Stormwater Engagement

This engagement project covers areas within Milton-Freewater City Limits, the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB), and regions outside the UGB in Umatilla County—specifically the Highway-11 (S-1) and Nichols Canyon (S-2) drainage areas. The Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council (WWBWC) has previously been contacted by one resident of the S-2 drainage with concerns about stormwater runoff in this area. This concern was twofold; 1) it causes mild flooding within the drainages and 2) water quality in the Walla Walla River is affected. While stormwater runoff is not necessarily a year-round threat in our location, water quality impacts do approximately align with various lifecycle stages of critical species within our basin. The region is anticipated to receive more precipitation as rainfall and the snow that may still fall is likely to melt more quickly; both factors will lead to an increase in runoff events. This project will focus on engaging with the home and landowners, relevant local and state agencies, and other project partners within S-1 and S-2 drainages regarding green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) possibilities within the area. Efforts will include outreach events, educational materials, and one-on-one and group meetings with landowners to discuss the need for and potential benefits of GSI installation.
While this engagement will lead to restoration of Instream and Riparian areas, the estimated cost of that habitat restoration could not be anticipated at proposed.

No Benefit entered.