Our goal is to develop 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.
On June 30, 2010 we formally approved the 2010 Stormwater Monitoring and Assessment Strategy for Puget Sound (2010 Strategy) and delivered our 55 consensus recommendations to the Washington Department of Ecology and the Puget Sound Partnership. On October 29, 2010 we submitted to Ecology 33 additional, specific recommendations for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) municipal stormwater permit requirements as a means to launch and begin to implement the regional stormwater monitoring strategy. Since then we have continued to make additional, detailed recommendations to implement the strategy.
The 2010 Strategy, our further Recommendations for Municipal Stormwater Permit Monitoring, and transmittal documents are available for download here. The status of implementing these recommendations is summarized here.
The SWG has adopted a 2012-2013 work plan and was the first formal topical work group to be included in the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program (PSEMP).
Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 16, 2012 from 9 am to 12 pm at the USGS office in Tacoma
The draft agenda and directions are posted here.
Current work: SWG subgroups are working to (1) develop and implement a process for selecting effectiveness studies (2) track and update our work plan for 2012-2013 (3) implement the SWG's communication strategy (4) recommend an oversight process for pooling resources, (5) oversee implementation of status and trends monitoring activities, (6) develop monitoring components for agricultural lands, (7) develop a source identification and diagnostic monitoring information repository, and (8) recommend priorities for monitoring stormwater runoff from roads and highways.
About the Stormwater Work Group
GOAL: To protect and restore Puget Sound and the rivers and streams that feed it.
PROBLEM: Stormwater is one of the biggest threats to Puget Sound because it carries pollutants to water bodies, contributes to flooding, closes shellfish beds, harms salmon, and erodes streams. Because stormwater is such a big problem, we need better information to do a better job of preventing the problems caused by stormwater.
CURRENT SITUATION: A lot of good work has been done to test what’s in the water and to measure the problems caused by stormwater. Information is collected in different ways and by many agencies but efforts need to be better coordinated to share information in a way that helps us make better informed decisions about what actions are the most important to protect and restore Puget Sound.
NEED: A better system to test stormwater, document its effects on fish and their aquatic ecosystem and evaluate management actions designed to protect them. Our job is to create that system.
NEXT STEPS: We have submitted our recommendations for designing the system. More details are under development. The Department of Ecology will provide further opportunities for public input on permit requirements to implement the system. The SWG will continue to provide opportunities for input as specific system components are developed and new decisions/recommendations are made.
Developing the 2010 Strategy: earlier drafts and comments
For more background information and context, see the other pages linked here or visit the SWG archives (charter, work plan, meeting agendas and summaries, and other documents).
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