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 to Puget Sound by stormwater and other surface water sources.
The SWG adopted a new 2011-2012 work plan on February 16, 2011. The SWG is the first formal topical work group created as part of the Puget Sound Partnership's coordinated ecosystem monitoring and assessment program.
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.
The 2010 Strategy, our further Recommendations for Municipal Stormwater Permit Monitoring, and transmittal documents are available for download from Ecology's webpage.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 15, 2012 from 9 am to 1 pm at the USGS office in Tacoma.
The January 18 meeting was CANCELLED due to inclement weather conditions.
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 2011-2012 (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) coordinate SWG input into Action Agenda Updates, (7) develop monitoring components for agricultural lands, and (8) develop a source identification and diagnostic monitoring information repository.
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