Water Recognizes No Border, Improved Water Quality Requires Neighbo(u)rs to Work Together

In 2022, when harmful bacteria in our shared waters were found to exceed safe levels for freshwater recreation, the B.C. Ministry of the Environment and Parks (B.C. ENV) and the Whatcom Clean Water Program (WCWP) renewed their collaborative efforts to protect water quality. Pictured are staff from B.C. ENV, Whatcom Conservation District, Langley Environmental Partners Society, and Whatcom County Public Works at a sampling site just over the border.

"The opportunity to get to know our B.C. partners through this reinvigorated Nooksack Basin Water Quality Transboundary Group has been really beneficial to our overall program. Building connections and lines of communication with our community north of the border helps us in all aspects of our work in these transboundary watersheds."  

Ingrid Enschede, Whatcom County Publics Works Senior Water Quality Planner and Whatcom Clean Water Program Lead

Anyone who has ever shared a wall or fence knows it takes consideration and effort to be good neighbors. Water, odors, sounds, and wildlife do not recognize human -imposed borders, whether that be a wall, fence, or the 49^th parallel. In 2022, when harmful bacteria in our shared waters were found to exceed safe levels for freshwater recreation, the B.C. Ministry of the Environment and Parks (B.C. ENV) and the Whatcom Clean Water Program (WCWP) renewed their long-standing collaborative efforts to protect water quality. Both agencies value the importance of clean water and want to be good neighbors.

“Protecting and improving water quality has long been a central priority for British Columbia. Meaningful, long-term progress depends on collaborative efforts between neighbours to safeguard both human health and the natural environment.”

Michel Ryan-Aylward, Director, Intergovernmental Relations, Strategic Services and Indigenous Partnerships Division; British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Parks

Pepin Brook/ Double Ditch crosses the border from B.C. into Whatcom County through a culvert under the intersection of Boundary Rd. and Double Ditch Rd. This creek is home to herons, salmon, frogs and other wildlife before it joins Fishtrap Creek and then the Nooksack River. High fecal bacteria can impact wildlife and people.

Whatcom County and B.C. share several streams and rivers across the international border. The Sumas River flows into Canada joining the Fraser River and eventually the Salish Sea in the Strait of Georgia. Fishtrap Creek, Bertrand Creek, and Pepin Brook (Double Ditch), flow from Canada into the upper part of Nooksack river before flowing into Bellingham and Portage Bays. These freshwater streams and rivers are used by all five species of Pacific salmon along with birds and other wildlife. These waters flow into the Salish Sea, which is home to whales, dolphins, oysters, 170+ bird species, and 260+ types of fish. None of these species recognize the border, but many can be impacted by pollution originating from either side.

Oysters and other shellfish have been impacted by high levels of fecal bacteria for decades. When ingested by shellfish, the bacteria build up in their tissues. One of the most notorious forms of fecal bacteria is E. coli, which can cause extreme illness in humans. High levels of fecal bacteria in the water make it unsafe for swimming and shellfish harvesting. Because fecal matter can enter water from many sources (outside pets, wildlife, farms, septic systems, compost facilities, and more) it can be hard to pinpoint where the bacteria are coming from.

“Lowering fecal bacteria in our waterways is essential to protecting people’s health. Because these bacteria often come from many small, hard-to-trace sources, it takes teamwork to limit harmful inputs to our streams.”

Cynthia May, Whatcom Conservation District Water Quality Data Coordinator, and Whatcom Clean Water Program Data Lead

The WCWP monitors fecal coliform bacteria in the Nooksack River and its tributaries, including Pepin Brook (Double Ditch).

The WCWP was created in 2012 to help monitor and reduce fecal bacteria in the Nooksack River and its tributaries. This organization is made up of many groups and agencies pooling their knowledge and resources to work together, including Whatcom Conservation District, Whatcom County Public Works, Whatcom County Health and Community Services, Whatcom County Planning & Development Services, Nooksack Indian Tribe, Lummi Nation, Washington State Department of Health, Washington State Department of Ecology, City of Ferndale, City of Lynden, and Washington State Department of Agriculture. The WCWP educates the public about water pollution and does routine water quality monitoring. All findings are shared publicly.

Across the border the B.C. ENV works with stewardship groups, Indigenous Nations, and local governments to monitor and protect water quality for uses such as drinking, recreation, aquatic life, wildlife, agriculture and industrial needs.

In December of 2022 and January of 2023, routine monitoring found extremely high fecal bacteria counts in Pepin Brook (Double Ditch) at the Canadian border. A small number of bacteria is normal, but some of these results were up to 100 times over the safe limits, and much higher than what is normally seen. Further monitoring revealed that high bacteria levels remained a problem and required action. 

These high bacteria counts were the catalyst for a new reporting protocol between B.C. ENV and the WCWP. Any time WCWP staff detect bacteria above an agreed-upon threshold, they alert B.C. ENV using the RAPP (Report All Poachers and Polluters) system. B.C. ENV responds by conducting inspections and monitoring, and all partner agencies come together at quarterly meetings to review the results and plan next steps.

B.C. ENV’s Environmental Protection Officers regularly conduct inspections to verify compliance with environmental laws. Inspections are planned annually on a risk-based approach or completed in response to complaints or reports of pollution, such as those received from WCWP. All compliance and enforcement reports are publicly available.

“Pepin Brook’s water quality is showing remarkable improvement. Compared to two years ago, average bacteria levels this past winter were 75 times lower, a promising sign that transboundary efforts are helping the watershed recover."

Cynthia May, Whatcom Conservation District Water Quality Data Coordinator, and Whatcom Clean Water Program Data Lead

Thanks to the hard work of our Canadian partners and WCWPs notifications about high bacteria counts, the fecal bacteria levels in Pepin Brook have dropped over the past two years. Today, water crossing the border is getting closer to meeting safe limits for both fish and people who rely on clean water. This improvement is the result of the collaborative efforts of the transboundary group.

"The transboundary group has led to strong collaborative relationships and problem solving through shared data, harmonized lab techniques, and coordinated monitoring. Two tiers of transboundary collaboration have emerged: a strategic group guiding direction and planning, and a technical team of experts focused on monitoring and data analysis”

Thanks to the hard work of our Canadian partners and WCWPs notifications about high bacteria counts, the fecal bacteria levels in Pepin Brook have dropped over the past two years. Today, water crossing the border is getting closer to meeting safe limits for both fish and people who rely on clean water. This improvement is the result of the collaborative efforts of the transboundary group.

Kym Keogh, Director, Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment, Environmental Protection Division; British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Parks

The WCWP and B.C. ENV have a long history of working together to improve water quality on both sides of our shared border. Today the collaboration continues with regular coordination meetings, data sharing, and joint water quality monitoring to be vigilant and responsive to any future pollution problems. The WCWP invites B.C. partners to technical meetings and training opportunities. Everyone involved hopes to continue this neighborly collaboration into the future. Streams don’t stop at the border, and neither should our efforts. By working together as good neighbors, these partners can protect healthy waters for both communities now and in the future.

“I look forward to building our network of partners in B.C. to better understand the sources of bacteria pollution impacting water quality in other transboundary watersheds – both freshwater like the Sumas River watershed and saltwater like Boundary Bay.”

Ingrid Enschede, Whatcom County Publics Works Senior Water Quality Planner and Whatcom Clean Water Program Lead

Read more about transboundary collaboration from the Washington State Department of Ecology’s blog.

“This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement PC - 01J89801 to Washington State Department of Health. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.”