Nearly $1 million in stormwater management project funding awarded to the Spokane region to address stormwater runoff, one of the biggest pollution issues the Spokane River faces.
New technology, new prevention techniques and a better understanding of stormwater management could go a long way in dealing with this problem, but like many things, it’s all about the dollar sign. Recent news from the Washington State Department of Ecology shows that momentum for this issue could be gaining. Ecology recently announced the list of 43 cities and counties that will get a share of $23.4 million to plan, design and build stormwater retrofit and low-impact development facility projects. Among them, $750,000 for a Spokane County project, and nearly $200,000 for a City of Spokane Valley project.
I’ve written before about the need for better stormwater management in Eastern Washington, and the need for administrative authority to make that happen. This announcement and this funding could be the start of that. Below are the official descriptions of the two local projects that were awarded FY 2011 Stormwater Retrofit/LID Competitive Grants. And a map explaining more is also below.
The $750,000 Spokane County project is The Country Homes Boulevard Restoration Project. It will replace approximately one mile of asphalt ditch drainage channel that carries stormwater runoff from the five mile watershed toward the Spokane River to a low-impact development rain garden/bio-infiltration swale, providing stormwater treatment for the pollution- generating impervious surfaces within this watershed.
The $186,665 City of Spokane Valley project is the Sullivan Bridge Drain Retrofit. It will eliminate currently untreated direct flows from the Sullivan Bridges to the Spokane River and convey them off-site to a new treatment facility. Project will design and construct the conveyance, treatment, and infiltration systems to eliminate five outfalls now and additional southbound bridge outfalls in the future.
