Whatcom County MRC Projects - Marine Restoration and Protection
Marine Creosote Log Remediation Project
Marine Creosote Log Remediation Project
Project Partner with the City of Bellingham
Drayton Harbor/Blaine Area
The
shores of Blaine, from the south end of Birch Point to the Peace Arch border
crossing, had approximately 892 cubic feet of rogue creosote-treated wood
present at the time of the initial inventory in the summer and fall of
2002. By May of the next year there was roughly 1053 cubic feet, 595 cubic
feet of which was removed in May of 2003.
Drayton Harbor Subarea
This subarea stretches from the western corner of the harbor adjacent to Semiahmoo
Park north to the Cain Creek estuary. A fixed piling inventory was initiated,
but has not been completed.
Approximately 132 cubic feet of creosote-treated wood was found on the shores of the Drayton Harbor Subarea at the first inventory in October of 2002. At the second inventory in May of 2003 there was about 140 cubic feet, 50 of which had washed in since October of 2002. Neither of these estimates include the dozens of railroad ties that were scattered upon the north side of the bay directly below the railroad. About 42 of the 132 cubic feet that was present at the time of the first inventory washed away over the course of the 2 winters. Approximately 128 cubic feet was removed in May of 2003. The majority of the creosote materials found in this area were railroad ties, but there were also timbers and pilings that appeared to be dolphin and dock structures.
There are a number of drift cells present within Drayton Harbor. There is one on the east side of the harbor that moves in a northerly direction along the shore towards the marina. There are also 2 drift cells along the inner part of the harbor that move in a southern direction along the shore starting around Dakota Creek. On the western half of the harbor there are a couple of drift cells that move in opposite directions. In the west corner of the harbor there is a drift cell that moves northeast along the shore. Just south of that corner there is a cell that moves south and south beyond that there is a cell that moves both north and south. There was no driftwood or creosote-treated wood present on the beach in the inner harbor at any point during the project, and what was present in the northeast section was almost entirely railroad ties. The railroad ties may eventually get moved north towards the marina or south towards Dakota Creek since there are 2 drift cells there moving in opposite directions.
The number one source for rogue creosote materials in this area appears to be the railroad. Other possible sources include the Semiahmoo Resort marina, docks, and other fixed piling structures, and the Blaine marina.
Semiahmoo Subarea
In August of 2002 there was approximately 760 cubic feet of rogue creosote-treated
wood on the shores between the park on the north side of Birch Bay Village
marina and the western corner of corner of Drayton Harbor adjacent to Semiahmoo
Park. 272 cubic feet more washed in by May of 2003, and 119 cubic feet had
washed away, bringing the total to 913 cubic feet. Roughly 467 cubic feet
was removed in May of 2003. Most of the materials recovered from the beach
came from Semiahmoo Spit since most of Birch Point was not accessible. The
rogue materials consisted mostly of timbers and pilings, but there were also
lots of pile stubs, and a smaller number of railroad ties.
Removals on Birch Point were mostly unsuccessful due to the very limited beach access and the large rocks scattered in the low water. The only areas to access the beach via the land are at either end of the point, so using a boat was the only option. The first attempt to tow logs and timbers led to the realization that the area would not be able to be finished because of the poor visibility of the rocks below the surface of the water. If the area is to be cleaned of rogue creosote-treated wood in the future it will have to be done with an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) during an acceptable time of the year.
Birch Point has 2 drift cells, one that moves north from the point and one that moves south from the point. Therefore, it would be expected that the rogue logs and timbers that wash onto the northern part of the point will eventually be washed up towards Semiahmoo Spit, and the materials that wash onto the southern half of the point will eventually get moved south into Birch Bay. However, there was one small timber that was on the southern end of Birch Point that moved at least a couple miles north around the point over the winter of 2003.
Along the western side of Semiahmoo Spit there is a drift cell that moves northeast along the shore. The rogue creosote-treated wood along this section was fairly scattered, and only one piece moved to the north over the winter. Materials that land on this stretch of beach may eventually make their way to the beach adjacent to Marine Drive or into Drayton Harbor. Along the inside of the spit there is a drift cell that moves northeast along the shore. There were quite a few pieces of rogue logs and timbers in this area that moved over the winter and did not follow the course of the drift cell. 10 pieces that were originally along that stretch of beach, where the drift cell movement is north, moved south. Only 2 pieces moved in the direction of the drift cell. The fact that the drift cell information clashes with the information gathered through the 2 years of the project makes it impossible to draw any reliable predictions of future trends in movement of rogue creosote-treated wood along this section of beach at this time.
There are no obvious sources for rogue creosote-treated wood on Birch Point. The Semiahmoo Resort marina, docks, and other fixed piling structures, and the Blaine marina may contribute to some of the rogue creosote-treated wood on the beaches of the area inside of Semiahmoo Spit. Materials that wash onto the shores of Blaine may come from the Strait of Georgia.
