Stormwater Committee
The Stormwater Committee develops, recommends, supports, and conducts programs to promote the overall understanding of stormwater management strategies, including those related to operation, maintenance, and management practices in the Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association (PNCWA). Our committee members support PNCWA through pre-conference workshops, conference abstract submittal and presentations, supporting the recognition of stormwater professionals through the awards program, curating timely and relevant content for the PNCWA monthly digest, and more.
We hold monthly conference calls to stay connected with our professional network.
Being a member of the stormwater committee provides opportunities to develop professionally in the emerging stormwater management workforce, including opportunities to grow technically (such as learning holistic, cost-effective strategies for managing stormwater), networking with other stormwater professionals and innovators, developing leadership and communication skills and inspiring new ideas through collaboration. The stormwater committee is a collaborative team that works to promote effective information sharing, organize workshops, develop a newsletter and learning content and inspire others. We've got big plans for the future and need your help. Join today! Some of our goals include:
- Create a diversified stormwater committee with meaningful roles and leadership opportunities; reach out to committee members to learn more! - Develop a pre-conference workshop. - Evaluate other outreach and educational opportunities such as lunch-and-learns. - Promote the stormwater industry through various communications. - Encourage nominations for stormwater professionals and innovative stormwater projects. - Increase abstracts for stormwater presentations at next years conference to provide a comprehensive stormwater track.
Check out our latest news and event here.
Stormwater Learning Hour Recordings
The Stormwater Committee hosts Stormwater Learning Hour webinars each month from February to May. View the recordings from our past series below and keep an eye out for information about the next series in early 2025!
January 2024: Aaron Nichols, a water resources engineer at Atwell, presented on the current state and future of artificial intelligence in stormwater and water resources. During the presentation, Aaron discussed how to leverage AI tools like ChatGPT to automate tasks and improve productivity in the engineering field.
View Recording
February 2024: Torrey Lindbo with the City of Gresham presented on a modified deep drywell retrofit project recently completed by the City. Infiltration is a critical mechanism for reducing direct runoff into streams and recharging groundwater. Soils near the surface are not always ideal for infiltration, so the City developed the deep drywell concept. The drywells are designed to reduce the volume of flow to the City’s MS4 while protecting groundwater the community relies on as a drinking water source.
View Recording
May 2024 - Tage Aaker from the FCS Group presented the highlights and findings of the Washington Stormwater Benchmarking and Rate Structure Survey. The presentation provided insight into the current practices of Washington State stormwater utilities, providing both quantitative and qualitative context for evaluating the types of stormwater rates, charges, and credits currently in use.
View Recording
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.
View Recording
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.
View Recording
April 2023: Robin Kirschbaum 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.
View Recording
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.
View Recording
Contact Info
Josh Van Wie - Chair Osborn Consulting [email protected] 509.867.3654 Ext. 306
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