Shoreline Master Program Update

Shoreline Inventory and Characterization Report

The Shoreline Inventory and Characterization Report is the foundation for the Shoreline Master Program (SMP) and is developed using a scientific approach.

The Shoreline Inventory and Characterization serves as a snapshot of current conditions and provides a baseline for tracking the "no net loss of ecological functions" provision required by Ecology's SMP Guidelines. Together, the inventory and characterization lead to an understanding of the relationship between shoreline processes and functions and the built environment.

The Shoreline Inventory and Characterization identifies and assesses: existing information on watershed and shoreline attributes; current shoreline conditions and development patterns; ecosystem-wide processes and shoreline functions; opportunities for restoration, public access and shoreline use. Developing the inventory and characterization helps to identify solutions to shoreline issues and guides the development of shoreline designations, policies and development standards that achieve no net loss of shoreline ecological functions.

For more information, refer to Ecology’s Shoreline Management – Inventory and Analysis page.

Status

Thurston County has completed a DRAFT Shoreline Inventory and Characterization Report. The DRAFT report is currently available for public review and comment. This study and analysis was prepared by Grette and Associates in collaboration with Thurston County planning staff. This document is a working draft and revisions are currently underway. Please continue to check back on this site for updated versions of the draft document and maps. Final review of the entire Shoreline Master Program update, including public testimony on this report, will take place in 2010.

The DRAFT Thurston County Shoreline Inventory and Characterization Report along with associated maps and appendices may be downloaded and viewed below. A very limited number of printed copies are available at the Thurston County Planning Department, but an electronic version on compact disc can be provided by mail. Use the Submit button below to provide us with your comments.

**NOTE: The following documents and maps are medium-to-large in size.  If you have a high-speed connection to the Internet, we have provided compressed archives of these documents and maps for one-step downloading if desired.  The zip files are very large, and should only be downloaded via high-speed internet connections.  If your connection is slower (DSL 1.5Mbps or less), then you should download each document or map separately (see list below). 

DRAFT Shoreline Inventory and Characterization Report:

• Shoreline Analysis and Characterization (9.46 MB)
• Appendix A: Reach Analysis Matrix (7.21 MB)
• Appendix B: Shoreline Inventory (2.97 MB)
• Appendix C: GIS Data Sources (407 KB)
• Appendix D: Acronyms (407 KB)

• Map Folio 
  **NOTE: All map PDFs in the map folio are formatted to have a digital page size of 54” x 35”. This size increases the definition when zooming in to view smaller sections of the map. If you wish to print copies of the maps on 8.5” x 11” or 11” x 17” paper, click print, then in the printer options, choose “fit to printable area” in the page scaling menu.
  • Shorelines of the State and Shorelines of Statewide Significance (7.47 MB)
  • Shoreline Jurisdiction Changes (5 MB)
  • Proposed Shoreline Jurisdiction with Reach Breaks (4.32 MB)
  • Water Resource Inventory Areas (WRIAs) (2.75 MB)
  • Watershed Basins (2.96 MB)
  • Aerial Photos (30.33 MB -- large)
  • Land Cover (14.21 MB)
  • Impervious Surfaces (5.11 MB)
  • Forest Cover (6.49 MB)
  • Current Land Use – Generalized from the Office of the Assessor (10.49 MB)
  • Current Land Use – Thurston Regional Planning Council (6.11 MB)
  • Future Land Use – Thurston Regional Planning Council (8.23 MB)
  • Historic Districts and Properties (5.67 MB)
  • Public Access and Public Lands (5.91 MB)
  • Critical Areas – Biological (6.93 MB)
  • Critical Areas – Critical Aquifer Recharge Areas (9.42 MB)
  • Critical Areas – Hydrologic (10.36 MB)
  • Critical Areas – Geologic (6.18 MB)
  • Slope (11.18 MB)
  • Biological Features (9.34 MB)
  • Existing Shoreline Designations (3.62 MB)
  • Topography and Hydrology (12.02 MB)
  • Geology – Bedrock (4.62 MB)
  • Geology - Lithology (5.04 MB)
    

  Ecosystem-wide Processes Important Areas and Alterations

  • Coastal Processes Important Areas (1.54 MB)
  • Coastal Processes Alterations (3.92 MB)
  • Hydrology Important Areas (6.2 MB)
  • Hydrologic Processes Alterations (6.12 MB)
  • Sediment Processes Important Areas (8.02 MB)
  • Sediment Processes Alterations (3.43 MB)
  • Water Quality Processes Important Areas (8.02 MB)
  • Water Quality Processes Alterations (3.99 MB)
  • Large Woody Debris Important Areas (4.84 MB)
  • Large Woody Debris Alterations (2.42 MB)
    
    
1990 Thurston County SMP
• Current Thurston County Shoreline Master Program dated 1990
•  Map (PDF 1.3MB) of the current shoreline jurisdiction and environment designations. The type of shoreline (ie, "rural" or "conservancy") is very important, because it dictates which regulations apply to you.

Contact Us

Interested Parties: If you would like to be added to our Web Mail list, please click here. Staff contact: Cynthia Wilson, Senior Planner. Phone: (360) 754-3355, x5475 E-mail: smp@co.thurston.wa.us.