Madison Valley Stormwater Improvement Project
A Shape Our Water Community Tour
Welcome to the tour!
This is a Shape Our Water Community Tour of the Madison Valley Stormwater Improvement Project.
These two parks are a great place to learn about Seattle's drainage and wastewater systems. You can visit them in person or you can explore from your computer or phone—the choice is yours!
If you need directions, click the link under the orange map.
About Madison Valley Stormwater Improvement Project
Part 1: Madison Valley Stormwater Park (30th Ave E between E Denny and E John St; 29th Ave E & Roy St.)
Part 2: Washington Park Stormwater Facility (E Roy St between 29th Ave E & E Madison St)
The Madison Valley stormwater improvement project has two locations in Seattle’s Madison Valley. Together, the two sites and underground infrastructure are capable of containing the stormwater of a 150-year event. The project greatly reduced potential for sewer backups and stormwater flooding while creating new open space for community.
In heavy rains when underground pipelines become full, the above ground holding area on 30th Ave E is activated, storing water until the pipelines clear. At Washington Park, a 1.3-million-gallon storage tank was designed with an overlook on top to double its function as public infrastructure. Other parts of the site were transformed into a reforested park. Most of the time, these areas serve as attractive open spaces for the community with native plants and trees, walking paths, play areas, and art.
The Tour
This tour guides you through the stormwater park and up to the stormwater storage facility in Washington Park. Use the map below to explore each park's features, learn about their histories, and discover the stormwater management features that are built into these two parks.
Map Tip: click the images on the info cards to expand them
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Tour Overview
This tour has two main parts: 1) The Madison Valley Stormwater Park; and 2) the stormwater storage facility in Washington Park. The two parts of the tour are about a half mile apart from each other, so plan accordingly if you want to visit them both.
The tour begins at the southwest entrance of Madison Valley Stormwater Park (click here for directions).
Let's get started!
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Madison Valley Stormwater Park: SW Entrance
This tour begins at the southwest corner of the park (30th Ave East & East Denny Way). A paved path will guide you through the park from south to north.
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The Park's Layout
This park was built after an extreme rain flooded several homes back in 2004.
Today, when Seattle gets a lot of rain this park can store up to 1.7 million gallons of stormwater!
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Construction History
The park was designed in 2008 and built between 2009 and 2010.
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Designed With Community
People who live in around the park helped Seattle Public Utilities decide what features to include, like this footbridge that runs over a wet patch.
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A Park With Many Roles
Most of the time, this area serves as an attractive open space for the community, providing a green and inviting environment featuring native plants and trees, walking paths, a sandy play area for kids, and art sculptures.
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Travel Time!
This completes the first part of this tour.
The second leg of the tour takes place at Washington Park (with one short stop along the way). Getting there requires some movement—approximately half a mile walking or rolling along sidewalks, including one crossing of an arterial street.
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Evergreen Stormwater Infrastructure
In cities, trees play an important role in the management of stormwater. A healthy urban forest can reduce runoff through a variety of ways such as 1) reducing the amount of water that reaches the ground, delaying the onset and reducing the volume of peak flows; 2) transforming harmful chemicals from the soil to usable nutrients for the tree; 3) root growth and decomposition increase soil infiltration capacity and rate.
This Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) by the Madison Valley Storm Sewer Detention Facility has intercepted about 250 gallons of rainwater this year, preventing 82 gallons of stormwater runoff from entering the combined sewer system.
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Washington Park Playfield Stormwater Storage Facility
Washington Park Playfield is located at the southern tip of the Washington Park Arboretum .
The stormwater facility was built to work with the Madison Valley Stormwater Park and street drainage improvements to help protect the Madison Valley neighborhood from stormwater flooding and sewer backups. It contains a 1.3 million-gallon storage tank, a rain garden, and an above-ground stormwater storage area where excess stormwater can flow during periods of heavy rain.
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Storage Tank—With a View!
The storage tank is a major feature of this project. Not only does it hold a huge amount of water, it also doubles as a scenic overlook into Washington Park's play fields.
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Final Stop: Rain Gardens All Around
The rain gardens and above-ground storage areas act as backup for the 1.3 million-gallon storage tank. Designing infrastructure systems with this type of extra capacity is a necessary step for making our city resilient to climate change.
Bonus feature: A large, crack-like cavity was designed into the storage tank's retaining wall. This opening provides a safe place for birds to build nests, and it is an example of how infrastructure can be designed to better integrate with the natural environment.
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Tour Complete!
That's the end of the tour. If you want to share your thoughts about this experience, please click the survey link below.
Thanks for taking part in the tour—we hope you enjoyed it!
Your Thoughts
Seattle is preparing a plan for its drainage and wastewater systems that will guide the next fifty years of projects and investment.
Did this tour of the Madison Valley Stormwater Improvement Project make you think about your own neighborhood? What types of water infrastructure does your neighborhood have? What would you like to see the City build in the coming years?
If you want to share your thoughts with us, please visit the survey below and let us know what you think.