Conference Agenda

ART – FOR THE VITALITY OF THE PUGET SOUND
IF IT HITS THE GROUND, IT HITS THE SOUNDS – A local community-focused stormwater pollution prevention awareness campaign
ABSTRACT –
Every year, millions of pounds of toxic pollutants flow into the Puget Sound. Rain washes yard chemicals, vehicle fluids, pet waste, and more down street drains directly into the Sound. For over ten years, the City of Tacoma has actively participated in the regional Puget Sound Starts Here stormwater awareness campaign, partnering with other NPDES-permitted cities and counties throughout Puget Sound. Yet despite these efforts, in 2017, a community satisfaction survey conducted by the Environmental Services Department indicated that 50% of Tacoma residents still believe stormwater is treated before entering into our waterways. However, in reality, 90% of stormwater is not treated. In 2020, the City of Tacoma, Environmental Services (ES) embarked on a hyper-local stormwater awareness campaign to supplement Puget Sound Starts Here and engage our community through the work of local artists. The campaign is called “If It Hits the Ground, It Hits the Sound.”
Through this campaign, art is incorporated into pavement murals, vehicle wraps, catch basin stencils, t-shirts, and videos, to communicate the impacts of stormwater pollution in more visual and cross-cultural ways. The artistic format is especially impactful because local artists generate the art to raise awareness within their own communities. In addition to art, ES hosted events to create space for community members to learn about the issues and share experiences and ideas. While providing jobs to local artists, the campaign also brings public art installations into underserved neighborhoods, transforming community eyesores into assets, discouraging vandalism, and enhancing pedestrian thoroughfares,
This presentation will describe the genesis of the pilot campaign, as well as the next steps in building on campaign awareness by pointing community members to pollution prevention actions and support resources provided by Environmental Services, evaluating campaign effectiveness, and hopefully soon utilizing GIS data, including Tacoma’s Equity Index map and Watershed Prioritization tool to prioritize neighborhoods for future art installations.

In 2020, The City of Lakewood completed an update to the FEMA hydrologic and hydraulic model for Clover Creek, located in Lakewood, Washington. The update revealed the 100-year floodplain for Clover Creek is significantly larger than previously modeled. The newly identified floodplain has the potential to completely close critical infrastructure, life-safety and commerce routes such as Interstate 5 (I-5), Pacific Highway, Sound Transit rail lines, and transportation routes to Lakewood’s only hospital.

The City of Lakewood completed a planning level study to evaluate potential alternatives and their resiliency, to reduce flood extents and protect existing buildings and infrastructure. The goal of the study was to build a foundation for the development of measures to protect the City and infrastructure through a resilient and sustainable project.

Working collaboratively with the tribes, public, regulating agencies, and impacted entities, the study initially screened and prioritized more than twenty potential options. Once screening was completed, a more in-depth assessment of four mitigation measures was conducted which included: stream and channel enhancements; construction of new levees: one near I-5 or one near the creek; and a do nothing alternative.

The Stream and Channel Enhancement Alternative identified riparian areas and disconnected floodplains that could be expanded and reconnected to enhance the capacity of Clover Creek to reduce flooding and provide environmental uplift. The I-5 Levee Alternative identified a new levee to limit floodwaters from and west of I-5, while land east of I-5 would remain within the floodplain limits. The Clover Creek Levee Alternative is a setback levee that would limit nearly all flooding and protect critical infrastructure providing the most comprehensive flood protection. The Do Nothing Alternative provides no improvements to mitigate flooding likely resulting in a regulated floodway across I-5 and require many owners to secure new flood insurance.

Each alternative was evaluated with basic assumptions and geometry modifications appropriate for each model run, to understand potential benefits/impacts for each alternative. The presentation will discuss how the selected alternative provides the greatest benefit and most resiliency for the City of Lakewood.