Hi everyone and welcome to the Stormwater Committee! This article is the first quarterly newsletter from the Stormwater Committee to provide information on past and upcoming committee events.

2023: A Year in Review

During 2023, the Stormwater Committee successfully hosted four Stormwater Learning Hours and organized a Service Event at the annual PNCWA Conference in Tacoma, WA. The Stormwater Learning Hours spanned from February - May of 2023. Please find descriptions of the Stormwater Learning Hours below. -

• February 2023: Briita Pajunas and Maura Olivos with Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District presented on conservation work in the Tualatin Basin, including urban stream restoration, residential retrofit projects, and more.
• March 2023: Craig Fairbaugh with Contech presented on column testing bioretention media mixes with synthetic stormwater made of inorganic and organic sediment and hydrocarbons to better represent urban stormwater than inorganic sediment alone.
• April 2023: Robin Kirshbaum with RKI presented on the importance of designing stormwater facilities with long-term maintenance in mind, focusing on case studies and lessons learned on projects throughout Western Washington.
• May 2023: Abbey Rhode and John Goetz of Clean Water Services presented on combining engineering, ecology, and community partnerships to remove Balm Grove Dam on Gales Creek and restore fish passage.

Check out recordings of the 2023 Stormwater Learning Hours Here.

During the 2023 PNCWA Conference, the Stormwater Committee partnered with Tacoma Metro Parks and the City of Tacoma to host a tour of the Point Defiance Park Stormwater Facility and a volunteer clean-up event to remove invasive species/weeds and place rocks in a stormwater drainage stream. Thank you to everyone who participated in our Service Event!

Upcoming Events

Stormwater Learning Hours

• Our first Stormwater Learning Hour of 2024 was held on January 11th. During this presentation, Aaron Nichols presented on Artificial Intelligence in Stormwater. The link to the presentation will be posted on the Stormwater Committee website soon.
• The next Stormwater Learning Hour will be held on February 15th from 12:00-1:00 pm PST. Members from the City of Gresham will be presenting on using drywells to manage stormwater from large drainage basins. If interested in attending, please register here, along with the Emerging Technologies, Government Affairs, and Odor and Air Quality committees.
• The next Stormwater Learning Hour will be held on February 15th from 12:00-1:00 pm PST. Members from the City of Gresham will be presenting on using drywells to manage stormwater from large drainage basins. If interested in attending, please register here.

Communities of Practice:

• The Stormwater Committee is a part of the Science and Regulation Community of Practice (COP) along with the Emerging Technologies, Government Affairs, and Odor and Air Quality committees. Our first COP meeting was held in December 2023. The Science and Regulation COP plans to meet quarterly to engage with the other committees and identify key areas for partnership.

The 2024 PNCWA Spring Summit:

The Spring Summit is fast approaching on March 7-8 at Portland State University. The Stormwater Committee is pairing with committees in the Science and Regulation COP to organize a presentation on emerging contaminants including PFAS and 6PPDQ. More information on this event can be found on the PNCWA website.

If you are interested in learning more about any of these events or joining the committee, please reach out to our chair, Josh Van Wie, at joshv@osbornconsulting.com or our vice chair, Shannon Kronz, at [email protected].