Update on Stormwater Permit Compliance

As the owner of a municipal storm sewer system, Clark County is responsible for meeting the terms of a state-issued permit to discharge stormwater water to streams and lakes. The permit, re-issued every five years, requires the county to adopt and enforce rules for applicants to follow in managing stormwater runoff from development sites. The Board of County Commissioners adopted a new set of stormwater and erosion control rules in January 2009.

Clark County received a municipal stormwater permit notice of violation from the Department of Ecology in March 2009, based on their ruling that the county’s ordinances did not require runoff controls from development sites to the level required by the permit. Since that time, the county has been negotiating an agreement with the state that recognizes how the activities and benefits of the county’s Stormwater Management Plan provide equivalent protection for receiving waters, particularly the county’s proposal to implement a rigorous capital construction program that addresses the many water quality and erosion issues resulting from older development sites. This agreement is necessary for the county’s flow control policy and stormwater rules to be compliant with the terms of the municipal stormwater permit.

Clean Water Program staff is working to get an agreement in place that may bring the county into compliance with the terms of the permit. The agreement will be approved by the board in early Fall following a public hearing. The hearing will be an important opportunity to voice your opinion. The date of the hearing and adoption has yet to be set so please watch the Clean Water Program web site for details.

For more information please contact Ron Wierenga at (360) 397-6118 ext. 4264.

Summer...under construction!

Excavation of the new pond at the Encore Facility

"Make hay while the sun shines" - that phrase for getting things done in the summer, definitely applies to stormwater construction projects. This summer, crews are breaking ground on a project to reconstruct an aging residential stormwater facility known as Encore, near NE 152nd Street and 20th Avenue in the Whipple Creek Watershed.

The Encore site was designated as a stormwater facility in the 1980s when development of the surrounding area began. Two existing ponds on the site currently receive stormwater from the surrounding neighborhoods, however, analysis of existing conditions shows that the site provides a negligible amount of stormwater detention, insufficient to meet the present-day requirements for new development. In fact, only the flows from very large storms are controlled by the existing ponds. Reconstructing or ‘retrofitting’ the ponds will provide better stormwater management for this area, helping to curb stream erosion and habitat degradation observed downstream of the site.

The project will excavate a large pond and redesign the control structures on the site to detain and slowly release runoff form storm events. Additional work will enhance on-site wetlands with native plants to provide for more effective treatment to remove pollutants. The reconstructed ponds are expected to reduce peak flows by greater than 50% for a wide range of storms, reducing downstream erosion and habitat degradation.

Construction will be completed by October 2009. For more information, contact Scott Fakler, at (360) 397-6118 ext. 4394 or email scott.fakler@clark.wa.gov

Where the water meets the road…
Clark County steps up new stormwater monitoring efforts

For years Clark County has led the way in monitoring water quality of our local streams and lakes, the receiving waters of stormwater runoff and the contaminants it may carry. Now, a new county effort is underway to monitor stormwater runoff at its source, the roadways and the residential and commercial properties that drain to the county's stormwater system.

With the overall goal of measuring the effectiveness of specific stormwater management activities, Clean Water Program scientists will establish and operate monitoring stations that will test stormwater quality from residential and commercial land uses, examine the ability of particular stormwater facilities to remove pollutants and control water, and investigate how individual management actions like public education and outreach improve stormwater quality and benefit county water bodies. The results of monitoring may help guide future stormwater management activities including design and construction of stormwater facilities, inspection and maintenance schedules, and education and outreach campaigns.

The plan has been coordinated with the Washington State Department of Ecology and other municipal stormwater permittees in western Washington since 2008. This summer the county will invest in sophisticated monitoring equipment to help ensure the project goals are met, with monitoring expected to begin in September 2009. Monitoring sites are located in the Lake Shore and Salmon Creek watersheds, lower Whipple Creek Watershed, and Burnt Bridge Creek Watershed. While some of the studies will last for about two years, land-use stormwater monitoring is anticipated to continue for about five years.

For more information on this project, contact Bob Hutton at (360)397-6118 ext. 4868.

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SNAP Update

This summer, county Clean Water Program staff are back in the field assessing stream conditions in Clark County. In 2009, work focuses on the areas of Salmon Creek southwest and east of Battle Ground, including tributaries Morgan Creek, Woodin Creek, and Rock Creek; Lower Salmon Creek in the Lakeshore area; Flume Creek watershed south of Ridgefield; and middle and upper Burnt Bridge Creek in the Orchards area.

The purpose of the SNAP, or Stormwater Needs Assessment Program, is to identify potential stormwater or stream improvement projects, update the county storm sewer system inventory, identify sources of pollution, and describe overall stream conditions. Stormwater projects and other stream improvement opportunities identified by the assessments will be evaluated for potential funding and construction by the county or referral to other local agencies.

Results of previous SNAP assessments for 2008 and 2009 are available online at: www.clark.wa.gov/water-resources/snap.html

For more information on the SNAP, contact Jeff Schnabel at (360)397-6118 ext. 4583.

Homeowners Associations - Do you own a stormwater facility?

Stormwater facilities designed to clean and control the flow of runoff are common features in many subdivisions around the county. During a rainstorm, runoff from roofs, yards, and streets is directed through a system of storm drains and pipes to a stormwater facility, such as a pond, bioswale, infiltration basin, or underground filter-cartridge vault. The facility stores or slows the water and helps remove sediments and contaminants before releasing it to the nearest stream or infiltrating it into the ground.

Residents living within subdivisions may not realize that many stormwater facilities are owned by their homeowner's association. As owners, the homeowner's association is responsible for all maintenance on these private stormwater facilities. 

To function properly, the stormwater facilities must be kept to the maintenance standards outlined in Clark County's Stormwater Facility Maintenance Manual (PDF 3M). Maintenance practices are specific to the type of facility and may include vegetation management, mowing, removal of sediment, and clean up of litter and debris.

If you have any questions about ownership or maintenance requirements of a stormwater facility in your neighborhood, please contact the Clark County Clean Water Program at (360) 397-6118 ext. 4345

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Canines for Clean Water

Pledges continue to roll in from dog owners pledging to pick up after their dogs.

Since October 2008, 387 dog owners representing 501 dogs have taken the pledge. That's over 60,000 lbs of waste a year not washing into our streams!

New! Follow Buddy the Clean Water Dog on Twitter! Go to http://twitter.com/CleanWaterBuddy

Check out posters and the new Canines for Clean Water coloring books online at CleanWaterDogs.com

WOW! Watershed Words flow from Clark County Students

Clark County kids care about clean water and they show it in their writing and artwork. Last spring, 326 Clark County students from 23 schools submitted entries to the Clean Water Program's Watershed of Words (WOW) contest. WOW encourages students to really think about what streams and lakes mean to them and then creatively express their related thoughts, knowledge, and experiences through words and art. This year, 96 entries were selected to publish in a booklet "2009 Watershed of Words - A Collection of Writing and Artwork by Clark County Students". Copies were distributed back to students, schools, teachers, and parents. All participants received recognition certificates and "published author" awards. Information about the 2010 contest will be mailed to teachers in September 2009.

Download a copy of the 2009 Watershed of Words (PDF 1.3M)

Opportunities to learn....

Watershed Steward Training

Want to volunteer to help your community and the environment? Become a Watershed Steward! Come learn about our watersheds from local experts one evening a week for 10 weeks. The Fall training begins Wednesday nights September 9 and ends November 11, 2009. Sponsored by WSU Clark County Extension and the Clean Water Program. Call Jen Naas at (360) 397-6060, ext. 7705 to register or for more information.

Living on the Land

Got acreage? The Small Acreage Program is offering Living on the Land - Stewardship for Small Acreages, a 12-week series provides valuable tips on issues important to rural landowners. Learn how you can improve your land, having healthier animals, and help the environment at the same time. This free class is held on Wednesday nights beginning September 2, 2009 and is offered in partnership with WSU Clark County Extension. Free but pre-registration required. Call Erin Harwood at (360) 397-6060, ext. 7720 to register or for more information.

Workshops and other events

The Clean Water Program partners with WSU Clark County Extension to offer community workshops. Call WSU Clark County Extension at (360) 397-6118 ext. 0 to REGISTER (and PRE-PAY if a cost involved). Workshops fill up quickly so don’t delay!

Clean Water Program

Established in 2000, the Clean Water Program helps improve water quality in Clark County through education, storm sewer cleaning and maintenance, pollutant source screening, stormwater facility upgrades, stream habitat restoration projects and development and enforcement of improved stormwater regulations.

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