Oct 31: Mason County SMP Update on In Water Structures

October 31, 2012
9:00 AM to12:00 PM Public Works Building
100 W Public Works Drive
Discussion Item: Boating Facilities, In-water structures, Habitat Restoration, Beach Access Structures; Chapter 15

October 31 Mason County will hold Citizens Advisory Committee meeting to discuss the updated Shoreline Master Program. Items to be discussed will include in-water structures. Regulating structures used for aquaculture (netting, pvc piping, grow-out bags, mussel rafts, etc.), docks, stairs or floats will be discussed. Whether developments related to aquaculture will receive the same scrutiny as other shoreline activities is to be discussed.

• The shellfish industry notes "shellfish filter the water." Not noted is before they reach a size where filtering becomes meaningful they are harvested.
• The shellfish industry notes "structure" is created when items are placed into the tidelands. Not noted is the "structure" is destroyed each grow-out cycle when they are removed.
• The shellfish industry notes "shellfish need clean water to grow." Not noted is it is not shellfish which make the water clean, it is controlling what enters the water (e.g., Lake Washington is not clean because of shellfish).
• The shellfish industry notes "nitrogen from lawns causes algae blooms." Not noted is Lake Washington's shoreline is far more developed than Mason County's yet the water in Lake Washington is not impacted from fertilized gardens and lawns.
• The shellfish industry notes "aquaculture is a preferred use." Not noted is being a "preferred use" is not an open door to place whatever they want in the tidelands.

Oyster Cages

 

Grow-out Bags

 

PVC Pipes for geoduck

 

County Shoreline Master Programs are meant to balance uses of Puget Sound's shoreline at the local level. The shellfish industry believes it should be allowed to place structures and perform activities of any type, at any time, and in any place they wish. As Diane Cooper with Taylor Shellfish notes, there are  times when corporate shellfish aquaculture is not compatible with shoreline development.