(1) The Washington State Department of Health on April 25, 2000, officially downgraded the classification of the commercial shellfish growing area within Dungeness Bay, which is located on the Straits of Juan de Fuca in Clallam County.

(2) Chapter 90.72 RCW, Shellfish District, directs the County to establish a district within 180 days of such a downgrade and establish a program to address the reason(s) for the downgrade.

(3) It is important to protect shellfish, it is equally important to protect other beneficial uses of water. Recognizing this, the district will be called the Dungeness-Sequim Bay Watershed Clean Water District.

(4) The Washington State Department of Health has determined that degradation of Dungeness Bay water quality is primarily due to nonpoint sources of water pollution.

(5) The Clallam County Department of Community Development is responsible for providing management of on-site sewage systems and programs to remedy nonpoint surface pollution as it exists in unincorporated Clallam County.

(6) Dungeness Bay and Sequim Bay contain commercial and recreational shellfish growing areas in Clallam County.

(7) Nonpoint water pollution sources, including (but not limited to) agricultural surface water runoff and failing on-site septic systems, threaten the public health and safety of consuming shellfish harvested within the Dungeness Bay watershed.

(8) Sequim Bay is subject to many of the same nonpoint fecal coliform pollution sources.