Upcoming RFPs, opening in November, will offer funding opportunities to help communities prepare their stormwater systems for climate change, and build multi-benefit stormwater parks.
The Stormwater Strategic Initiative Lead (SIL) has been busy with its advisory team following the temperature on two hot topics: climate resilience and stormwater parks. These RFPs are expected to be released in November 2023. Interested parties can sign up for RFP updates here.
Climate resilience is perhaps the most pressing public health and safety issue of our time, and integrating climate resilience into stormwater strategies can make space for inundation, increase infiltration, and right-size infrastructure to accommodate increased flows. This $1 million dollar investment will support infrastructure analysis, retrofit planning, and program development, all of which are foundations for catalyzing actions like nimbler and more adaptable, site-scale retrofits at lower cost. In addition to the formative work done by King County, the region now hosts the Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative, which addresses resilience across multiple sectors and landscape types.
In addition to funding critical climate resilience approaches, our team is promoting acceleration of stormwater parks.
A tool used to mitigate flooding associated with climate impacts, stormwater parks, and now the darling of many regions, is receiving well-deserved attention. Stormwater parks, often graced with park-like settings, recreation areas, restorative biophilic design, and much-needed calming green space, is a widely recognized solution for improving water quality and flow at the source of stormwater runoff. This $1 million dollar investment will increase the distribution and effectiveness of stormwater parks throughout Puget Sound, as well as building capacity in jurisdictions to maintain them.
Our team funded a suite of stormwater park design and planning, which led to the culmination of guidance for stormwater parks from the Puget Sound Regional Council. Stormwater parks can also address inequities in green space for underserved communities and offer multiple health benefits. By improving inundation of non-polluted water into waterways and streams, we can protect species and habitats through the system we care about while enhancing recreational opportunities for local communities.
Manchester Park, Photo by Kitsap County
Why does it matter?
Climate change impacts have manifested in dramatic ways in our region, perhaps before we expected, leading to devastating loss of life, and property, and physical and social resilience damage. In combination with an exploding regional population, we need resilience tools that plan for, and adapt to rapidly shifting conditions, lest we lose the things we love and rely on in this region we call home. Stormwater parks, which can add important green space, provide important reflection, recreation and soothing space for growing communities.
Author: Heidi Siegelbaum