity, the base and core of the trillium ovary turns soft and spongy. Trillium seeds have a fleshy organ called an elaiosome that attracts ants. The ants extract the seeds from the decaying ovary and take them to their nest, where they eat the elaiosomes and put the seeds in their garbage, where they germinate in a rich growing medium.

North Perry Water Response. We received the following response from North Perry Water's General Manager, George Smalley, regarding our inquiry whether the community could help or show support for a possible relocation of the Riddell well:

I know it seems that there is always a correction to be made every time a news letter goes out, so here it is.
It’s not that the Tribe “ shut NPW down” on the proposed well site on Almira Drive.
It was the simple fact that the Tribe and Dr. Massman were convinced that pumping at the new site on Almira could possibly affect a stream in Tracyton, which is a closed stream with a healthy salmon run.
North Perry Water did not want to end up in Court over the appeal by the Tribes and could not agree on where or how much water could be added to several streams throughout the District to offset perceived pumping affects on the streams from Tracyton to Brownsville and Illahee.
The new well site on Almira was to be drilled into a deeper aquifer than the well on Perry Avenue, which is near the beginning of Illahee creek., ( Perry Ave well site), and the Pickering well site @ maple and Pickering St. That would have allowed NPW to pump the shallow aquifer less at those sites, and hopefully give the aquifer more time to recover between pumping times. It would not affect how often the District would be pumping the Riddell site. It should be noted however that the Riddell well does pump from a deeper aquifer than the Perry site and the Pickering well site. Right now the aquifers looks very healthy and water levels are good For whatever reason the District, has been pumping and selling less water over the last five years than previously, as are other purveyors in the County.
I believe it is the result of the economy and conservation efforts that are responsible for this.
Even though the shallow aquifers look good, we do believe that getting into the deeper aquifer is the right thing to do . The District is still looking at other options when it comes to pumping out of the shallow aquifer.

It is good to know that the people of Illahee are willing to help in negotiations on a new site in the future if needed.

Piebald Deer Movement? We were asked whether the piebald deer seen south of Illahee State Park, is the same one that was observed north of Illahee. And so we have included the attached info on the north Illahee piebald deer so those around the State Park can tell us if it is the same one.

This is probably the same piebald deer that visits us every few days. I am sending a couple of pics to see if its the same one. I have pics of this deer from Summer of 07, so he is about 4 years old. We actually are starting to see what I believe are some of his offspring. They have a few white spots but are mostly cream colored. I hope hunters don't try to shoot this deer. I have talked to the major land owners in my area and they have said they won't allow hunting on their land.

Hopefully there is no hunting in the Illahee Preserve and the surrounding areas.

Rolling Hills Golf Course Gifting Finalized. We have been waiting to hear that the gifting of the Rolling Hills Golf Course by Don Rasmussen and Kerma Peterson to Kitsap County has been finalized and just heard yesterday that it has. Thanks to Don and Kerma and to Commissioner Josh Brown for helping to make it all happen.

Possible Next Step re Timbers Edge? We heard that the finalization of the Golf Course gifting is what the Illahee Community Club has been waiting for as they will now be contacting the two Land Trusts that expressed interest some time ago about the possibility of purchasing the Timbers Edge properties. The golf course is evidently a major part of the bigger plan for expanding the Illahee Preserve and now they feel that they are in a better position for a land trust to want to come in to help.

Illahee Garden Tour This Summer? We were notified that a core group of Illahee gardeners are pursuing whether there is enough interest to have a garden tour in Illahee this summer. If you would like to be part of this group or have some suggestions for possible gardens that could be toured, please let us know and we will pass the information on.

Jim Aho

Garden Tour & Watershed Curriculum - 4-10-11

2011-04-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

Garden Tour Group Interest. There were at least 10 who expressed interest in an Illahee garden tour this summer, and they will hopefully be able to meet and decide on gardens and dates. Let us know if you have suggestions or want to be part of the group and we will pass the information on.

Watershed Curriculum Evaluation. Illahee has been selected to evaluate a watershed curriculum that was developed in Jefferson County and is now scheduled for 5 evaluations in our surrounding counties, Island (2 sites), Pierce, Kitsap and Jefferson County. There is some good information in this presentation and we will pass more details on later.

Out of Town. We will be out of town for a few weeks, but will be in email contact with our ipad. We are sorry to miss all the flowers and leaves that are emerging. Attached is a photo of a rhododendron starting to blossom out.

Jim Aho

BKAT Schedule & Piebald Deer Sighting 4-4-11

2011-04-04T22:30:00.000-07:00

BKAT Showing of Aquifer Briefing. We first heard that BKAT (Channel 12) was showing the aquifer briefing presentation by someone who caught the last few minutes of a showing and wanted to know when it would be showing again. We received the schedule from BKAT this morning and caught the 11:30 am showing and have some comments.

At Times the Microphone Cut Out. While the visual coverage was great, there were a few times when the microphone Dr. Massmann was using cut out, and we wished the external microphone's volume was higher for the question and answer time.

Remaining BKAT Schedule. The remaining airing schedule for the aquifer briefing is:

4/5 9pm

4/9 11am

4/11 1:30pm

Piebald Deer Sighting. This sighting was in the area south of Illahee State Park.

I wanted to let you know that I think we had a piebald deer in our yard this morning. The deer was quite stocky and short and did not seem like it was a second year deer because it was so stocky and filled out; it didn't look like any second year deer I've ever seen. The deer also had very noticeable white patches on its haunches down to its hooves. It seemed to be solitary but I wasn't able to get a good look around before my dog noticed what I was observing. The deer was about 30 feet from my sliding glass door and the only reason why I noticed it was because the dog wanted out. Luckily, I saw the deer before I opened the door and let the dog out.

I thought I should pass this on particularly becuase I have not seen other deer like this in the neighborhood since I've lived here and I know the Illahee community is trying to monitor our wildlife.

Jim Aho

Brush Picker Report & Misc 4-3-11

2011-04-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

Brush Picker Report. If the following report is true, we should expect to see brush pickers in the Illahee Preserve tomorrow. They evidently prefer to be there when it rains since there are fewer people there.

I had a lengthy chat today with one of my scouts in Illahee Forest (no names revealed). Their general feeling is the brush pickers are picking us blind right now. This person is very perceptive and notices much detail during their walks. They say the pickers are all Latin Americans who wear black rain coats and are very adept at hiding in brush when anyone else is around. The black rain gear is perceived to be universal and almost a team uniform. They believe the pickers are most apt to be active Monday thru Friday from 8 to 5. They often get dropped off along Petersville/Riddell access and get picked up same place in late day. They have also witnessed an Almira parking lot pick-up. This person has recently found two VERY large bundles of salal (different locations) and taken it upon themselves to cut it apart and scatter the vegetation. They also say the most common time for the pickers to be active is when it is raining because there are fewer trail walkers to detect them.
If my observed trend is consistent, then we have another several weeks of brush thievery before it dies down until late Fall. Just a few thoughts from the field.

Unleashed Dog Report. We received the following account of an incident with unleashed dogs today that we thought should be passed on. Thankfully, this is only the second one we are aware of.

My wife and I had a very bad dog encounter at Compass Circle this morning. A guy with two big snarling dogs came out Doe Trail, dogs first. The dogs challenged me growling and showing big teeth. One big hound dog was particularly aggressive - classic junk guard dog appearance. The guy yelled out from the trail to ask if we had a dog, as if it was our fault if his dogs were being aggressive. When the guy emerged from the trail he said the dogs were OK, as they went to circle my wife while snarling. The mean hound was bumping into my wife's back while snapping at her. I gave the guy an earful as he leashed the meaner hound. It was frightening for both of us. We were both shaking. Worst dog experience I've had in the Forest. Those were two big, mean dogs. This idiot is exactly why every dog should be on a leash. Any little dog running into the path of these mean big dogs would be lunch. Completely unacceptable behavior this morning.

Last Preserve Report. When we put out our last report on tree clearing in the Preserve a week ago, we had not yet received the following report from those doing the clearing: (Remember, this was from last week (3/27/11)

We went on trail brigade with chain saws at 6:30 this morning. 12 trees cleaned up. A Northern Pygmy Owl greeted us near north end of Golf Course Loop trail. A pair of hairy woodpeckers worked on a dead tree along Bootleg Trail. Birds are more vocal as Spring has arrived in the Forest. Rained entire time. Horses have damaged trail in many areas.

These are some dedicate volunteers who would get up so early on a weekend to take care of the Illahee Preserve trails. Thanks guys for your dedication and support!!

Kids Tour Illahee Creek. Last Sunday an energetic bunch of kids from the Unitarian Fellowship were given a tour of Illahee Creek. They met at the Krigsman's and walked up the the old concrete reservoir that was put in by Dr. Schutt. The kids went through the water and brush easily while the adults struggled along. The picture of the group was taken by the Krigsman's potting shed along side the creek, before the wet and muddy excursion took place.

North Perry Water. We wanted to acknowledge that North Perry Water was at the aquifer briefing last week, along with their hydrologist. We thought about this when we went by the newly cleaned water reservoir on Sunset. It looked so nice we took its picture. The boom in the picture was used to elevate those doing the pressure washing. Thanks to all the North Perry folks for also keeping our drinking water clean and healthy!

North Perry Riddell Well. We heard that at one time North Perry was looking at relocating their Riddell well at Perry Avenue to the west side of the ridge going through the Illahee Preserve, which would put it in the Meadowdale Aquifer (which is in the Steele Creek watershed). We also heard they withdrew their request because of some issues with the Tribes. Some Illahee residents are wondering if it would help if the community were to publicly support the move. We aren't sure we have all the facts on this issue, but feel if the relocation supports the communities desire to restore Illahee Creek, then we should be doing all we can to help North Perry in its relocation request. We brought this issue up to get discussions started. Let us know your thoughts. This may be a good item to present at the quarterly Illahee Community Club meeting in May.

Input Needed and Appreciated. As you can see much of what we put out in these updates comes from your input. Thank you for trusting us with it and letting us pass it on.

Jim Aho

Aquifer Briefing Report 4-1-11

2011-04-01T22:13:00.000-07:00

Aquifer Briefing (3/29/11). On March 29, 2011 Dr. Joel Massman gave an informative presentation on aquifer modeling and specifically how the Bainbridge Island aquifer study and model related to Illahee Creek and the surrounding area.

Many Engineers and Hydrologists Attended. We were surprised at the number of engineers, hydrologists, and those working in the water industry, who attended the briefing, since the press releases sent to local papers did not get printed. Other educators and scientists also attended such that it seemed like the aquifer topic appealed primarily to those with scientific backgrounds and those with advanced degrees with at least 4 Ph.D's, including Dr. Massmann in attendance.

Illahee Residents - Low Numbers? We were also surprised that there weren't more Illahee residents in attendance, though a number of residents who could not attend provided questions to ask. There were a total of 14 signs placed throughout the Illahee community, and in the days preceding the briefing we were told by many that they like receiving the summaries of meetings so they don't feel they need to attend in order to be informed. We also heard some got the date wrong and showed up on Wednesday.

Bremerton Kitsap Access Television (BKAT). The briefing was video taped by BKAT for later showings, which will help those who could not attend on Tuesday. We will let you know when they will be shown on Channel 12.

Briefing Content. We do not have a copy of the Power Point of the briefing so this will be very short and succinct. The Bainbridge Island study did extend over onto the Kitsap Peninsula which takes in Illahee. The USGS gave Dr. Massmann access to their modeling software so he was able to use the model to extrapolate the affect of wells on the flows on Illahee Creek. The modeling exercise showed that there is a significant effect on the summer base flows of Illahee Creek from the various wells along Illahee Creek.

Many Questions Followed. Following the briefing questions from the audience and written ones from those who could not attend, were fielded by Dr. Massmann, with a few fielded by Dr. Matt Bachmann from the USGS. Comments from some Illahee residents were that the questions helped get the discussions down from the theoretical to the practical issues that local citizens are dealing with.

Responses (Answers) Later. We will publish some of the more pertinent and interesting questions and answers when we get a tape of the event. One question and response proved interesting which was -- When will the USGS Kitsap aquifer study be completed? The answer was in another 4 years. (Comment - That is the reason the Port wanted to have Dr. Massmann review the USGS BI Study could give us more information on Illahee Creek, which many residents consider already at a critical state with respect to low base flows.)

Comments from Other Attendees? We would like to hear from others who attended the briefing on their thoughts. We did receive emails the next day thanking those who arranged for the briefing, which would be the Port of Illahee with funding from the Department of Ecology.

Jim Aho

Kitsap Sun Aquifer Article 3-29-11

2011-03-29T11:30:00.000-07:00

Deciding Whether to Attend Aquifer Meeting Tonight? If you are trying to decide whether to attend the Aquifer Briefing tonight (3/29) at 6:30 pm at the Norm Dicks Center, you might want to read the following article in the Kitsap Sun this morning. We have attached it below and also linked it http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/mar/28/as-expected-study-predicts-declinging-drinking/. We will be learning about some of the same issues as they affect Illahee and the surrounding community from a noted hydrologist.

Aquifers Also Feed Illahee Creek. Not only do our aquifers provide our drinking water, they also provide for the base flow in Illahee Creek, which is necessary to maintain if the stream is to continue to be fish bearing. This will also be discussed.

Jim Aho

Kitsap Sun Tuesday March 29, 2011

As expected, study predicts declining drinking water supply on Bainbridge

By Tristan Baurick

Monday, March 28, 2011

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND — The results of a U.S. Geological Survey study of Bainbridge's groundwater supply were released this week, almost eight months after its preliminary results indicated the island's main sources of drinking water have and will continue to decline over the next two decades.

USGS hydrologist Lonna Frans said there is no significant difference between the preliminary results, which were released in July, and the final 95-page report. It took eight months to formally release the report because of the USGS's extensive review process, she said.

The study's aim was to develop a model that can simulate the potential impacts of increased groundwater pumping over the next 25 years.

Under likely conditions, the large Fletcher Bay Aquifer system, from which many high-capacity city and public utility wells draw water, is likely to drop by up to 10 feet by 2035, according to the study's preliminary results.

None of the study's results showed saltwater intrusion in island wells. Some residents with nearshore wells have expressed concerns about saltwater seeping into wells as their levels decline.

"The groundwater model gives us the tools necessary to make informed and sustainable water resource decisions," city water resources specialist Cami Apfelbeck said this week.

City water resources experts had recently stated that island aquifers were stable, and that any declines were temporary, despite a city-commissioned report that indicated otherwise in 2009.

The USGS report's findings also run counter to the notion that the island's groundwater levels are stable.

"Stable means things aren't changing, and that's not necessarily the case," Frans said when the preliminary results were released. "The (USGS study) does show decreases, and pumping is likely (the cause)."

Groundwater is the island's sole source of drinking water. Concerns about a dwindling supply could steer policy decisions for managing population growth and development.

City leaders expressed concern when the preliminary results were released, but decided to put aside discussion until the final report was released.

Water use has been a contentious topic on Bainbridge. Ensuring that the island has an adequate water supply was the top concern among the issues that worry residents, according to a 2008 opinion survey. Some residents fear that the limited supply fail to meet the demand of a growing population, and that policies should be enacted to better-manage development and water use.

The full USGS groundwater report is available for download at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2011/5021/.

Aquifer & Preserve Info 3-27-11

2011-03-27T21:40:00.000-07:00

Signs In Illahee. We heard there were 14 signs put up on Saturday reminding residents of the Aquifer Briefing being held at the Norm Dicks Center on Tuesday evening from 6:30-8 pm. It looks like there are two different versions, which we found near the Illahee Preserve parking lot on Almira.

What is the Status of Our Aquifers? There seem to be some differing opinions out there, with the four most common responses being:

1. Not a problem. "We get too much rain for there to be a problem."

2. There is a problem. "Illahee Creek's flow is getting lower every summer."

3. Don't know and would like to know more. (paraphase of most common response)

4. Don't need to know. "North Perry (Water) takes care of these issues."

Most Don't Know. Most residents do not know what the aquifer situation is in Illahee or how important it is to understand it, and what residents can do to help.

Hydrologist Expert Opinion Requested. That "not knowing" is the reason for bring back Dr. Massmann to help us better understand the aquifer situation in Illahee and the surrounding area. Dr. Massmann has studied the Illahee situation several times before, first at the request of the Illahee Community following a study by Aspect Consulting that said development along Illahee Creek could lower the base flow in Illahee Creek by 15-20%. The community paid for the study to verify those findings. The second study entitled "Illahee Watershed Aquifer Protection Plan" was prepared by Dr. Massmann as part of the Department of Ecology and Port of Illahee grant. Dr. Massmann presented those findings in 2009 at a presentation.

Important Subject. Aquifers are an extremely important subject, since Illahee's drinking water comes solely from our underlying aquifers. Our aquifers also supply the spring water that keeps Illahee Creek flowing during non-precipitation periods.

Latest Findings? When the Bainbridge Island Aquifer study was done by the USGS, they included some of the surrounding areas, including Illahee. Dr. Massmann has been asked to see if he can extrapolate any information from that study that might be applicable to Illahee and the Manette Aquifer.

Suggestions for Residents. Dr. Massmann has also been asked to provide residents with suggestions of what they can do to help protect and preserve our aquifers.

Stolen Car in Preserve? We heard today that about 2 weeks ago a stolen car was driven into the Preserve from Thompson Lane and had to be hauled out by a tow truck. We were asked why they hadn't seen the event or any pictures in an Update. Well, the reason is that was the first we heard about it. We would have been out taking pictures and getting more information had we known. Please let us know about these events. We don't mind getting multiple reports.

Rotary Trail Crew Work. Thanks to the East Bremerton Rotary's chain saw crew who cleaned up another downed tree this morning that was crossing a trail. The Preserve is almost entirely a volunteer maintained and supported park and we thank the Rotary and all the other volunteers who help day in and day out.

2010 Hours? Just how many hours were logged in officially at the Illahee Preserve in 2010? This does not include many hours of work that did not get recorded. We heard that the number was just a little under 3000 hours! Thank you to all those volunteers who help make the Preserve a great park and a success in volunteers planning, supporting, and maintaining a major county park.

2010 Dollar Support? In addition to volunteer hours, there were some major financial support, that we heard amounted to over $12,000 in 2010. The Rotary has been a major contributer, especially with the beautiful entrance signs which were installed in previous years. The Illahee Forest Preserve is the non-profit organization (501.c.3) that supports the Preserve. They paid for the dedication plaque, rock moving, etc. Additionally, the Port of Illahee and the Department of Ecology paid for the rain garden plants. Thanks to all these groups and organizations for stepping up to help.

Ducks in the Preserve Pond? It appears we again have a pair of mallard ducks who think the Illahee Preserve detention pond next to the Almira parking lot should be their home. We took the attached photo this afternoon.

Preserve Vandals & Learning Opportunities 3-22-11

2011-03-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

Brush Thieves in Preserve. It appears brush thieves have struck again in the Illahee Preserve as bundles of salal were found at the Petersville Road entrance on Monday. Evidently the thieves are dropped off from a van or other vehicle and picked up later. Rather than haul their cutting in daylight, they stash them close to a road, and pick them up later in the evening. When the bundles were sighted some of the park stewards looked to see if they were still in the Preserve, but couldn't find anyone. The stewards are hoping with more eyes in the woods and along the perimeter of the Preserve that they can get a license number or photograph of the culprits.

Scout Sign Vandals. We have had problems with someone taking down the new Eagle Scout trail signs and possibly discovered the culprits. We asked for detailed description of those involved from the person who happened upon them during a walk and received the following:

The 3 boys were late teens. 16 – 18 years old. They were all white. One wore heavy dark framed glasses. One had pretty long dark brown hair, one had shaggy shorter black hair. There was a girl with them (also white) standing a ways away holding on to a medium to large reddish brown dog. She may have been a little older than the boys. She wore jeans and a light colored sweatshirt (?) I stood and talked to her for a minute while our dogs sniffed each other and she said yes she was with them and she had told them not to take the signs down because she liked that they helped her not get lost. I may have given them the impression that I was taking their picture with my phone (J) but sadly my phone doesn’t have a camera. All 3 boys were smokers. After I talked to them they stopped messing with the sign and stood in a group smoking. I had heard kids yelling (whooping…animal or bird noises) earlier and my dog kept stopping and facing east. (We were on the middle trail that goes up to the compass circle.) I saw them between the amphitheater and compass circle on the main trail. The sign they were after was bolted to the tree and they did not have any kind of tools. They were just banging and pulling with their hands. I was not confrontational with them but I also did not feel threatened. They seemed like run of the mill prankster teenagers. I hope some of this helps.

Volunteer Supported Preserve. With the Preserve being almost entirely supported by volunteers and their collective efforts in its preservation and protection, it is important that we do whatever we can to curtail vandalism. If you ever see anything wrong in the Preserve you can call 911, Preserve Stewards at 479-1049, or the Parks Department.

Forest and Stream Course. There is a class starting on Saturday at the Norm Dicks Center for anyone interested in forest and stream stewardship offered by WSU Extension. They will be using the Illahee Preserve for some of their forest work. We checked and they still have room for anyone who wants to sign up. The details are:

The 2011 Forest/Stream Stewardship Training begins Saturday, March 26!

Stream Stewards receive training that prepares them to work on upland and stream riparian restoration projects. Everyone can become a stream steward.

The cost for the series of classes is $40 payable to WSU Kitsap Extension and includes materials and your own "WSU Stream Steward Volunteer" name badge. Scholarships are available by notifying awbergstrom@wsu.edu of your need.

For more information:

More information is also available at: http://kitsap.wsu.edu/Stream%20Stewards/index.htm

Aquifer Press Release Correction. We had a correction to the Press Release that was sent out earlier. The release stated the aquifers are the sole source of drinking water on the Manette Peninsula, which Illahee is in. That is not true as the City of Bremerton has an extensive service area on the Manette Peninsula with much of the water coming from surface water from the Union River. Illahee's drinking water comes solely from the Manette Peninsula aquifers, which is provided by North Perry Water.

Aquifer Presentation Reminder. Don't forget the aquifer presentation is next Tuesday (3/29/11) at 6:30 pm at the Norm Dicks Center.

Jim Aho

Press Release for Aquifer Meeting 3/29/11 3-17-11

2011-03-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

Illahee Aquifer Issues. Over the years some Illahee residents have been concerned about the increasingly low baseflows in Illahee Creek during periods when there is no or little precipitation, primarily in the summer time. The baseflows in Illahee Creek are supplied from springs (or seeps) that emanate from the shallow aquifers.

Base Flows Critical for Fish. Adequate baseflows during dry periods is crucial for fish survival and are of special concern for those hoping at restoring Illahee Creek's fish (salmonids) population to near historic levels.

Aspect Consulting Report. A number of years ago Aspect Consulting did an analysis of Illahee Creek during one of the dry summer months to identify the primary locations of the springs supplying the creek and the flows coming from the seeps. The study noted the importance of infiltration of rainwater into the groundwater systems and aquifers, and noted that a proposal to run stormwater to the Sound could decrease the baseflow in Illahee Creek by 15 to 20%.

Parametrix Report. When the Port of Illahee and the Department of Ecology funded the engineering firm Parametrix to conduct a watershed study of Illahee Creek, they included a requirement for an Aquifer Protection Plan to be prepared for the creek. The plan was sub-contracted out to Keta Waters, an engineering firm specializing in hydrology.

June 2009 Briefing. The Aquifer Protection Plan for Illahee Creek was presented at a briefing on June 30, 2009 at the Norm Dicks Center, during which Dr. Joel Massmann of Keta Waters, noted that the Manette Aquifer, which underlies much of Illahee and Illahee Creek, may be at water balance according to his calculations. This was the first time many had heard this and in talking to those attending, many did not understand the situation or the implications.

Water Balance? As we understood the presentation, the Manette aquifer is recharged solely by the infiltration of rainwater, and that recharge amount is also what is being withdrawn for drinking water and what is being discharged into creeks such as Illahee. In other words this aquifer may be essentially at water balance. It will take more studies to confirm this and they were recently authorized, but it will take a number of years before they will be completed.

Implications of Being at Water Balance. If Dr. Massmann is correct, then it seems to us that we should be paying attention to this situation, and understand possible implications: such as What happens if we have a relatively dry rainy season, or several in a row, and we withdraw more water than is infiltrated? Are we in danger of salt water intrusion into the aquifer?

Bainbridge Island USGS Aquifer Study Issued 3/1/11. Dr. Massmann has been invited back to give another briefing on this subject, and will have some more information which he hopes to get from the USGS study of the Bainbridge Island aquifers. This will be another opportunity for residents to better understand the groundwater and aquifer system that lies under us, and what we can do to make sure it remains a viable water resource into the future.

The Press Release. We thought it might be helpful to preface the following press release with our thoughts and concerns in hopes that residents would want to learn more at the briefing:

GROUNDWATER, AQUIFERS & INFILTRATION REQUIREMENTS

A Briefing of the Manette Peninsula Aquifer and the Illahee Watershed Aquifer Protection Plan by Dr. Joel Massmann

A briefing discussing the underlying aquifers in Illahee and the surrounding area will be held at the Norm Dicks Government Center on the evening of March 29, 2011 from 6:30-8 pm.

Dr. Joel Massmann will discuss the underlying aquifers and groundwater recharge on the Manette Peninsula and within the Illahee Creek watershed. The presentation will address questions regarding how much fresh water is in these aquifers, where does this fresh water come from, and where does it go. These questions will be described in the context of relationships between groundwater for municipal supply and groundwater to support stream flow and wetlands.

In June 2009, Dr. Massmann noted that the Manette Aquifer may essentially be at water balance and the water rights for the aquifer may have been over-allocated. (Also in June 2009 the Kitsap County Commissioners adopted a “Water as a Resource Policy” for Kitsap County.) Since that time the Kitsap PUD and local water purveyors have funded USGS to conduct a detailed study of the Kitsap Peninsula that will take several years to complete. In the meantime the implications of local aquifers possibly at water balance needs to be addressed. Dr. Massmann has been invited back to discuss the aquifer issues again and any possible extrapolations for Illahee from the USGS Groundwater Study of Bainbridge Island that was issued on March 1, 2011. He will also provide specific recommendations for protecting aquifers, which are the sole source of our drinking water on the Manette Peninsula.

Dr. Massmann has over twenty-five years of experience as a groundwater consultant. He is the founder of Keta Waters and was previously a faculty member in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington.

Dr. Massmann’s study of the local aquifers was funded in part over the last few years by grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Washington State Department of Ecology; and by the Port of Illahee, the Illahee Forest Preserve, and the Illahee Community.

Comments? If you have any thoughts on this subject, or even disagreements with our comments, we would like to hear them and will include them in a future update, or you can comment on the blog http://illaheecommunity.blogspot.com/ or Facebook.

Jim Aho

Earthquake Insurance Feedback - 3-14-11

2011-03-17T18:44:00.000-07:00

Quick Responses to EQ Insurance Question. Thanks for all the quick responses to the earthquake insurance question. We also heard that a number of people cancelled their EQ insurance after the 2001 earthquake when they realized the deductible was 10% of house value and didn't cover the damages they incurred. Below are the email responses we received:

Jim, we have had earthquake insurance for some years and it costs about $300 per year for a house valued about $250K. There is a 10% deductable and an exclusion of outside masonry. I got mine through USAA insurance.

This response was only a website: http://www.geovera.com/

Regarding insurance costs,

We have earthquake Insurance, as a rider on our Homeowners Policy through State Farm. They don’t itemize the different inclusions in our policy bill so I can’t tell you the exact cost, but coverage value of around $300,000 costs us a little over $1000 per year. I should tell you, while there is a $1,000 deductable on the bulk of our policy; the earthquake coverage has a whopping 10% deductible.

Everyone should be reminded to either put together, or inventory existing disaster supplies, to help them survive through the next big one.\\

Here’s a great info sheet put out by the Seattle City Government. www.seattle.gov/emergency/library/snap/kit/together_prepare_all.pdf

Jim, from talking with friends and collegues as well as checking my own policy it will run about a quarter of what my yearly home owners insurance premium runs, which is around $400.00 dollars. I know Jim and I will be taking out insurance. Looking at all the earthquakes that have occured around the Pacific Rim -ring of fire our area is one of the last to not experience a significant quake. It's time we all start getting prepared-at least be able to take care of ourselves food and water wise for at least a week.

All insurance companies are different. I have had earthquake insurance an each house I have owned here in Washington State. Four separate homes. When I bought this house in Illahee I put earthquake insurance on this home and then the insurance company (Nationwide) said that I had to bolt the sill plate down to the foundation. The house was built in 1943 so essentially they were asking me to bring up to 2006 standards. I previously had Grange insurance on my homes and went back to them and they did provide me with earthquake insurance however, in 2010 they sent me a letter and informed me they would no longer insure me for an earthquake (a lot of insurance companies are dropping earthquake insurance). I am currently insured through American Family and am covered for earthquake. Looking at my policy I can't tell exactly what I am paying but I believe it is about $20.00 per month. I am certain if depends on the insured value of your home. My total premium in $760.00 per year with a value for the dwelling at $270,000.00. My insurance broker is Joshua Spain in Silverdale 360-536-9088. I hope this information is helpful.

We did have earthquake insurance on our home at a reasonable cost with Allstate. They decided to not issue earthquake insurance policies. We considered a policy with another compnay. The premiums were expensive and the deductable was considerable. Living on a fault line was an issue.

here is the verbage to go with your chart

Location, structure, and seismicity of the Seattle fault zone, Washington: Evidence from aeromagnetic anomalies, geologic mapping, and seismic-reflection data
Richard J. Blakely*1, Ray E. Wells*1, Craig S. Weaver*2 and Samuel Y. Johnson*3
+ Author Affiliations
1U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
2U.S. Geological Survey, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
3U.S. Geological Survey, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225, USA
Abstract
A high-resolution aeromagnetic survey of the Puget Lowland shows details of the Seattle fault zone, an active but largely concealed east-trending zone of reverse faulting at the southern margin of the Seattle basin. Three elongate, east-trending magnetic anomalies are associated with north- dipping Tertiary strata exposed in the hanging wall; the magnetic anomalies indicate where these strata continue beneath glacial deposits. The northernmost anomaly, a narrow, elongate magnetic high, precisely correlates with magnetic Miocene volcanic conglomerate. The middle anomaly, a broad magnetic low, correlates with thick, nonmagnetic Eocene and Oligocene marine and fluvial strata. The southern anomaly, a broad, complex magnetic high, correlates with Eocene volcanic and sedimentary rocks. This tripartite package of anomalies is especially clear over Bainbridge Island west of Seattle and over the region east of Lake Washington. Although attenuated in the intervening region, the pattern can be correlated with the mapped strike of beds following a northwest-striking anticline beneath Seattle. The aeromagnetic and geologic data define three main strands of the Seattle fault zone identified in marine seismic-reflection profiles to be subparallel to mapped bedrock trends over a distance of >50 km. The locus of faulting coincides with a diffuse zone of shallow crustal seismicity and the region of uplift produced by the M 7 Seattle earthquake of A.D. 900–930.
http://gsabulletin.gsapubs.org/content/114/2/169.abstract

Other articles of interest:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/pacnw/paleo/bainisl/sfhistory.php

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/pacnw/activefaults/sfz/sfzage.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Fault

HI, and thank you for the heads up on the EQ... We are also interested in any EQ insurance policies that people have found. So as always thank you for all your hard work.

Thank You For Your Responses. Thank you for your helpful and thoughtful responses! There are a number of residents who want to know more and your responses are appreciated.

Jim Aho

Earthquak

Illahee in the News - 3-13-11

2011-03-17T18:27:00.000-07:00

Illahee in the News. Illahee makes the printed news quite often. There is a nice article in the Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, written by Kathleen Byrne-Barrantes entitled "Around the Sound ... focus on Illahee and the nearshore environment." The link is: http://kpbj.com/feature_articles/2011-03-02/around_the_sound_focus_on_illahee_and_the_nearshore_environment

Illahee Car Story. The Kitsap Sun recently had an article about Andy Barcheck and his amazing car story and how with the help of local craftsmen won a prestigious car award. Andy and his wife live near Illahee State Park. The link to the article is: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/mar/03/fourteen-years-in-a-garage-pays-off-for-man/

Long Time Illahee Resident Photo on Front Page of Kitsap Sun. On the front page of Thursday's Kitsap Sun was an article on shortages of some produce with a picture of Audrey Boyer buying celery. (For years Audrey put out an Illahee Community Newsletter, which she personally mailed to about 200 residents. These Updates are now trying to follow her lead in keeping residents appraised of what is happening in Illahee.) The link to the article is: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/mar/10/in-search-of-lettuce-southern-cold-snap-to-blame/

Rob Woutat Column. Rob Woutat recently wrote about the changes to his neighborhood in Illahee which has some interesting comments following. The link is: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/feb/24/rob-woutat-things-are-changing-in-the-old-hood/

Sense of Community? What is interesting about the Woutat article is that there are a number of Illahee residents who are trying to foster a sense of community in Illahee. There are some definite bright spots as those who regularly use the Illahee Preserve seem to know each other, as do those who use the Illahee community dock. Whenever petitions were circulated there was also interest in what was happening in Illahee, with one early petition drive gathering over 700 signatures. Another bright spot is we find that more and more residents are receiving the Illahee Community Updates, which are now also on a blog site and on Facebook.

What Else Can Be Done? If you have any ideas about how to better bring together the Illahee Community, we would be glad to forward them on to the Illahee groups we are aware of: the Illahee Preserve Stewardship Committee, the Illahee Forest Preserve, the Illahee Community Club, and the Port of Illahee.

Jim Aho

Earthquake Vulnerable - 3-12-11

2011-03-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

Kitsap Sun Article. Chris Dunagan wrote a pertinent article for Illahee residents in today's (Saturday's) Kitsap Sun regarding how this area is vulnerable to the same kind of earthquakes that happened in Japan. http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/mar/11/japanese-earthquake-could-be-replicated-here/ What was interesting for the Illahee Community Club board members, who met on Thursday evening - the night before the Japan earthquake, discussed how the Illahee community lies on a fault line and that it is therefore more vulnerable to earthquakes and that this fact needs to be included in the Illahee film project, currently underway.

Call From Physicist. It was related on Thursday evening that a former Illahee resident received a call from a college friend, a physicist, who was working with USGS regarding the Seattle earthquake fault, who advised her to take out earthquake insurance since the Seattle fault line extended into the Illahee area. We don't know if that family ever did get earthquake insurance since they have since moved. We have talked with others in the area who are aware of the fault line and do have earthquake insurance.

Fault Line Extends to Illahee. The first time many became aware that the Seattle fault line extends into the Illahee area, was during a presentation of the Illahee Creek Watershed Surface Management Plan report at the Norm Dick's Center by Dr. Derek Booth of Stilwater Sciences and Erin Nelson of Parametrix. Both are licensed geologists and civil engineers, and during the presentation discussed that Illahee is indeed more vulnerable since it is located along the Seattle fault line.

Fault Line Map. We found the attached USGS map as part of presentation made at a 2005 conference on the Seattle Fault. Note how the fault line goes right through the tip of Bainbridge Island, through Illahee, and into Dyes Inlet.

Cost of Earthquake Insurance? We have residents who have expressed interest in EQ insurance so if anyone can give them an idea of what it costs, we will pass it on.

Jim Aho

Pheasant Photos - 3-5-11

2011-03-17T11:43:00.000-07:00

Pheasant Pictures. A few Updates ago we commented on how hard it was to get good pheasant pictures, since these birds are rather flighty. Since then we received some nice photos from John Lind and Don Jahaske. The best we could do here was a long shot of one down by the beach.

John Lind Photos. John Lind gave us a number of pheasant photos he has taken over the past few years and we selected two of the bunch. He and Arlene have named this one Hank.

Don Jahaske Photos. The two photo below were taken a few days ago by Don Jahaske. A few years ago Don purchased two hen pheasants from a pheasant farm for a roster that was in the area, since he hadn't seen any hens around. He said it wasn't long afterwards there were two broods of pheasants in the area. He tried to purchase some hens more recently but was unable to do so as evidently the game department was worried about diseases and the pheasant farms would not sell him any. Hopefully there are still some hens around, though they are often eaten by raccoons and fox when they are nesting. Since no one has reporting seeing hen pheasants around recently we are wondering if there are still any in the area. Let us know if you see any hens around.

Results of Wed Annexation Meeting 2-24-11

2011-02-24T21:45:00.000-08:00

Good Attendance. Considering the prediction of snow, it was good to see the chairs filled at the Illahee Community meeting on Wednesday (2/23/11), and to realize the 12 signs placed throughout the community continue to inform residents who are not on Illahee's email lists.

Thanks to Eric Baker. The community needs to especially thank Eric Baker, Kitsap County Special Projects Manager, for his knowledgeable and forthright presentation on the issues of the Growth Management Act (GMA), Urban Growth Areas (UGAs), Annexation, and various other related topics. Eric arrived before 6 pm and the questions finally were stopped at 7:30 pm so Eric could depart and residents could decide what direction they wanted to go with the two submitted resolutions.

Timely Decision Needed. When a question was asked when a resolution to the county need to be submitted, Eric responded that it needed to be submitted by Monday, February 28, 2011, for it to get on the county's docket and be considered this year.

Request to be Removed from the UGA Deleted. Based on the presentation and resulting discussions the community realized they could not be removed from the UGA, and that part of the resolution was eventually deleted. Eric stated that the Growth Management Hearings Board (GMHB) has been clear that Rural densities can only go down to 1 dwelling unit per 5 acres, and Illahee clearly does not fit that definition of a rural zoning density.

Greenbelt Zoning Urban? Eric said that Illahee's Greenbelt zoning density of 1-4 dwelling units per acre (or dua) is an 'urban' density even though the community has argued for years that the natural features, or critical areas in Illahee, do not support the higher zoning densities of 5-9 dua which were put in place in 1998 and still remain in some parts of Illahee. Some in the community felt the 1-4 dwelling units per acre was a more rural type of zoning, evidently remembering that for years Illahee was zoned 'semi-rural', that was until the Growth Management Act changed things.

Illahee Cannot Be Removed From the UGA! The bottom line for this part of the discussion was that Illahee cannot be removed from the Urban Growth Area because it already has urban densities, whether they are Greenbelt or the higher densities of 5-9 dua. This was a big disappointment for a number of attendees.

What Can Be Done? No one knows what can actually be done and what is possible unless a request is made to Kitsap County.

Request to County. What was decided is to submit a request to the county to "Establish Illahee (or portions thereof) as a Greenbelt." We received a copy of the resolution late this afternoon and have attached it - the link is below this paragraph. It was signed and submitted to Kitsap County on Thursday (2/24/11) afternoon.

RESOLUTION

Annexation Discussions. Just some brief comments regarding the annexation discussions. Annexations normally require providing urban level services, but there is little money available to do so at the county or the cities, so they are dependent on developers. Annexation also depends on whether you are Tier 1 (population density and services), Tier 2 (density or services), or Tier 3 (open land). Most of Illahee has low density and few services, so it would not be a top priority for annexation.

Annexation Methods. Eric presented the various annexation methods, none of which seem threatening to Illahee at this time.

Bremerton's Annexation Plan? Eric suggested we talk with the City of Bremerton's Planning Department head to see how they view the Illahee area that is in the East Bremerton UGA.

Interesting Comment Heard. We heard the following comment at the meeting that we found fascinating, though we are probably not quoting it exactly: The Illahee Greenbelt zoning density of 1-4 dwellings per acre is one that has been supported by both the property rights residents and the environmentalists in Illahee as it allows either septic systems or sewers and is a density both groups seem to be able to live with.

Daffodils. We promised we would photograph the first daffodils we saw last week and decided to put in another shot of the first flowers we saw, though this time with some snow around them.

High Tides. The supposedly high tides this week were not excessively high. We have attached a couple of pictures showing the tide at its highest on Tuesday.

Other Comments on the Meeting? Please let us and others know your thoughts regarding Wednesday's meeting by commenting on our website http://illaheecommunity.blogspot.com/, or on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/Illahee?ref=ts. This update will be posted within 24 hours of it being sent out.

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous - 2-21/11

2011-02-21T20:30:00.000-08:00

Illahee Preserve Downed Trees. Recent winds have caused a number of trees to come down in the Illahee Preserve, with some of them blocking trails. Several Illahee Preserve volunteers have gone through the county's chain saw training class and have been doing an amazing job of keeping the trails open. While walking the trails on Saturday afternoon, after the Saturday morning wind storm, we encountered Jon and Vic (two East Bremerton Rotary volunteers who went through the training) who had just taken care of 14 blocking trees and were starting to work on #15. These are the type of amazing people we are fortunate to have working in the Preserve, and reinforces again and again that volunteers, and volunteer organizations like the Rotary, can keep a major Kitsap County Heritage Park's trails open and the Preserve well maintained.
(For those wondering about the trash bags by the Mutt Mit Station (see attached photo), they were left by the County's Alternative to Detention crew several weeks ago, and they must have forgotten to call someone to pick them up.)

Power Outage On Saturday. We received the following photo taken near Illahee State Park showing at least one set of downed power lines that probably caused some of the outage on Saturday morning.

Wednesday's Library Meeting Sponsor. Some have wondered about who is sponsoring the "annexation" meeting at the Library on Wednesday at 6:15 pm. They saw the signs that went up on Saturday and wanted more information. We received a copy of an email that had a brief explanation of the Illahee Community Club (ICC) that may be helpful:

Illahee Community Club Information:

The Illahee Community Club (ICC) has been in existence since the founding of Illahee, but was reorganized in 2008/2009 to expand its boundary (essentially that of the Port of Illahee) and purposes (to support restoration and preservation). The Club is now a 501(c)3 non-profit public charity with contributions tax deductible, as allowed by law. Yearly dues for voting members are $10 per family. Lifetime memberships are granted for those who support the ICC with gifts over $100. There are currently ~175 voting members.

The purposes of the Illahee Community Club are:

· To restore, preserve, and maintain the Illahee community as an historic, scenic, and culturally significant area.

· To combat community deterioration through remedial actions such as elimination of fecal coliform and storm water pollution.

· To restore and preserve the Illahee area of Puget Sound, including freshwater, wetlands, floodplains, estuary, nearshore, marine, and upland habitats for the benefit and education of the general public.

· To restore and preserve the following items adversely impacting the Illahee Creek Watershed as delineated in the Department of Ecology / Port of Illahee funded Parametrix Report, “Illahee Creek Watershed Surface Water Management Plan,” which are:

Surface Water Runoff, Landslides, Reduced Aquifer Recharge, Water Quality, Functionality of Illahee Creek Culvert, Degraded Salmonid Habitat.

· To restore and preserve the natural features of the Illahee area including the Illahee Preserve (a Kitsap County Heritage Park), Illahee State Park, and area wildlife and habitat for the benefit and education of the general public.

· To advocate for accomplishment of the goals and objectives in the Illahee Community Plan that support the restoration and preservation of the local Puget Sound area for the benefit and education of the general public.

· To solicit and obtain financial support for the education, restoration, and preservation of the aforementioned items and other impacts adversely affecting the Illahee area of Puget Sound.

· To work with private landowners, public water groups, schools, land trusts, government agencies, public and private associations, businesses, service groups, foundations, Indian tribes, and others to accomplish the above purposes.

Pheasant. We have been trying to get a picture of a roster pheasant in the area that is pretty skittish. This is the best we can do at this time and appreciate photographers who can capture good poses of these birds.

Gray Squirrels. Gray squirrels have been steadily moving north through Illahee. This one showed up this fall and pretty much ate all the chestnuts from our American chestnut tree. They often displace the native Douglas squirrels and chipmunks, probably by out-competing them for food. We also saw our first gray squirrel in the Illahee Preserve this winter. Some think they are coming from the more urbanized areas of Bremerton.

Black Turnstone. These are small shore birds we noticed just south of the Illahee Community Dock. We included a picture with a pigeon in it to give you an idea just how small these birds are.

Spring Flowers. We took the pictures of flowers on Friday and have noticed more flowers blooming each day, including a bunch of daffodils today (Monday). We didn't have our camera today, so those pictures will come later. We also noticed the Canada Geese have paired up, another sign that Spring is nearly here.

Jim Aho

High Tides & Annexation Issues - 2-17-11

2011-02-17T20:30:00.000-08:00

Weekend High Tides. This is the second round of high tides this year with the next 5 days being 13.0 and above. The times are early in the morning beginning on Friday (2/18) at 5:15 am, Saturday (2/19) at 5:44 am, Sunday (2/20) at 6:16 am, Monday (2/21) at 6:49 am, and Tuesday (2/22) at 7:25 am, so there may not be much daylight until Monday and Tuesday. We are getting our information from the tide chart put out by the shipyard for Bremerton, Sinclair Inlet, and Port Orchard so what we actually observe in Illahee could be a few minutes off.

Two Annexation Positions. We understand there are two draft resolutions floating around regarding ANNEXATION worries. This is a subject that has been discussed by a number of board members and there appear to be two different positions: (1) Annexation is a threat and a concern that needs to be addressed now, and (2) Annexation is not a threat so why waste your time on the issue.

Annexation Discussion at Illahee Meeting. We found out today that ANNEXATION discussions will be the primary topic for the Illahee Community meeting on Feb 23rd at the Library beginning at 6:15 pm. Evidently there are enough questions regarding the issues that some expert responses are needed to decide which side is right.

County Expert to Speak. Eric Baker is the county's Special Projects Manager for the Kitsap County Commissioners and is one of the most knowledgeable experts at the county with respect to the Growth Management Act (GMA), the various Urban Growth Areas (UGA), and the issues related to annexation. Josh Brown, our County Commissioner, has asked Eric to attend our February 23rd meeting to discuss these issues and to try and answer any questions we might have.

Two Draft Resolutions. We have been asked to send out the two draft resolution documents as "Discussion Papers." We normally try to keep these Updates rather brief so we have decided to include them both as a file attachment - please click on the links.

Discussion Paper Option 1 Summary. The first discussion paper is a one page resolution entitled "Resolution to Remove Illahee from the Urban Growth Area (UGA)" and basically states that Illahee is "...primarily natural resource lands, geological features, and recreational lands that greatly impede urban levels of development and supporting infrastructure.." and therefor not suitable for the higher density development levels for UGAs. It references the various reasons Illahee should be excluded from the UGA and requests the current Illahee Greenbelt zoning (1-4 dwelling units per acre) be applied to the entire community. DISCUSSION PAPER OPTION 1 LINK

Discussion Paper Option 2 Summary. This discussion paper is very similar to Option 1, but is a two page resolution entitled "Resolution to Establish Illahee (or portions thereof) as a Greenbelt, and A Request for the Greenbelt to be Removed from the Urban Growth Area." This paper presents many of the same arguments of Option 1, but rather than requesting all of Illahee be designated as Illahee Greenbelt, requests only those areas "... where urban zoning is inappropriate, including the shoreline uplands north of the current Illahee Greenbelt." The paper notes that ".... Illahee has shoreline areas mostly in a natural state that have an incompatible upland urban zoning of 5-9 dwelling units per acre." DISCUSSION PAPER OPTION 2 LINK

Our Thoughts. We are intrigued the greenbelt issue is in both options and have heard greenbelts have been used by other counties to protect critical and environmentally sensitive areas. We don't know whether having a greenbelt classification is enough of a justification to remove it from an urban growth area. On the other hand, since greenbelts do not support urban levels of growth, it makes sense to removed them from the urban growth area.

Your Thoughts. We have been asked to put the two discussion paper options out for your consideration and to help facilitate discussions at the community meeting next Wednesday. We would also like to know your thoughts, which you can send to us, or respond to the Illahee Community blogsite, or on Facebook.

Jim Aho

Commissioner's Meeting and Annexation Issues - 2-12-11

2011-02-13T11:22:00.000-08:00

Commissioner Agenda Items. We noticed two Kitsap County Commissioner agenda items of interest to Illahee that we wanted to pass on. The link to the agenda is: http://kitsapgov.com/boc/2011%20Agendas/Regular%20Meeting/2011_2-14-11%20AGENDA.pdf

Rolling Hills Golf Course. The first agenda item of interest is a contract amendment to the Rolling Hills Golf Course agreement. When the contract to accept the gift of the golf course didn't complete in December it had us worried, but we understand everything has now been worked out and we are glad to see this item on the agenda. We have been told that March 18th is the date to hold open in our schedules, so we think this will be the date of the actual transfer, but we will tell you more when we find out. Below is the agenda item to be discussed at the Commissioner's meeting.

Contract amendment with Rolling Hills Golf Course Partnership (KC-

343-10-A) to accept gift of Rolling Hills Golf Course. Fiscal Impact: N/A.

Staff Contact: Nancy Buonanno Grennan, 337-4403.

Comprehensive Plan Changes. Every year changes can be made to the County's Comprehensive Plan, but they need to be identified early (most are already listed and any new itemssome by March 8th) so they can go through the lengthy public process. The notice of this amendment process is made by a resolution that will discussed on Monday. The agenda item for this is:

Public hearing to consider a Resolution providing the initial docket for 2011

potential amendments to the Kitsap County Comprehensive Plan, Land Use and

Zoning Maps, and Corresponding Development Regulations. Fiscal Impact:

N/A. Staff Contact: Scott Diener, 337-4966

Interesting Kitsap Sun Article. We read with interest the following linked article (along with the comments) as this is something Illahee could face in the future:

Island Lake residents cool to idea of being part of new city of Silverdale

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/feb/11/island-lake-residents-cool-to-silverdale/

Incorporation & Annexation Discussions. We find the discussions of incorporation and annexation both interesting and concerning as Illahee's southern region is in the East Bremerton urban growth area, and its center and north part in the Central Kitsap (Silverdale) urban growth area. Theoretically this could mean the Illahee Community could be split up with one area eventually being annexed to Bremerton, and the other larger area eventually being annexed to Silverdale (presuming it will someday become its own city). Or if the Barker Creek corridor is recognized as an urban separator between Bremerton and Silverdale, could it become part of Bremerton? The problem becomes more complex when school districts are considered as Illahee is split between the Bremerton and CK school districts. As you can see the issues are complex.

Experts At Feb 23 Community Meeting? There have been suggestions that experts give us their thoughts at the Illahee Community Meeting being held at the library on the evening of February 23rd. We agree and want experts who can talk about the Growth Management Act, our urban growth boundaries, and what the annexation issues and laws are.

KRCC Citizen Input. One Illahee resident gave a response to the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council suggesting Illahee be removed from the urban growth area. Is this another possibility? Would this resolve Illahee's dilemma of being in two urban growth areas? This is another question we would like to have the experts respond to.

Sent From Minnesota. This update is being sent from Minnesota where the temperatures have been chilling but finally are today above freezing.

Jim Aho

Orca Pictures & Blog Responses - 2-6-11

2011-02-06T18:51:00.000-08:00

Orca Pictures. The orcas were sighted several times on Friday (2/4/11) and Jim Smith saw them traveling north about 10 am and took the attached photos. Thanks to Jim for forwarding them to us.

Enetai Sighting Report. We were copied on the following report of the orcas being sighted in Enetai.

I also saw them right in front of our place yesterday afternoon. It looked like two pods one with 5 or 6 with a big male and another group of 3 further behind. I would guess there were 3 or 4 young ones in both groups. I started calling but they dove and didn't come up until they were in front of the end of Trenton Ave. I watched them from upstairs and they disappeared around Point Heron. Apparently the ferry didn't see them as it didn't slow down or stop. About an hour later I saw them heading north in front of the Hatch's. There was a harbor seal in front of our place and it was on full alert. He knew the whales were around.

Two More Blog Entries. Finally we are getting some responses to the Illahee Community blog site. We have attached the latest two. While we like those who tell us who they are, anonymous comments are also possible if you want.

2 comments:

James Hazel said...: WRT the question from Anonymous: Yes, other people do post comments ... and, Why are you posting such a question as 'anonymous'? [It is not always obvious that all the 'anonymous' posts are done by one individual.]On other things, I really appreciate the posts and the opportunity to learn more about the community through the blog and emails.; February 5, 2011 10:57 AM
Liz Milligan said...: I have always felt a little powerless being in unicorporated Kitsap County. Everything that goes on in Bremerton effects us and our community. I think we would have a bigger voice if we are part of Bremerton, but we can still maintain our neighborhood cohesion which is very strong thanks to Jim Aho and his cohort of advocates.; February 5, 2011 1:00 PM

Thanks for Responding. Thanks for those responding to the blog as it is there to start possible discussions and dialog. We have attached the notice about the Blog and Facebook again.

Blog and Facebook Reminder. All updates are now posted on our blog within 24 hours of being e-mailed. If you have comments, please visit the blog and leave your comments at the end of the post. It's a great way to generate a public discussion. You can post anonymously if you choose. Also, please visit and "Like" our Facebook page, and be sure to suggest it to your Facebook friends. We are actively trying to increase our exposure in the community through social media and we need your help!

The link for the Facebook page is: http://www.facebook.com/Illahee

The link for the blog is: http://illaheecommunity.blogspot.com/

Jim Aho

Wildlife Report - 2-4-1

2011-02-04T23:00:00.000-08:00

5 Orcas Sighted in Illahee. The orcas were sighted this afternoon (2/4/11) traveling north through Illahee at 4:20 pm. There were 5 of them this time with one being much smaller, so it probably was a young one. We received the call when they were right out in front, but didn't answer the phone since we were on another call, so we missed getting any videos. The next time our neighbors call we will be sure to answer right away.

Sapsuckers. We have an apple tree with what looks like a series of 1/4 inch diameter holes methodically drilled into the trunk. We thought it was a bug or beetle infestation at first and then found out is was caused by a woodpecker called a sapsucker. We never did see the sapsucker in action on our apple tree so when we got the next report it helped us see the connection.

Illahee Preserve Sapsucker. We received the attached photo that was taken last Sunday by Vic Ulsh in the Illahee Preserve of a Red Breasted Sapsucker. Vic gave a report on the Preserve that included the following:

I noted a red breasted sapsucker on a tree near the Almira parking lot. See attached photo. From recent observations it appears we have a pair of hairy woodpeckers and at least one red breasted sapsucker living near the Almira parking lot. Check out the telltale sapsucker holes in the bark.

The link for the Facebook page is: http://www.facebook.com/Illahee

The link for the blog is: http://illaheecommunity.blogspot.com/

Blog Site Comments. There haven't been many comments on the blog site, but if they are like me this is something I am not very comfortable with yet. I did respond to a comment recently and have attached the three comments that were at the bottom of the blog, which I have copied below:

3 comments:

Anonymous said...: Annexation to Bremerton is NOT what I want, or to Silverdale or any other city. I thought the reason for creating a Community Plan was to preclude that possibility. THE POSSIBILITY OF THE ANNEXATION OF ILLAHEE IS NOT GOOD NEWS! Glad someone from Illahee is concerned, and yes, talk about this at the community meeting.; February 1, 2011 11:07 AM
Jim Aho said...: In response to Anonymous,I never thought we had to worry about annexation once we had our subarea plan, i.e., the Illahee Community Plan, but after hearing the the GMA required annexation by 2025 or 2030 for anyone within an Urban Growth Area, I am now concerned and think we need to further protect ourselves. It seems to me that much has changed in Illahee since 1998 when Illahee was first designated to be in the Urban Growth Area, and now we have a small window of opportunity open whereby we might be able to convince the county, and the Growth Management Hearings Board, that Illahee is indeed mostly rural with unique features that inhibit or prevent urban buildout and urban densities. If there ever was a time to try and get out from under the urban designation label, now seems to be it. I also would like to see this discussed at the Illahee Community meeting and voted upon, so we can get things moving and possibly approved by the end of this year.Jim Aho; February 1, 2011 6:51 PM
Anonymous said...: Does anyone else ever comment on these blogs other than me, Mr. Anonymous, and Mr. Aho?

Illahee Community Meeting 2/23/11. There will be an Illahee Community meeting on February 23rd at the Library on Sylvan Way at either 6 pm or 6:30 pm. We heard they were trying to find a speaker to talk about the Growth Management Act, Urban Growth Areas, and annexation. We will let you know when we find out what the agenda will be.

Jim Aho

Squid, Theft, KRCC Report - 1-31-11

2011-01-31T22:00:00.000-08:00

Squid Fishermen. Just about every evening during the winter months squid fisherman can be seen at the Illahee community dock jigging their lures, such as we photographed here on a cold winters night. We like to check in with them every so often to see what they are catching, and to see if they have caught anything unusual (one time someone caught a nice mackerel and didn't want it so we took it home and ate it). That question regarding unusual catches is when we found out about someone catching a lobster which we will describe in a future Update.

Larger Squid. On Monday evening (1/31/11) we noticed one squid in a bucket that was twice the size of any of the others, and asked if we could take some pictures. After a couple of camera flashes along with lying on the dark decking, the squid quickly changed colors to suit its surrounding, which can be seen by comparing the two photos.

Forage Fish Report. The other interesting news is that they have also snagged some of our primary forage fish while squidding, which are herring, smelt, and sand lance (candle fish). (Forage fish are small fish that are preyed on by larger fish.) While these forage fish are not seen in the numbers of decades earlier, it is encouraging to know they are still around. If it wasn't for these fishermen's reports, most of us wouldn't be aware that these forage fish are using our nearshore and shoreline areas in Illahee.

Illahee Preserve Rain Garden Thefts. While getting ready for Saturday's work party at the Illahee Preserve, we noticed that 3 logs and a rock had been taken from the rain garden. We have attached a photo that shows where the rock and one log were. This is disappointing as it takes lots of volunteer coordination and volunteer work to make the Preserve and the Rain Garden special and some are wondering if we can install a video camera to cover the parking lot. If anyone has any ideas or expertise in this area, please let us know.

KRCC Public Meeting Report. We saw at least 4 Illahee residents at the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council public hearing regarding the Countywide Planning Policy document. One of the most interesting presentations showed a graph of the projected populations used to determine the urban growth boundaries in the county, and how the actual population figures are coming in at about half the projections. We don't have all the facts, but understand that is why either the courts or the Growth Management Hearings Board are asking the county to take a second look. The link to the Kitsap Sun coverage of the meeting is: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/jan/28/tribal-members-speak-out-against-large-scale-in/

Community Input. Two residents testified during the public hearing and we received two comments that were emailed to the KRCC, which we have attached below:

Thank you for allowing public comment to the "Kitsap Countywide Planning Policy" draft document proposed by the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council.

I attended the public hearing last evening and I'm not sure I was as clear in my comments as I should have been with my last point.

My concern is with the wording changes in the document that tightened the language by replacing "should" with "shall" when it came to issues such as annexation, and then when it got to Element E (which looks at open space preservation, critical areas, and water quality/quantity), the language was loosened by replacing "shall" with "should".

After hearing the testimony about the importance of natural resources and open space, etc, I don't know how you can not change this wording back to "shall".

Additionally, I would state that current science has more than ever supported the necessity to preserve and protect critical areas and resource lands, such as critical aquifers. We know that the Kitsap Peninsula is for the most part hydrogeologically self contained, that our ground water comes from precipitation, and that some areas, such as Illahee, are at water balance, meaning we are withdrawing and supporting stream flow with what is already being infiltrated. The implications of this fact alone are staggering.

If you really believe that "Water is a Resource" then your wording in this county wide planning document needs to support that policy.

Thank you for considering changing the "should" back to "shall".

Thank you for allowing public comment to the "Kitsap Countywide Planning Policy" draft document proposed by the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council.

I am requesting that Illahee be considered for withdrawal from the urban growth area that it has been assigned to. A majority of Illahee is made up of critical areas: steep slopes, canyons, Illahee Creek, state park and Kitsap County forest preserve, in addition to documented category one aquifer recharge areas. All that is in possible jeopardy if its future is to be annexed to a city. Under GMA and the definition of UGAs, it clearly spell out the incompatibility of urban growth and protection of important aquifers. Given that population projections have been exaggerated in the establishment of UGAs here in the county, it makes sense for a rural entity such as Illahee be withdrawn from the UGA.

Your Thoughts? Let us know how you feel on the issue of annexation, which is what is being proposed as a "shall" in the Countywide Planning Policy document.

Community Meeting Discussion Item? We would like to suggest this be a discussion item at the next Illahee Community meeting that has just been scheduled for February 23, 2011 at 6:30pm at the Sylvan Way Library.

Jim Aho

Work Party & Wildlife - 1-27-11

2011-01-27T22:45:00.000-08:00

Saturday Rotary Work Party. Some of you have participated in previous Rotary work parties and we want to let you know about another big one this coming Saturday (1/28/11) at the Almira parking lot beginning at 8:30 am. Our comment is that the East Bremerton Rotary knows how to host work parties, beginning with donated Starbucks coffee at 8:15 am and ending with donated snacks from Costco as they wrap up by 10:30 or so. They don't need many more volunteers, but they appreciate some from the Illahee Community.

Work Party Task. "Move wood chips from the pile at Almira lot onto nearby trails. A group of Navy volunteers and folks from Washington Youth Academy are anticipated to assist with moving logs to close an unwanted trail."

Work Party Tools. "Wheel barrows, gloves, pitch forks, rake, and a push broom. A few extra wheel barrows are welcome."

Deer. Last year we had 5 deer who resided close by and regularly watched our gardens, and when we left an opening unsecured in our fence, they devoured our vegetables. This winter we are seeing only the doe and her two grown-up fawns who are now eating the garden cover crops. Many of you have commented on how you can recognize the deer around here by their unique markings, such as those on the two young ones. The bigger doe seems to be a typical black tail with no distinguishing marks.

A Dead Deer Report. "We lost another little deer the other day, saw it along side the road just before getting to Canoe or Navajo turn off."

$13,000 Deer. We received the attached regrading a $13,000 deer, along with a note that we may need to watch the piebald (multi-colored) deer in our area.

Here is a buck (White tail) that a hunter got in Wisconsin . He sent these pictures to a bunch of people to see what he could get and the owner of Cabela's paid him $13,000 for the head and hide. A calico buck, like the one below, is rarer then an albino.

Working On An Illahee Lobster Report. Someone reportedly caught a lobster from the Illahee Dock. We are working on getting more information and verifying this for another Update.

Thanks Again. Thank you for all your wildlife reports. It is fun to see all the wildlife we have in this one relatively small area that is so close to the city and the Highway 303 commercial corridor.

Jim Aho

High Tides, Port Comments, & Annexation Proposal? - 1-26-11

2011-01-26T18:29:00.000-08:00

High Tide Responses. We receive some interesting comments regarding the supposedly high tides this past weekend.

Walking On Water? "One time, shortly after WWII, the tide was just above the decking on the Illahee Community dock and when we walked out to the end, it appeared we were able to walk on water." We attached a photo of the high tide on Monday, which was a 13.6 foot tide, to give you an idea that a tide that would cover the decking would need to be at least 3 feet higher than it was on Monday.

Rue Villa Resident Comment. "Yes, High tides?, not very high. I began thinking the forecasters got everything wrong. In our 44 years here at Rue Villa we've had much higher. Weather conditions were fairly mild though."

Highest Recorded Tide at Brownsville. This data link specifies the maximum observed tide at Brownsville of 14.19 feet in 1980! http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/PublicMenu/Documents/Reg/applications/tides/np/np66.cfm

Corps Salvage Vessel. The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has a salvage vessel that retrieves debris in the Sound waterways, and was out on Monday in front of Illahee. Their logo can be seen under the name PUGET. We happened to see it and snapped the attached photos. It had just picked up a 55 gallon barrel with a 2x6 frame that was evidently part of somebody's float. A little while later it picked up a log just past Illahee State Park. The debris is placed on the center deck where the barrel and logs can be seen.

Monday's Port Article. Sunday's Kitsap Sun feature was on the 12 Kitsap County Port Districts and discussed a proposal that they be consolidated. On Monday they presented the Port of Bellingham, where consolidation has already taken place. We thought these articles would have generated numerous responses to their website comment section, but they didn't and we are wondering if it was because many of the normal commenters were following the Walmart shooting. The link to the Monday article is: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/jan/23/countywide-bellingham-gets-more-bang-for-its/

Port Comments. While we received verbal comments to the Sun's Port articles, we received only two emails, which follow:

If you loose the small community ports the community bond will be stripped.

If Bremerton Port is such a great port why does it need tax revenue or even the possible combined revenues of the Kitsap county small ports. It should be generating free cash with banks lining up to inject money into their ventures. That little bit of venting released, I truly wish Bremerton nothing but the best but do not compare Bremerton with the small community ports. I appreciate what Bremerton has done but Bremerton is about jobs and revenue as the small ports are all about the community.

Brownsville is fortunate to have been able to develope its port and being so well established is more or less assured a future as a community while other ports have little more to offer than a priceless scenic view.

It goes that proposed consolidation is nothing but future elimination of small ports and capture of revenues. The best the future could hold for small ports is a ramp as docks would be deemed to be too expensive to maintain with chains and chain link fencing. Small ports would have to go beg with strong community backing for each morsel of funding. As there would no longer be port commissioners the chance of obtaining anything for the community would be remote.

Loss of a port would pull the revenue and much of the voice out of the small communities and then the eventual loss of a community identity. The identity of Kitsap County has been built up around the developments of the small ports.

We need to see the small ports as a positive feature of Kitsap County.

Well, after reading the articles, I continued my confidence in our port commissioners and increased my pride in their performance.

I just have no words to describe how foolish I would consider any prospect of merging with any of the listed districts.

It does seem to me that the Port of Bremerton (which, I think has the highest rate of assessment) could annex some of the East Bremerton land previously held by the Navy and, for that matter I would think that Bainbridge would be an attractive addition to their scope. If I lived there, I would be really interested in establishing a separate district to preclude annexation by Bremerton.

Annexation Proposal? We read in the Kitsap Sun on Wednesday (1/26/11) the county is evidently proposing that cities annex nearby communities in order relieve the county of infrastructure costs. This has the potential to directly affect Illahee. The attached link provides more details.

Kitsap County wants most urban areas annexed into cities within five years.

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/jan/25/kitsap-county-wants-most-urban-areas-annexed/

KRCC Proposal. We just read some of the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council's proposal and it appears to be the case. The link to this document is: http://www.kitsapregionalcouncil.org/library/D%20-%20Countywide%20Policies/Dec%202010%20Proposed%20CPP%20Changes%20for%20Public%20Comment.pdf

Public Hearing Thursday Evening. There will be a public hearing on Thursday (1/27/11) evening at 5 pm at the Norm Dicks Center. We copied and pasted the following information from their website.

Proposed Revisions
to the Kitsap Countywide Planning Policy are available
for Public Comment until
January 28th, 2011.
Click to download:
CPP Doc: Proposed Revisions Schedule For Adoption
Public Hearing:
January 27th, 2011
5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Norm Dicks Government Center,Main Meeting Chambers, 345 6th Street, Bremerton, WA.
Send Public Comment to:
Vicky@KitsapRegionalCouncil.org
or mail to KRCC office (see far left panel for address).

Our Initial Comments. In our quick read through their proposed revised policy document we have the following initial comments:

1. There is no discussion of Subarea plans such as Illahee's, and what the impacts would be with the adoption of this policy.

2. It sounds like communities such as Illahee would be given an opportunity to either incorporate or be annexed.

3. When Illahee's Subarea plan was going through the adoption process, we were told to remove all the commercial corridor along SR 303.

4. Illahee is then left with mostly park land, open space, critical areas and a greenbelt, which isn't enticing for any city to want to annex, but according to this policy, they wouldn't have a choice.

5. We are somewhat removed from Silverdale, should/when it becomes a city, so it seems we are likely in Bremerton's projected future annexation boundary.

6. When asked by Illahee residents several years ago whether they wanted to be part of Bremerton or Silverdale or create their own Subarea plan, the results were 2%, 6%, & 92%.

7. There is a statement that "adjustments" can be made to the Urban Growth Areas (Section B.3.k).

8. Does this mean the Illahee could propose to be removed from the UGA?

9. Do we ask these questions at the public hearing, and/or do we discuss these at the next Illahee Community meeting?

Let Us Know Your Thoughts. Let us know how you feel about these possible annexation issues that are suddenly before us again.

Attend Thursday's Meeting? More importantly, it may be better to attend Thursday's public meeting at the Norm Dicks Center, or send your comments in by Friday.

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous - 1-23-11

2011-01-23T22:00:00.000-08:00

Tide Photos. For the supposedly highest tides of the year on Saturday and Sunday, they weren't very exciting or very high. We did get up early on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings in hopes of catching 'an extreme high tide,' but they didn't appear. We even checked the barometer which had low readings of between 28.3 - 28.5 in Hg, which is considered a fairly low atmospheric pressure (standard is 29.92 in Hg). We did select a couple of photos to show that the tides were high, they just weren't extremely high.

How High Do Tides Get Here? We have been asked at various times about what are the highest tides we have seen. We have lived on the waterfront for over 40 years, in various places, and somewhere have photos of extreme high tides. The extreme high tide (late 70's or early 80's) we saw at this residence was 18 inches higher than the tide we had on Sunday, which is why it wasn't very exciting for us.

Schutt's Point At High Tide. We took a couple of photos at Schutt's point on Sunday morning that show some low points inside the spit. The first photo shows the low area at the north end near the mouth. The second photo shows a low spot at the south end of the spit, where water drains from the low area, and where a branch of Illahee Creek flowed during the December 2007 storm. A number of years ago we paddled kayaks inside the spit area. We entered from the north and exited to the south, which would have put us in front of the house that has been built there. That was an instance when there was a more extreme high tide.

Chis Dunagan Blog. When we posted our last Update that linked 2010 high tide photos, we did so just as Chris Dunagan had posted his most recent blog covering the same subject - Ecology's request for people to take photos of the high tides. The link is: http://pugetsoundblogs.com/waterways/2011/01/21/grab-your-camera-to-share-some-high-tide-photos/

Eagle At Preserve Pond. We received the following email regarding an eagle that was seen in the detention pond at the Almira parking lot of the Illahee Preserve. Thanks to all who send these reports.

I wanted to let you know that I saw a bald eagle at the Preserve today. I drove into the Almira parking lot at about 1:45 and saw a bald eagle emerge from the stormwater retention area. The eagle took flight as soon as I pulled in so I don't know what it was doing in there, but it didn't have anything in its talons. My first thought was that it may be preying on waterfowl that use the area but if the eagle was hunting it didn't come up with anything. It was a really spectacle to witness as the eagle was so close and not the type of bird I was expecting to fly out of the stormwater area.

Deer Photo. There are a number of people who are regular walkers around the area. We talked with Tom the other day and he said he regularly saw deer on his walks including some big bucks. We asked if he would send us a photo, and the next day he did, with these comments.

Saw that big buck again. Exact same bed he was in before. In the wetlands on 3rd.

Port Articles in Kitsap Sun. It was hard to walk and read after I picked up the Kitsap Sun this morning as my interest was on the article on the Port districts, and what appears to be an effort to consolidate them. Two feature articles in the Sunday Sun were on the Ports and we have attached the links here.

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/jan/22/currents-pull-kitsaps-many-micro-ports-in/

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/jan/22/from-bremerton-to-tiny-eglon-each-port-lives-in/

Port Discussion Continues on Monday. On Monday, the discussion is supposed to continue and we will provide that link later. There are a number of residents who are snow birds and say they appreciate the Kitsap Sun links, along with others who do not receive the Sun.

Your Port Comments? After reading these articles we would be interested to hear your thoughts and comments with respect to the general issues and also with respect to the Port of Illahee.

Jim Aho

High Tide Photos From 2010 - 1-21-11

2011-01-21T16:30:00.000-08:00

2010 Extreme High Tide Photos. If you want to see what extreme high tides looked like in Puget Sound in 2010, the Washington Department of Ecology website has some great photos, including some from Kitsap County. Please click on the following link: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/ipa_hightide.htm

Also Called "King Tides." We had heard of these photos, but did not look in the right place or use the right words in our search, as the extreme tides are also called "King Tides."

Ecology's King Tide Initiative. Attached are the notices of the "Washington King Tide Photo Initiative" that came out both in some emails and as a news release earlier this month. Thank you to those who emailed us this information! We have attached the emails and the news release below.

Jim Aho

The WA Dept. of Ecology is asking for help to get the word out about the Washington King Tide Photo Initiative. Ecology is recruiting people along Washington's coasts and in the Puget Sound to take part in a new initiative to collect photos of extreme high tides.

From California to British Columbia, individuals will be sharing photos of extreme high tides, or "king tides" to help us all visualize how higher sea levels may alter our coastal communities. In Washington, individuals are encouraged submit their photos of king tide events to the Washington King Tide Photo Initiative flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/groups/1611274@N22/.

King tides occur naturally when the sun and moon's gravitational pulls reinforce one another, and though they are not caused by climate change, they do give us a pretty dramatic glimpse of the impacts sea level rise may have on the Puget Sound and our outer coast. Similar king tide initiatives in British Colombia, Oregon and California will
help us understand the effect of higher sea levels on communities all along the Pacific Northwest coastline.

Please visit Ecology's king tides website at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/ipa_hightide.htm
and flickr page (http://www.flickr.com/groups/1611274@N22/) to read more about King Tides, peak tide times in your area and how you can participate!

Our website contains King tide date and time predictions for many of Washington's coastal communities, including: Aberdeen, Bellingham, Bremerton, Edmonds, La Push, Neah Bay, Olympia, Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Seattle, Sekiu (Clallam Bay), Tacoma, Toke Point (South Bend area), and Westport. If your community isn't listed above, visit our
website for detailed instructions on how to locate tide information for your area.

Thank you very much and we look forward to seeing photos from many volunteers! If you have questions, please give us a call or send an email. We've included sample text for email distribution to potential volunteers below.

Johanna Ofner
Johanna.ofner@ecy.wa.gov
360-407-6229

&

Eli Levitt
Eli.levitt@ecy.wa.gov
360-407-6928

Sample e-mail distribution text:

Washington King Tide Photo Initiative: A Preview of Future Sea Level Rise

Seasonal high tides occurring throughout January and February will provide a preview of what Washington might expect to see on a more regular basis as a result of rising sea levels. Members of the public are invited tophotograph these high tide events post their photos to the Washington King Tide Photo Initiative Flickr Page. These photos allow us to visualize sea level rise's potential impact on the Puget Sound and our outer coast.

Department of Ecology News Release - January 5, 2011

11-010

Public invited to share photos of extreme high tides in Washington during January, February 2011

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) is inviting the public to share photos of upcoming extreme high tide events in January and February 2011.

Extreme high tides occur naturally when the sun’s and moon’s gravitational pulls reinforce one another. These high tides are called “king tides” by some West Coast states, British Columbia and other countries such as Australia.

In Washington’s coastal areas, the high winter tides occur naturally from late December through February. They offer a compelling glimpse of how sea level rise from global climate change could affect the state’s coastal areas.

Scientists at the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group project that sea level will rise in the Puget Sound region as a result of climate change. Among of the various possible scenarios, the mid-range estimate is a sea level rise of approximately 6 inches by 2050.

Ecology’s “Washington King Tide Photo Initiative” gives Washington residents an opportunity to help Ecology collect photos of coastal flooding along Puget Sound and the state’s outer coast. To participate, follow these simple steps:

Join Ecology’s FLICKR Group
Review the high tide predictions for your area to find the right time and date
Take photos during a high tide event in your area and post the photos on FLICKR.

A 6-inch sea level rise would likely:

Intensify flooding in coastal areas, especially during high tides and major storms.
Shift coastal beaches inland.
Threaten structures, roads and utilities, and other near-shore land uses.
Increase coastal bluff erosion, endangering houses and other structures built near the bluff edges.
Threaten coastal freshwater aquifers (underground water supplies) by increased salt water intrusion.

Preparing Washington communities for sea level rise and other effects of climate change is a priority for Ecology and other state agencies.

“Understanding what climate change will mean to our environment is a key to making Washington climate-smart, and these very high tides are like a window into the future,” said Ecology Director Ted Sturdevant. “As sea level rises in the years to come, many of our shorelines – including those in our most populated areas – are very likely to be affected. By inviting the public to help us document the effects of higher water levels during king tides, we are laying the groundwork to help communities identify those areas most vulnerable to coastal flooding.

He said, “This work will help us anticipate what Washington communities can expect along much of our state’s thousands of miles of tidal coastline.”

Why climate change matters

A 2009 report by the University of Oregon states that, without additional actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the severity and duration of impacts from climate change will be profound and will negatively affect nearly every part of Washington’s economy. It could cost each household in Washington an average of $1,250 each year by 2020. See the economic impacts report.

A 2008 Washington state law calls for our state to reduce climate-altering greenhouse gas (sometimes referred to simply as “carbon”) emissions according to this timeline:

Achieve 1990 emission levels by 2020.
Bring emissions to 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2035.
Bring them to 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.

State agencies have already taken several actions to:

Reduce their own energy use and related carbon emissions.
Work with businesses and others on carbon reduction strategies.
Develop a program to report greenhouse gas emissions.
Implement the federal program to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the U.S. Clean Air Act.
Prepare Washington for environmental changes that will affect infrastructure and communities, human health and security, and natural resources.

However, more will be needed to achieve the greenhouse gas emission goals in the state law.

###

Media Contact: Curt Hart, 360-407-6990; cell, 360-480-7908 (curt.hart@ecy.wa.gov)

For more information:
Tides in Washington State (www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/ipa_hightide.htm)

ECOconnect blog: Join Washington’s King Tide Photo Initiative (http://ecologywa.blogspot.com/2011/01/join-washingtons-king-tide-photo.html)

King tide predictions for 14 locations around the state (www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/docs/2011KingTideSchedule.pdf)

Ecology’s Flickr page (www.flickr.com/groups/1611274@N22/)

High Tides Coming - 1-21-11

2011-01-21T08:31:00.000-08:00

Illahee Shoreline. Illahee has over 3 miles of marine shoreline that run from north of the Cheney Estates to University Point, and most of Illahee slopes toward Puget Sound with some breathtaking views of the water. Those water views change some with the tidal extremes, and we will be be seeing some of them this weekend (1/22/11 and 1/23/11).

Highest Tides of the Year. This weekend we will experience the highest calculated tides of 2011. Using the Tide Chart put out by the shipyard for Bremerton, Sinclair Inlet, and Port Orchard, the Saturday tide will be 13.8 at 7:01 am, and on Sunday it will be 13.8 at 7:34 am. Note that depending on winds, atmospheric pressure, and rain, the predicted tides can vary by as much as 1 foot either way.

The Variables. The effects of the above variables of winds, pressure and rain are as follows: High pressure systems decrease the predicted tides, whereas low pressure systems increase them. A westerly wind in the Strait of Juan De Fuca is reported to increase tides as are heavy rains. So if the variables all line up for increasing the tide, we could theoretically experience a 14.8 foot tide (see the second to the last entry for how Olympia can be affected).

NOAA Tide Datums. We found the attached NOAA chart helpful in explain the different tidal headings and their readings. The readings are slightly different for Bremerton where the MHHW is 11.7 ft, and the MSL is 6.9 ft.

Figure III-6. Tidal datums for the Seattle Station (Source: NOAA 2001)

Why Tidal Heights Change. We found the following explanation about why there are such great

differences in the Puget Sound tides, and why Olympia is so highly impacted. The link is:

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/pugetsound/beaches/tide.html

Be Aware of Tides

The shape of the Sound affects the tide as it moves through channels and inlets. In the Straight of Juan De Fuca, a 7.2 foot tide at Cape Flattery will reach Port Townsend 3 hours and forty minutes later and increase in magnitude to 7.9 feet. The tide will reach south Puget Sound 1 hour later and increase to 13.5 feet by the time the tide reaches Olympia. Extreme high tides of 18 feet have been recorded in Olympia.

Photos Requested. If we do experience extreme high tides, it would be nice to get some photos that we can pass on.

Jim Aho

Owl, Film, Sign, Clean-Up - 1-20-11

2011-01-20T12:45:00.000-08:00

Owl Report. The following owl report came in a couple of weeks ago. These owls are so small you can hold them in the palm of your hand and we wish we had such a photo. The attached link below shows just how cute they are. We also had a report of a Coopers Hawk on Classic Ave last week.

The northern saw-whet owl is back! This little owl spent several months last year looking for a mate in the ravine behind Roosevelt Street. His call can be mistaken for an alarm clock or the beeping of a truck backing up - it's high pitched and very regular. He is back in the preserve although he seems to have moved up the ravine to a place west of the vacated portion of Rest Place. According to Vic Ulsh, "They are cute little rascals. The big bully 'barred owls' who roam Illahee Forest can be predatory on the little saw-whet owls so I worry about them." Although their mating call can be annoying at 5:00 in your backyard, we are all hoping that he succeeds in finding a mate this year!

http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/9/overview/Northern_Saw-whet_Owl.aspx

Seattle Film Showing. We are late in posting this notice as this film showing is tomorrow evening in Seattle. Note that Shelly Solomon is the filmmaker who is working on a film on Illahee. She has done some amazing films, as you can see below, and we are fortunate to have her helping us get the message about what is happening in Illahee and to our watershed.

Public Environmental Film Event: sponsored by Feathered Friends and Sustainable Seattle
Friday Jan 21st, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Location
Feathered Friends
119 Yale Ave. North (just down the street from REI)
Seattle, WA
http://www.featheredfriends.com/retail_store/Events/leapingfrog/leapingfrog.html
Filmmaker Shelly Solomon
Throughout Ms. Solomon’s career as a biologist, she has been struck by the fact that so much of the positive work being done in the environmental field, has gone unnoticed. It seemed only natural to Shelly that a better-informed public would lead to a more engaged public. Ms. Solomon started Leaping Frog Films to “Get the Word Out” about these positive stories. Solomon recently received Sustainable Seattle’s 2010 “Leadership in Sustainability in the Natural World” award for her film work.

Find below 2 films that will be showing, plus 2 pages of film reviews

Buried in Sawdust for 50 Years” and the Unintended Consequences
This is a fascinating film about how a Washington estuary was filled with milling waste to a depth of 60’, where it remained for 50 years and how a local nonprofit secured over one million dollars to restore the estuary back to its original tidal elevation. Highlights of the film include an examination of the chemical contamination resulting from 50 years of accumulated wood waste, interviews with an original mill worker and his memories of the operation, discovery of the original estuary elevations with plants and tidal channels still in-tact, and finally, the returning of tidal waters to the estuary for the first time in 50 years. Project partially funded by Salmon Recovery Board. Created by Leaping Frog Films.

Almost Lost but not Forgotten - Pinto Abalone Recovery in Washington State
Puget Sound is full of many treasures, and the native abalone is among the greatest. At a NOAA's Mukilteo lab and a small abalone nursery in Port Gamble pinto abalone are being grown for re-introduction into the wild. In the summer of 2009, over 1,200 animals reared in this facility were outplanted into Puget Sound, representing the most substantial abalone recovery effort to date in Washington. Pinto abalone - the only abalone species found in Washington - may be at risk of becoming locally extinct. The natural population has plummeted over the last several decades and there are too few abalone in the wild to successfully reproduce. The goal of this multi-faceted abalone recovery program is to increase densities in the wild and build sustainable populations of this important species for the future. This film showcases different aspects of recovering abalone populations in Washington State from spawning adult brood animals, to tending juveniles during months of grow-out, to careful reintroduction into the wild. It's a big undertaking involving conservation genetics, state-of-the-art hatchery rearing techniques and lots of collaboration between scientists, NOAA, WDFW, tribes and community groups. Created by Leaping Frog Films.

Preserve Brush Picking Signs. Soon there will signs posted to tell people more explicitly that brush picking in the Illahee Preserve is illegal. The Park's Department had the attached sign made up for Banner Forest and we asked for some for Illahee. The signs are in English, Spanish and French in case so there should be no problems understanding for those who don't speak English.

Preserve Clean-Up. There are a number of people who help keep the Illahee Preserve clean of trash, along with the Chalice Heart group the routinely picks up trash along Thompson Lane, which is especially important now that the gate was damaged and considered too expensive to fix. We took a picture of Jay and Rob last Saturday as they were helping with the clean-up on Thompson Lane. Also included is a picture of a TV set that was dumped along the road. These are the disappointing events that are offset by those who volunteer to help clean up. Thanks to all those who keep the Preserve and Thompson Lane picked up!

Illahee Community Clean-Up. We know of at least 4 people who have been regulars at picking up the roadways and ditches in the Illahee community. They are Rob, Carol and Carole, and Dennis. You see them carrying bags for the garbage they pick up as they get they do their regular walks. They have told us that the bending over to pick up things and then carrying the bags greatly increases their cardio-vascular workout over just walking. We have heard there are also others who are regularly picking up trash and we would be happy to recognize them for their efforts. Please let up know who they are.

Jim Aho

Culvert Concerns 1-15-11

2011-01-15T21:06:00.000-08:00

Status of Culvert? We have been asked about the status of the Illahee Creek culvert and whether the emergency clean-out by the county a few weeks ago has improved the situation. For those who are new to these Updates or the Blog site, many think the culvert is in jeopardy and could fail, and those comments can be found earlier reports.

Saturday Measurements. We measured the clear opening of the culvert on Saturday morning (1/15/11) before the rains and found essentially the same clear opening that was measured before the emergency clean-out. In other words the emergency clean-out DID NOT decrease the sediment levels at the inlet end of the culvert. See photo of culvert inlet.

Limited Measurement Opportunities. We had to wait until there was a break in the rains as the creek water becomes too murky and too dangerous to measure when the stream is flowing full. For those interested in actual measurements, there was a maximum of 29 inches of clearance before the clean-out, and today the clear measurements varied between 27 and 30 inches, depending where in the stream we took the measurements.

Large Logs Moving Toward The Culvert! We received an email on Friday, along with some photos, alerting us the the fact that there are several upstream areas where there are large logs that seem to be moving downstream. We received permission from the upstream property owner and took the attached photos.

What Happens if Logs Block Culvert? So what will happen if the logs block the culvert? First of all it will take a large rain to cause these logs to move, and secondly some of them would go through the culvert as the high velocity of the flow in the culvert would tend to move them quickly downstream. If they should get lodged inside or in front of the culvert, the upstream basin area would quickly fill. The increased pressure might be enough to force a blockage on through, but if not, the water would back up until it overflows at the lowest point of Illahee Road. That point is probably just opposite the Krigsman's driveway and would likely cause a road washout.

Why Report This? The reason we are reporting this is because first of all it is a safety issued and secondly, something needs to be done to help resolve the storm surges that ravage Illahee Creek. The storm surges have been polluting Puget Sound with large amounts of sediment for over 40 years and has been a concern for residents and the Port. It became an even greater concern when everyone realized the relatively new culvert (installed in 1999) was also filling with sediment as the flood plain kept rising.

Raised Flood Plains. There is not much anyone can do with a raised flood plain. Someone forwarded us the City of Issaquah's Frequently Asked Questions on Flooding, which answers many of the questions Illahee residents have raised about the flood plain issues including dredging. The link is: http://www.ci.issaquah.wa.us/Page.asp?NavID=442 and their first sentences regarding dredging are:

Current Federal and State environmental regulations make it extremely difficult to justify stream channel dredging as a means to control flooding. While it can be done, it is very costly and time consuming to propose such work. .....

Time to Admit Culvert Failure. We think it is time to admit that while the culvert hasn't actually failed, it has technically failed. It is time to look at either a significant culvert extension or a bridge for Illahee Creek. But an extension or bridge would only resolve the threat to Illahee Road, and not the storm surge problem.

Time to Secure Golf Course. So concurrently with correcting the failed culvert, it is finally time, after over 40 years of this small stream polluting Puget Sound, that the storm surges be brought under control. The logical place for this to be done is at Rolling Hills Golf Course, so we would urge the county to finish the paper work to secure the golf course, which would be a good first step.

Please Let Us Know Your Thoughts!

Jim Aho

Jim Trainer Article 1-14-11

2011-01-15T16:25:00.000-08:00

Illahee's Resident Arborist. Illahee is fortunate to have its own resident arborist in the person of Jim Trainer. With nearly half of the Illahee community being forested, it is nice to have a tree expert living here in the midst. Next to wildlife, one of the other things that residents mention about what makes Illahee such a special place to live, is all of the trees.

Kitsap Newspaper Group Article. The Kitsap Newspaper Group has printed a great article about Jim in the Bremerton Patriot and the Central Kitsap Reporter, which is distributed to some of the residents of Illahee. Note that not every person receives these weekly publications as about half of the community is in the CK Reporter area and the other half in the Bremerton Patriot area, and delivery is only made to certain neighborhoods. So we have attached the link to the article here (all you need to do is click on it). Kitsap man speaks for the trees - Jim Trainer, a tree historian, tells local history through the trees in our backyards. - Bremerton Patriot

Thanks For Sending This Article. Most of what we pass on is information sent to us, and we thank those who emailed this article to us. We had been getting the Bremerton Patriot up until the last two weeks, and had just sent an email to see what had happened to our delivery, so the passing of this article was especially helpful.

Jim Aho

Blog Site - 1/13/11

2011-01-13T18:07:00.001-08:00

Blog Sites? Several years ago we were encouraged to introduce a 'blog site' in an Update so residents would have a place to comment on our Updates. We started one and quickly decided for the most part Illahee residents, or at least the ones receiving Updates, did not seem to want to respond or comment to a blog site since WE ONLY RECEIVED A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.

Unfamiliar With Blogs? In talking with residents we realized that many are not familiar with blogs and/or do not feel comfortable commenting on issues in a blog format. We understand because we, as being older, are not very comfortable ourselves.

Younger Generation Communication? We have been advised we need to "get with it" and use the communication tools of the younger generations if we want to keep them interested.

Facebook & Twitter? We have been told to not only have a website with a blog, but also get on Facebook, and Twitter, and possible some other sites, if we want to reach those who use these sites.

So What Do We Do? We recently decided it was time to seriously listen to those trying to help us and make some changes, and with the help of a number of volunteers, we now have an up-to-date blog at the illaheecommunity.com website.

Great Volunteer Support. What the volunteers did was take all the Updates that have been issued for the past few years and put them into the BLOG, which turns out to be a chronological log of the Updates. This turns out to be a recent history of the events taking place in Illahee. We just found out today that the word BLOG is a blending of the two words WEB and LOG (which tells you we aren't very networking smart).

Kitsap Sun Blogs. We have followed some Kitsap Sun blogs and have especially enjoyed Chris Dunagan's 'Watching Our Water Ways' blog http://pugetsoundblogs.com/waterways/. We found we could download some of the photos he received from Capt Jim Maya, which are in this blog, and are some great photos of killer whales.

Illahee Blog Site. The Illahee blog site is at our illaheecommunity.com website and can also be reached at: http://illaheecommunity.blogspot.com/

Blog Site Design. The following is the writeup we received by those who recently updated the blog.

The blog is designed so that people can comment and have discussions about the updates and the various Illahee-related issues and information we regularly post. We now have a system in place to ensure that our e-mail updates are posted to the blog within 24 hours, so please feel free to go to the blog and comment! The blog has an e-mail tool at the bottom of each post that allows you to e-mail the blog post to anyone you'd like. This is a great way to increase exposure to our updates and hopefully generate more comments and discussions.

Facebook. Now this Facebook stuff is a little new to us, so we are just going to copy what we received.

We also have a Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/Illahee . The Facebook page is configured so that any user can post comments or photos directly to the page without moderation. We encourage everyone who has a Facebook account to visit our page, "Like" it, and start using it! Most importantly, please click on the "Suggest to Friends" link in the upper left corner of the page and then select all of your Facebook friends who have some connection to Illahee. We are trying to build a broad base of interest in our community, particularly among the younger generations of Illahee residents. We will be posting a link to our blog updates to the Facebook page, and we are working on putting together more photo galleries using Facebook's great photo tool.

Can We Reach All Illahee Residents? The goal of a community website and blog is to reach out to ALL Illahee residents, so please help us by sharing our blog, website, and Facebook page with your personal Illahee social networks.

Let Us Know Your Thoughts! Let us know what your thoughts are on this new adventure, possibly in response to this writeup, as this should be available the blog site within 24 hours of it being sent out by email.

Jim Aho

Illahee Wildlife - 1/12/11

2011-01-12T09:54:00.000-08:00

Illahee Wildlife. The numbers and diversity of wildlife in Illahee, and the surrounding area, is amazing, and from your comments is one of the reasons people like living here. One of the projects being worked on is a master template for interpretive signs for the Illahee Preserve and possibly for the Illahee Community, that would incorporate images of area wildlife. We think this is a huge undertaking if for no other reason than just the vast variety of both terrestrial and marine wildlife, which we are aware of around here.

Terrestrial Mammals. Terrestrial mammals that either are or have been seen in the Illahee area include: black bears, black-tail deer, coyotes, fox, raccoons, opossums, skunks, rabbits, moles, mountain beavers, gray squirrels, Douglas squirrels, flying squirrels, chipmunks, bats, rats, and mice. Let us know if we missed any. We have attached a photo of a fox to represent this group.

Marine Mammals. Because of the over 3 miles of shoreline in Illahee, and the relatively narrow passage of water between Illahee and Bainbridge Island, the marine mammals that frequent Puget Sound can at times be seen in Illahee. The marine mammals we have seen include: Gray whales, Orca whales, sea lions, porpoise, seals, and river otters. Again, let us know if we missed any. We have attached photos of a seal and river otters to cover this group.

Major Marine Birds. Bald Eagles, Osprey (rare), Great Blue Herons, Kingfishers, Gulls, Cormorants, Loons, Canada Geese, Mallards, Wigeons, Goldeneyes, Buffleheads, Mergansers, Scoters, Grebes, Plovers, and Sandpipers. In this section we have just covered the main categories as the numbers become extensive. Attached are photos of a Goldeneye and various waterfowl at the mouth of Illahee Creek.

Terrestrial Birds. The Kitsap Audubon Society has documented over 55 different terrestrial birds just in the Illahee Preserve. The numbers of terrestrial birds in Illahee are too many to list them in this Update.

Saltwater Fish. Silver salmon and chum salmon have been the main salmon species using Illahee Creek (and the nearshore areas), along with two trout species, steelhead and coastal cutthroat. Chinook salmon and pink salmon are also regularly use the nearshore beaches of Illahee. Forage fish such as sandlance, smelt, and herring, and many other species use the nearshore areas. We have attached some photos of salmon smolts netted in the nearshore environment a few years ago. Also attached is a picture of a smelt that was caught at the Illahee dock on a squid jig.

Marine Invertebrates. This is another wildlife category that has so many species that it is beyond listing, except for a few categories we are more familiar with: clams, oysters, mussels, snails, sea stars, sand dollars, sea cucumbers, marine worms, barnacles, crabs, squid, and jellyfish. Attached are photos of mussel sampling and a squid to represent the vast number of invertebrates.

Wildlife Reports Desired. As we stated at the beginning, one of the primary reasons stated by residents for the reason they like living in Illahee is because of the wildlife. And one of the primary reasons people state they like the Illahee Community Updates is because of the wildlife reports. Thank you for all your wildlife reports and the pictures you pass on so we can get them out to the entire community. We couldn't do it without your help!

Jim Aho

Beach Sediment & State Park Pics - 1-10-11

2011-01-10T21:36:00.000-08:00

December Storm Sediment Deposits. There was much concern a month ago (on 12/12/10) when heavy rains caused Illahee Creek to overflow its banks and filled the stream with sediment. The velocity of the stream successfully carried the sediment through the culvert and deposited it on the flood plain and at the mouth of the creek. We have been monitoring the culvert to see if the emergency clean out of the downstream end of the culvert is helping and will be reporting on that in a later update.

High Daylight Tides. Because of the high daylight hour tides, it has been difficult to look at the sediment deposits in the nearshore area, that is until this past weekend. We took some pictures and videos of the sediment deposits. The first photo looks south at the mouth of the stream. The second looks north toward the Illahee community dock. The raised area to the north used to look more like a valley or depression (to give you a visual image of what it looked like before the storm), and is an indication of the amount of sediment that was deposited by the December storm waters.

Concerned Residents. We have heard from some of the residents near the mouth of the creek who were amazed at the sediment buildup from the December storm. Below is an email of from a local homeowner who has evidently been impacted with increased flood insurance requirements.

As the owners of one of the properties at the mouth of Illahee Creek, we have certainly noticed and been concerned by the increased sediment in Dr. Schutt's reservoir and the entire basin. However, It seems there is too much focus on the culvert as this will not impact the rising elevation or sediment build up at the mouth. This is presently impacting home owners and the community as the sediment build up effects the marine life in the bay, as well as the elevation of the flood plain. The real problems lie more up stream with the flow of water and amount of sediment entering Illahee Creek and flowing down stream to the mouth as you noted below. Correct that problem and you will not need to raise the culvert. We would love to see more dredging or digging out of the flood plain even a few truck loads as a nice gesture as this problem has already cost home owners in the area with mandatory flood insurance requirements from mortgage lenders.

Our Comments. We concur with the above letter about the need to correct the upstream storm surges and the fact that the large sediment deposits are affecting marine life. We are not sure though, that there is enough money or the environmental approvals necessary to dredge out a raised flood plain.

Illahee State Park Creek Sediment? It appeared to us that there were some significant sediment deposits at the mouth of Illahee State Park creek, which is at the north end of the park. We haven't talked much about this small creek, but it a recognized creek by the state, and is monitored by the Health District. If anyone has information on whether our observation of the sediment buildup is correct, please let us know.

Illahee State Park Improvements. We have been asked how the Illahee State Park sewer improvements have been progressing. The park has been closed because of the ongoing work and we have not talked with the park rangers, but we did take some pictures near the beach parking area, during a beach walk on Sunday. If you have any information on the progress, please let us know so we can pass it on.

Work Party, Levee, Wildlife - ‏ 1/3/11

2011-01-03T23:30:00.000-08:00

Rotary Work Party. Some major work was done at the Thompson Lane parking lot on Sunday (1-2-11) by the Rotary Club of East Bremerton (see attached photos). It was quite amazing to watch the front end loader on the John Deere tractor fill 3 or 4 large wheel barrows to overflowing at one time. They didn't want a big group helping them because of the tractor, so we didn't advertise this work party to others. They moved tons of wood chips, and we thank them again for adopting the Illahee Preserve and keeping it in tip top shape. The following is their writeup of their efforts:

Illahee Forest Preserve

The East Bremerton Rotary completed another productive work party at Illahee Forest Preserve on Sunday morning, January 2nd, 2011. The focus was to clean-up the perimeter of the Thompson Lane parking lot along Riddell Road. Roughly 15 loads of wood chips had already been delivered to the parking lot. Dave White's John Deere tractor made easy work of the task as chips were dumped over the guard rail and into waiting wheelbarrows. Thereafter the chips were quickly spread atop the area surrounding the parking lot. The Thompson Lane parking lot looks much improved for the effort.
The second photo shows the parking lot after a thorough cleanup by Bill Wright and his mega-blower.

Varied Thrush Gives Its Approval. After the work party completed Vic Ulsh photographed the varied thrush that appears to give its approval of the Rotary's efforts, see his (Vic's) email comments:

The last photo is a varied thrush who stopped by to help clean-up after we were finished. Varied thrush is a very cool bird who comes down from the high country to spend winters in the forests of Puget Sound basin. There seemed to be about 5 or 6 varied thrush hanging around the brush in the perimeter of the parking lot. I'm guessing they will be staying not far from the Thompson Lane parking lot for the next few months.

Levee Questions From Previous Update. We have been asked to explain more about what a levee is and why it was requested, as some in the community do not understand the issue. First, the Wikipedia dictionary definition of a levee is: "A levee, levée, dike (or dyke), embankment, floodbank or stopbank is a natural or artificial slope or wall to regulate water levels. It is usually earthen and often parallel to the course of a river or the coast." There must have been a concern that a levee was needed to prevent Illahee Creek from overflowing its banks, or that the levee installed after the Dec 2007 storm was in danger of failing.

Levee Comments. We did get a few phone calls and several emails regarding the levee issue. The first one we have attached being a comment that went to Kitsap County, followed by their response, and then a response back to the County.

First Comment & Responses: The community should question why a levee would be constructed (at taxpayer expense) for the protection of private property that was developed contrary to the advice of the county (representing the taxpayer). It seems that the developer knowingly (admittedly) assumed the risk of building in the streams migration zone/flood plain. Why should the taxpayer essentially bail out the developer for their bad decision?

Fiction can be very entertaining but Kitsap County did not build any levee or other flood control feature on the Mossano property. The Road Division crew simply performed routine maintenance on the Illahee Creek culvert by excavating sediment from the culvert outlet. All of the material was trucked from the site and this activity was permitted by WDFW. There were no additional measures taken by Public Works. Thank you for your comments and, in the future, please contact Kitsap One at 360-337-5777 for information on Public Works activities in your neighborhood.

Thanks Jon for your prompt response. Is it fiction that a levee was either authorized or authorized and permitted under an emergency HPA?

Second Comment: On the levee question. The property in question never should have been built on. It is a flood plain and the owner knew this when he coerced the county into giving him a permit. The owner should live with the consequences of choosing to live in a flood plain. No public monies should be spent to protect a house that the county did not want there in the first place.

One Legal Question Response. We did receive a phone call from a former environmental officer who stated that the stream natural processes take precedence over protecting property, though we have not verified it or heard from any legal experts yet.

Owl & Preserve Photos. There are a number of people who regularly use the Preserve and also take photos. George is one who has taken photos and posted them on the following website, which contains various photos of a barred owl and other Preserve features: http://www.flickr.com/photos/85934826@N00/sets/72157625562766240/

Jim Aho