What's new with the Clean Water Program? Read about our recent success stories in the community.
2010 - Upper Whipple Creek Habitat Protection & Runoff Control Project
This project, completed in 2010, enhanced and protected 40 acres of critical habitat and wetland in Clark County from anticipated development upstream. The project stopped further degradation of the Whipple Creek channel in a valuable natural area, protecting both wetland and floodplain function in managing storm flows. Improvements included stabilizing the stream bed with rocks and large wood to stop erosion from threatening wetland areas; installing valley-spanning log jams to slow the storm flows and swamp the wetland and floodplain habitat; and restoring native vegetation in the adjacent riparian areas.
2010 - Mount Vista Stormwater Facility Landslide Repair
The Mount Vista stormwater facility was damaged and failed to function after a torrential rain and major landslide in January 2009. Improvements made involved substantial grading, excavation and tree removal at the facility. In addition, landslide damage was repaired along a tributary of Mill Creek. This stormwater facility serves a large catchment area of approximately 50 acres. This area is fully developed with single family homes. The stormwater facility and landslide repair was completed in summer of 2010.
September 2010 - Teal Pointe/Miller Estates Stormwater Facility Retrofit Project
This project modified and combined two existing stormwater facilities into a new stormwater wetland. This will improve the facility’s overall performance for water quality treatment and quantity control. The facility was planted with native trees and shrubs. The completed work also improves public access to the Salmon Creek Greenway trail. The new stormwater wetland serves as a catchment area of approximately 142 acres. The facility also receives stormwater runoff from Thomas Jefferson Middle School. The new facility is able to capture large and significant quantity of sediments that would otherwise end up in Salmon Creek. The facility reduces peak flows discharged to Salmon Creek by 51 percent (during 2-year rainfall events). This project was completed in September 2010.
2010 - New Valley Stormwater Facility Retrofit
This project replaced a non-functioning bio-filtration swale with a large rain garden to provide enhanced water quality treatment. The project also expanded and reconfigured the existing infiltration basin to improve overall performance of the stormwater facility. Finally, the project planted many native trees and shrubs to significantly improve aesthetics of the facility. The stormwater facility serves a fully developed area with single family homes. The stormwater facility was completed in summer of 2010.
November 2009 - Sunnyside Neighborhood sewer project benefits from multi-agency cooperation
In a cooperative effort, the Clean Water Program worked closely with Clark County Public Health and the Clark Regional Wastewater District (CRWWD) to successfully bring sanitary sewer to the Sunnyside neighborhood, an area plagued by failing septic systems, which can pollute both ground and surface water. CRWWD’s decision to recently install a new sewer main in the neighborhood was supported by information gathered by the Clean Water Program and Clark County Public Health.
Clean Water Program scientists tested nearby Padden Creek for bacteria pollution in response to a citizen’s concern about water quality. . When the results confirmed elevated bacteria levels, the county sponsored sophisticated testing to determine the source of the bacteria. Those tests indicated that human and dog pathogens were present, suggesting that the bacteria were coming from septic systems and that pet waste from the ground surface was also finding its way into failing leach fields and then the stream.
Subsequently, Clean Water Program technical assistance staff and Public Health representatives also provided letters of support, testified at wastewater district board meetings, and attended public meetings in the Sunnyside neighborhood.
The testing ultimately provided the information that CRWWD needed to bring the Sunnyside project to the top of their new Septic Elimination Program list. Installation of the $700,000 sewer system was completed in November 2009. To date, three homes have hooked up to the new sewer, including one with a failing septic system. Several more residents have inquired and plan to take advantage of the District’s low cost financing. Neighborhood residents hooking up to sewer within the next year qualify for a 30% deferral of local facility charge. For more information on Clark Regional Wastewater District’s Septic Elimination Program, call (360) 750-5876 or go to www.crwwd.com.
October 2009 - Wanke Meadows neighbors pull together to repair their stormwater facility
Last spring, residents of the Wanke Meadows neighborhood in Hazel Dell were notified by Clark County's Clean Water Program that their privately owned stormwater facility was out of compliance with the county's Water Quality ordinance due to lack of maintenance.
County staff met with residents to explain stormwater facility ownership and maintenance responsibility. Rather than hire an outside contractor to do all the required maintenance work, a small group of Wanke Meadows residents stepped up to spearhead the volunteer effort to bring their stormwater facility into compliance. This smaller group rallied the neighborhood into volunteering their time during several summer and early fall work parties. Step by step residents cleaned up and made repairs to bring their stormwater facility into compliance.
Neighbors scheduled work parties to remove all the blackberries overrunning the entire stormwater facility and cut dozens of small alder and birch trees invading the pond area of the facility. After a hiring a heavy equipment contractor to remove all the accumulated sediment and re-grade the facility, the Wanke Meadows neighborhood volunteers got back to work with another weekend work party to install a retaining wall for a maintenance access road. Finally, the volunteers planted sod and spread seed to revegetate the newly graded bioswale.
By working closely with county's Clean Water Program staff each step of the way and doing much of the work themselves, the Wanke Meadows neighborhood volunteers demonstrated true community spirit and managed to save over $10,000 in the process.
For more information about private stormwater facility maintenance, call Cary Armstrong, Clean Water Technical Assistance, at (360) 397-6118, ext. 4392 or email cary.armstrong@clark.wa.gov.
August 2009 - Landowners pick up streamside litter
When walking streams for the Stormwater Needs Assessment Program (SNAP), Clean Water monitoring staff often discovers trash and debris littering the stream bank and riparian areas. Last fall, the Clean Water Program mailed letters to private landowners with noted trash sites explaining the impact of trash on stream health and habitat and asking for their voluntary assistance by picking up the debris.
The response from 22 landowners was overwhelmingly positive, with most indicating they were unaware of the problem and a willingness to clean up their stream. Often, owners called back to let staff know they had taken care of the problem. One landowner reported taking 1,200 pounds of trash to the dump and another proudly reported removing three garbage bags and four five-gallon buckets of litter, six tires, three washing machine tubs, 1 clothes dryer cabinet, drain pipe, and aluminum siding.
Keeping our streams litter free is important to protect water quality and stream habitat for fish and wildlife. During flooding and other natural events, litter and debris may be picked up and washed downstream. This can affect neighboring properties, impact the community’s safety, and decrease enjoyment of natural areas. For more information on the SNAP, call Jeff Schnabel at (360) 397-6118 ext. 4583 or email jeff.schnabel@clark.wa.gov
