Water Quality - Runoff

A key part of protecting our environment is protecting our water quality. Protecting habitat, solving local flooding problems, and making sure surface water runoff is treated and cleaned is important to maintaining our quality of life.

Dave was a leader in the creation of the Drainage Needs Report, a comprehensive survey of necessary drainage, habitat, and water quality projects throughout the county. This report provided a road map for improving the county’s management of water-related issues. Many of these projects have now been completed with Dave’s support.

Strengthening the county critical areas ordinance was another important step in protecting water quality and habitat. Some of the key changes Dave supported are:

* Increased buffers
* Provisions for habitat corridors to connect wetlands with high value for habitat to other critical areas
* Limitations on impervious surfaces and clearing adjacent to water bodies containing critical habitat
* Strengthening provisions regulating clearing
* Adding lakes and marine shorelines to the list of protected areas
* Adding provisions to protect state sensitive listed species and species of local importance
* Improved protection of habitat containing endangered salmon

Other key habitat and water quality projects Dave has supported include:

* The purchase of conservation easements to protect North Creek
* Twin Creeks project protecting homes while providing salmon habitat
* Working with other jurisdictions on the WRIA 8 plan to promote salmon recovery
* Use of pervious concrete and other Low Impact Development (LID) techniques

Surface water run-off, causing the flooding of yards, basements, intersections, etc. is a problem in south Snohomish County. It both harms water quality and damages property. Dave’s leadership has resulted in doubling the number of problems being fixed. A partial list of projects completed in District 4 includes:

* Hubbard Road east of 4th Ave W
* Tambark Creek near 22nd Ave
* Silver Creek at 185th Pl SE
* Improvements near Winesap Road and Winesap Lane
* 196th St SE, west of the Bothell-Everett Highway
* Along 112th St SE between 28th Dr SE and 31st Ave SE
* Along 110th St SE between 27th Ave SE and 31st Ave SE
* 4th Ave W between Lakeview Road and Martha Lake
* Near 16th Ave SE and SE 126th St
* South of 164th near 1st and 3rd Ave SE
* 180th and 20th Dr SE
* North Creek culvert south of 128th at 4th Dr SE
* 202nd St SE between 10th Dr SE and 13th Dr SE
* North Creek culvert at 124th St SE and 5th Ave SE