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Reports

The Stormwater Work Group is developing a sustainable, cooperative stormwater monitoring and assessment framework that provides meaningful management data, promotes greater understanding of stormwater and other surface water pollution source issues, and supports a larger, integrated effort to protect and restore the Puget Sound ecosystem by enabling us to know whether we are reducing harm caused by stormwater and other surface water sources.

The SWG has made formal recommendations and commissioned technical work to launch the Stormwater Assessment and Monitoring Program for Puget Sound (SWAMPPS). Our findings, overall strategy, and recommendations are posted below.

Findings

• Stormwater Management Program Effectiveness Study Literature Review

Strategy and Recommendations

On June 30, 2010 the work group delivered the 2010 Strategy and key consensus recommendations to the Partnership and Ecology.

• 2010 Stormwater Monitoring and Assessment Strategy for the Puget Sound Region.
  • Cover letter from the work group to the Directors of the Partnership and Ecology
  • Key recommendations for establishing a Stormwater Assessment and Monitoring Program for Puget Sound (SWAMPPS).
  • Appendices to the 2010 Stormwater Monitoring and Assessment Strategy for the Puget Sound Region.

The 2010 Strategy describes the scientific framework for future monitoring and assessment activities, and an implementation plan for conducting the activities in a coordinated, efficient manner and with standardized methods. The work group continued to work on specific components of the strategy over the summer of 2010.

On October 29, 2010 the work group delivered additional Recommendations for Municipal Stormwater Permit Monitoring to Ecology.

• Recommendations for Municipal Stormwater Permit Monitoring
  • Cover letter from the work group to Ecology’s Director

These recommendations build on the 2010 Strategy. They provide more specificity for establishing a means to administer collective funding and coordination of stormwater monitoring activities, and specify what monitoring activities should be funded and conducted by NPDES municipal stormwater permittees in Puget Sound during the next permit term.

On September 21, 2011 the work group submitted a prioritized list of recommended study topics to Ecology. These studies are intended to be funded by contributions from the municipal stormwater NPDES permittees during the next 5-year permit cycle. This list is currently being reviewed in light of the findings of the literature review (see Findings, above) and may be revised and resubmitted.

Having made these recommendations, the work group will continue to work with the Ecology and others to ramp up for implementation of SWAMPPS. At the same time, the group has begun work with the Puget Sound Partnership to coordinate their efforts with other topical work groups formed by the ecosystem monitoring program.

Working documents and interim meeting materials are available at http://sites.google.com/site/pugetsoundstormwaterworkgroup/home

Contact Karen Dinicola, Project Manager, at 360-407-6550 for more information.

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