Volume 2: Draft Gorst Planned Action Environmental Impact Statement

GORST PLANNED ACTION EIS | AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT, SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS, AND MITIGATION MEASURES3.2 Water ResourcesThe following section describes the watershed setting, hydrology, and the ground and surface water features inwatershed and Gorst UGA; applicable plans, policies, regulations, and laws pertaining to work in or near waterwaysand the protection of water quality; and the effects of the project alternatives on water resources. Stormwater isdescribed in Section 3.13.3 Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater. Water resources information was collected fromthe Gorst Creek Watershed Characterization Report (City of Bremerton 2012), Gorst Creek Watershed Inventoryand Characterization Technical Memorandum (City of Bremerton 2011), and Kitsap County’s 2013-2025 CFP (KitsapCounty 2012).Affected EnvironmentWatershedThe Gorst watershed is located in the Kitsap Basin (Water Resource Inventory Area [WRIA] 15) and within the 5thfield Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) 1711001901. Streams in the Gorst Watershed drain to Puget Sound and theSinclair Inlet and are typical lowland type streams with moderate gradients. Most streams originate from lakes,headwater wetlands, or seepage from groundwater discharge. The watershed is approximately 6,000 acres in thesouthwestern portion of Kitsap County and mostly undeveloped. Approximately 3,000 acres are forested landowned by the City of Bremerton of Bremerton and zoned as CUL. The intent of the CUL zone is to preserveresource-related functions of land, and to protect watersheds and timberlands. Approximately 120 acres aredeveloped (City of Bremerton 2012). A detailed description of land use and zoning is provided in Section 3.7 LandUse Patterns. Although the watershed includes industrial development in the SKIA UGA and scattered ruralresidence in the Sunnyslope area, most of the development is found in the lower watershed within the Gorst UGA.Hydrology and Water QualityDrainages in the Gorst watershed are relatively smaller in comparison to other watersheds in the region and flowsare dependent on precipitation and groundwater contribution, as the drainages do not receive snowmelt fromeither the Olympic or Cascade Mountains. Major water features in the watershed include two small lakes (Twinand Alexander), several small streams, and an estuary (Sinclair Inlet) (Figure 3.2-1 Gorst Creek Watershed: WaterResources). Sinclair Inlet is described in the Gorst UGA section. Gorst Creek is the primary drainage feature for thewatershed and had three major tributaries Heins, Jarstad, and Parish creeks.Gorst Creek is approximately four-miles-long and originates in the Sunnyslope area from a headwater wetlandcomplex (southern portion of the watershed). The headwaters of Gorst Creek are generally flat with a relativelynarrow riparian buffer that is constrained by rural residences, Sunnyslope Road SW, and SR 3. The middle reach isundeveloped with a riparian buffer in good condition. The lower reach is in the Gorst UGA and described in thebelow. The Gorst Creek Salmon Rearing Facility, jointly operated with the Suquamish Tribe, WDFW, and KitsapPoggie Club, is located approximately 0.75 mile upstream from the mouth of Gorst Creek at Sinclair Inlet (City ofBremerton 2011).Heins Creek is approximately two miles long and originates from Alexander Lake in the northern portion of thewatershed and is relatively straight and drains to Gorst Creek. Heins Lake contributes flow to the Gorst watershedbut is part of the larger basin outside of the study area and not described in the Draft EIS. Heins Creek isundeveloped with a riparian buffer that is constrained by a railroad grade. Heins Creek is in good condition (Mayand Peterson 2003). Jarstad Creek is 1.5-miles-long and also in the north portion of the watershed. The riparianbuffer is only disturbed by forest roads and a transmission line corridor. Jarstad Creek has the greatest value forsalmon conservation in the watershed (May and Peterson 2003). Parish Creek is 2-miles-long and originates in thesouthern portion of the watershed in the Sunnyslope area. Parish Creek has a moderately steep gradient and flownorth through a ravine eventually draining to Gorst Creek. Parish Creek has flooding issues near the confluencewith Gorst Creek related to the culvert under West Belfair Valley Road.Draft | June 2013 3-12