Stormwater Management Action Plan

What is a Stormwater Management Action Plan?

A Stormwater Management Action Plan or SMAP is a plan that requires a planning approach that emphasizes protection of designated uses and improvements to receiving water quality and habitat under both existing and anticipated future developed conditions.  A SMAP is focused on addressing impacts from the cumulative development in a watershed rather than on single site or subdivision impacts. The plan will prioritize projects and activities to reduce harmful effects of stormwater runoff to waters of the State.

A SMAP helps to answer these two important questions:

1)    How can we most strategically address existing stormwater problems?
2)    How can we meet our future population and density targets while also protecting and improving conditions in receiving waters?

Why is the City creating a Stormwater Management Action Plan (SMAP)?

The Washington State Department of Ecology requires the City to create a SMAP using the process outlined in the Western Washington Phase II Municipal Stormwater Permit. More information on the Stormwater Permit can be found at this link to Ecology’s website.

How will the SMAP benefit our community?

  • Provide cleaner waterways.
  • Help resolve residential flooding challenges.
  • Create opportunities for new open spaces, parks, and trees.
  • Efficiently use City funds by finding opportunities to combine efforts with other City departments for stormwater project implementation.
  • Reflect the community’s values on improving water quality and inform how and where we take action.

What is coming in the SMAP process?

The SMAP Process includes 3 Phases: 

Phase 1: Receiving Water Conditions Assessment - Completed in 2022. (Sub-basin Map (PDF))

Phase 2: Receiving Water Prioritization Report – Completed in 2022. (Stormwater Influence Map (PDF))

Phase 3: SMAP for top priority basin, the Central Business District - In Progress.

Through a prioritization analysis (Phase 2), the City has selected the Central Business District (CBD) sub-basin #9 as top-ranking sub-basin and is moving forward with developing a SMAP for this basin.  Specific steps are underway to identify short-term management actions (to be accomplished in 0 to 6 years) and long-term management actions (to be accomplished within 7-20 years) and also add guidelines for adaptive management.

The Central Business District was chosen because stormwater runoff from this area is not likely to improve without intervention from the City. Other municipal projects in the same area means that stormwater projects can work with other City projects to accomplish more together.

Find out more, get involved, and help make the commitment to clean water!

Your input is important to the success of our City’s SMAP development during this next year. We’d like you to share your concerns, help prioritize what locations are addressed first, and shape the actions that will be taken.

Here are ways you can learn more and get involved:

  • Attend the public meeting to be scheduled later this year (details will be provided in future project updates)
  • Contact the City SMAP representative, Mark Sandal, at 360-354-3446.