Contaminated stormwater has been identified as the greatest
threat to Puget Sound water quality, and state and federal
governments are addressing the stormwater problem in numerous
ways.
The animated videos on this page are part of an educational
program established as part of the “Puget Sound Starts Here”
outreach. This past summer, these videos were posted on YouTube as
part of a school curriculum called “Drain Rangers.”
I spotted the videos this past week while working on a blog post
about how well local governments in the Puget Sound region are
embracing stormwater regulations mandated by state and federal
permits. See
“Stormwater Report …,” Water Ways, Dec. 15.
The first video on this page is a general introduction to the
stormwater problem, based on the idea that it takes 15 minutes for
pollution to reach a river. Two videos in the series are similar,
although one includes more solutions. I’ve chosen the longer one,
called “Video Two.” The third video discusses some basic solutions,
while the last goes into more advanced treatments. Others can be
found on the Drain
Rangers Channel on YouTube.
“Polluted stormwater runoff is one of many environmental
problems our students will face,” the paper states. “By equipping
our students at a young age with the problem-solving tools of the
engineer and the verbal and written skills of an effective
communicator, we are preparing these students to solve the
difficult and challenging environmental issues that affect our
present and our future.”
The lessons are designed to meet state requirements for science,
literacy and other educational standards. The curriculum addresses
the problem of pollution as well as solutions.
“This curriculum introduces students to a problem-solving model
where they think like an engineer and explore ways to solve the
problem of polluted stormwater runoff,” according to the
final report (PDF 965 kb) on the project funded by the
Washington Department of Ecology.
According to the report, the grant project produced 15 teacher
trainings, pilot projects in nine schools, four videos, six
illustrations, 13 facts sheets and five posters. At least 34
schools signed up to implement the curriculum during the current
school year, with about 70 schools expected to participate in
2018-19.
In Kitsap County, stormwater has been a major issue — and the
subject of ongoing newspaper stories — for a very long time.
As a local reporter working for the Kitsap Sun, I followed the
prolonged struggle among engineers, developers, planners and
environmentalists to approve new rules for reducing toxic runoff
washing into Puget Sound. After the legal battles were over, local
governments were called on to update their stormwater codes, and
many key provisions went into effect last year.
Click for a PDF (1.7 mb)
version of “Nature’s Scorecard.”
It was with some surprise that I read a new report called
“Nature’s Scorecard,”
which reveals that more than half of the 81 cities and counties
around Puget Sound have failed to follow through in a meaningful
way to encourage low-impact development, which is required by state
rules. Low-impact development, or LID, involves techniques that
filter rainwater into the ground as close to the source as
possible.
According to the report, 15 percent of the local governments
failed to update their codes, and an additional 38 percent made
only minor changes. Out of 81 local governments, 20 were forced to
file a “notice of noncompliance” admitting they had not met the new
standards.
The scorecard is a joint effort by two environmental groups
involved in water quality, Washington Environmental Council and
Puget Soundkeeper Alliance. It was nice to know that the authors of
the report contacted local officials in advance where deficiencies
were noted. Some officials offered explanations, and others moved
quickly to fix the deficiencies, according to Mindy Roberts of
WEC.
Mindy told me that she hopes the scorecard and discussions with
local officials will result in LID improvements without going to
court.
The scorecard also calls out municipalities that have done
exceptionally well on the LID front. Named as “green star leaders”
for going beyond the minimal standards are Kitsap County and the
cities of Lacey, Oak Harbor, Olympia, Port Orchard, Renton, Seattle
and Tacoma. See the news release on
WEC’s website.
The softer approach also paid off in Fife, where stormwater
officials apparently were not aware of the state requirement to
make LID the primary method of stormwater management, Mindy said.
After city officials were contacted, they jumped into action and
now have a code that will reduce stormwater pollution.
Stormwater officials in Mountlake Terrace were on schedule to
meet the state mandate, Mindy said. But the City Council, under
pressure from developers, failed to pass the code language when it
was presented to them. Now city officials are again working to come
into compliance, she noted.
The website for “Nature’s Scorecard” includes
information about the impacts of stormwater, the need for LID
regulations and the status of various cities and counties. Scores
in the report come from compliance with five key LID strategies:
reducing impervious surfaces, protecting native vegetation and
soils, supporting pervious pavement, planting native vegetation,
and protecting natural buffers along streams, wetlands and
shorelines.
Puget Sound residents are encouraged to review the report’s
findings and support their elected officials in the implementation
of LID to protect Puget Sound. Contact information for
city and county stormwater officials is provided for each listed
municipality.
One of the reasons that Kitsap County is a leader in stormwater
management is the support from residents of unincorporated areas.
Each property owner pays an annual fee to monitor water quality,
assess pollution problems, develop appropriate solutions and
construct regional stormwater systems in already-developed areas.
Anyone can review the current five-year
stormwater capital plan (PDF 1 mb).
The Kitsap County commissioners recently approved new stormwater
fees for the coming years. It was interesting to hear the testimony
of supporters at the meeting. Check out the video (above),
beginning at 25:09 minutes. A
fact sheet on the fees (PDF 1.6 mb) can be found on the
county’s website.
Like Kitsap County, the city of Auburn has fully embraced
stormwater management to address flooding and reduce pollution.
Information, including an in-depth comprehensive storm drainage
plan, can be found on the city’s Storm
Drainage website.
At the national level, Kitsap County and Auburn received awards
last year from the Water Environment Federation Stormwater
Institute, which promotes innovative stormwater solutions. They
were among six award winners nationwide for both large and small
municipalities that go beyond regulations. Auburn was recognized
for its stormwater innovation, while Kitsap was recognized for its
management. See the news
release from WEF.
Other related information:
“What
makes stormwater toxic?”: The dangers of road runoff and
possible solutions are examined in an in-depth story by reporter
Eric Wagner. The piece was published Dec. 4 in the Encyclopedia of
Puget Sound.
U.S.
Government Accountability Office (PDF 4.7 mb): In a survey of
31 municipalities, the GAO found that green infrastructure —
another term for LID — was more challenging than traditional pipes
and ponds. GAO learned that collaboration among nearby governments
is important and should be supported through documented
agreements.
Kitsap County’s news release on Nature’s Scorecard: “A
low-impact development approach allows us to work with the rain,
rather than against it,” said Kitsap County Commissioner Charlotte
Garrido. “This approach protects, restores, conserves, and reclaims
our water — and this scorecard helps us know exactly where we stand
in our region.”
Building
Industry Association of Washington: BIAW offers information on
specific LID techniques, manuals and guidelines, technical articles
and reports, and links to government requirements.
Detailed planning and design, followed by thoughtful
construction projects, have begun to tame the stormwater menace in
Clear Creek, an important salmon stream that runs through
Silverdale in Central Kitsap.
A renovated stormwater pond at
Quail Hollow near Silverdale includes a walking trail and enhanced
wildlife habitat. // Photo: C. Dunagan
Stormwater has been identified as the greatest pollution threat
to Puget Sound. In Kitsap County, many folks believed that the
dense development pattern in and around Silverdale has doomed Clear
Creek to functioning as a large drainage ditch for runoff into Dyes
Inlet.
But reducing stormwater pollution is not beyond the reach of
human innovation, as I learned this week on a tour of new and
planned stormwater facilities in the Clear Creek drainage area. The
trick is to filter the stormwater by any means practical, according
to Chris May, director of Kitsap County’s Stormwater Division and a
key player in the multi-agency Clean Water Kitsap program.
Projects in and around Silverdale range from large regional
ponds of several acres to small filtration devices fitted into
confined spaces around homes and along roadways.
