Commentary: Improved water quality requires cross-border neighbors to work together.
Ed.: The essays, analyses and opinions presented as Community Voices express the perspectives of their authors on topics of interest and importance to the community, and are not intended to reflect perspectives on behalf of the Salish Current.
Originally published by the Whatcom Conservation District on Oct. 9, 2025.
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 49th parallel.
In 2022, when harmful bacteria in shared waters were found to exceed safe levels for freshwater recreation, the British Columbia Ministry of the Environment and Parks and the Whatcom Clean Water Program renewed their long-standing collaborative efforts to protect water quality.
“Protecting and improving water quality has long been a central priority for British Columbia,” said Michel Ryan-Aylward, director of intergovernmental relations for the British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Parks. “Meaningful, long-term progress depends on collaborative efforts between neighbors to safeguard both human health and the natural environment.”
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 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, over 170 bird species and over 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.
Elusive sources
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,” said Cynthia May, Whatcom Conservation District water quality data coordinator. “Because these bacteria often come from many small, hard-to-trace sources, it takes teamwork to limit harmful inputs to our streams.”
The Whatcom Clean Water Program 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, among them:
- Whatcom Conservation District
- Whatcom County Public Works
- Whatcom County Health and Community Services
- Whatcom County Planning and Development Services
- Nooksack Indian Tribe
- Lummi Nation
- Washington State Department of Health
- Washington State Department of Ecology
- City of Ferndale
- City of Lynden
- Washington State Department of Agriculture.
The program educates the public about water pollution and does routine water quality monitoring. All findings are shared publicly.
High counts and a new protocol
Across the border, the B.C. parks ministry 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 2022 and January 2023, routine monitoring found extremely high fecal bacteria counts in Pepin Brook 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 two organizations. Any time the Whatcom Clean Water Program staff detect bacteria above an agreed-upon threshold, they alert the B.C. counterpart using the RAPP reporting system. B.C. 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.’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 Whatcom Clean Water Program. All compliance and enforcement reports are publicly available.
“Pepin Brook’s water quality is showing remarkable improvement,” May said. “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.”
Transboundary collaboration
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,” said Kym Keogh, director of water quality monitoring and assessment for the British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Parks. “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”
The two organizations 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 Whatcom Clean Water Program invites B.C. partners to technical meetings and training opportunities.
“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,” said Ingrid Enschede, Whatcom Clean Water Program lead.
— By Alexi Guddal
Also read in Salish Current:
• “Troubled waters: stormwater bacteria counts stir up concerns,” June 18, 2025
• “You can help: Whatcom Water Week panel to focus on stewardship,” Sept. 11, 2024
• “Sumas Lake: a once (and future?) feature of the border,” Dec. 10, 2023
• “U.S., Canada make headway on cross-border Nooksack flood strategy,” Sept. 12, 2023
• “Ocean-to-table journey of uniquely tasty oysters takes work,” Jan. 31, 2023
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