Everett is committed to clean water, and we need your help!

The proposed Stormwater Management Action Plan (the Plan) report for the City of Everett is available for public review. The Plan outlines the proposed Stormwater Management Actions (SMAs) the City is considering implementing to improve water quality in North Creek. The Plan is available to review at the following link:  North Creek Stormwater Management Action Plan 

The City’s planned SMAs for North Creek are summarized in the table below and described in detail in the following sections. Areas for stormwater facility retrofits, features or structures that capture rain runoff to slow flows down and to treat for pollutants, are depicted in the map following the table.

The City is considering three categories of SMAs: stormwater facility retrofits, land management/development and tailored/enhanced actions of City-run programs that improve the quality of stormwater.

Stormwater retrofits are projects that add new stormwater management (pollutant-removal and/or control of runoff volume) in areas that were developed in the past without stormwater facilities or with facilities that have since become out-of-date. The City of Everett is most likely to install stormwater treatment, which efficiently filters out and retains the most challenging pollutants from stormwater runoff, including total suspended solids, hydrocarbons, nutrients, metals and other common pollutants. Below is an example of one kind of retrofit the City may install.

Different City departments worked together to review potential land management and development strategies and selected actions that could most readily and reasonably be implemented to benefit North Creek. The proposed actions are: 

1. Stream buffers: Stream buffers play a critical role filtering pollutants and act as a barrier for keeping people and pets out of natural areas. The City will review the stream and wetland buffers in the North Creek basin and verify minimum protection requirements are being met.
2. Impervious surface billing program: The City is transitioning to impervious surface billing to better align the utility charges with the actual cost of providing the Surface Water Services. Current billing is either flat for single-family accounts or based on water consumption for commercial, industrial and multifamily accounts. Stormwater billing based on impervious surface coverage, instead of drinking water usage, helps citizens and businesses understand that their choices for impervious surfaces on the land have an impact on stormwater runoff that needs to be controlled and treated. 
3. Update tree management code: The City is updating the existing Tree Management Code (EMC 8.40) to balance the need to provide a healthy and abundant tree canopy with the need for construction and development activities. One of the goals for the update is to reduce stormwater runoff and costs associated with managing stormwater. The revisions will establish high-level maintenance standards for urban forests and protect the tree canopy by authorizing tree removal in cases affecting public welfare. For instance, if the species is inappropriate for the space and causing infrastructure damage or if no reasonable or cost-effective alternative exists. 

The City already has a program for managing stormwater that includes specific elements required by the Municipal Stormwater Permit. The SMAP process involves enhancing one or more parts of the City’s existing program. This means targeting, prioritizing, customizing or increasing the frequency of one or more of the following:

1. Conduct outreach through the source control program for pollution-generating sources of multi-family residences.
2. Increase street sweeping in sub-catchments where high use arterials are present in the North Creek basin during the months of August through November. 
3. Inspect non-permit required private stormwater facilities in North Creek for assurance of operation and maintenance. 

The City of Everett would like your feedback on the proposed stormwater management actions. Your input is important and has been vital throughout the Plan process. You have the opportunity to provide general comments or specific feedback. Send your comments and questions on the North Creek Stormwater Management Action Plan to Dana Zlateff at  dzlateff@everettwa.gov .

The goal of the Plan is to pick a high-priority watershed area in the City and develop a list of proposed stormwater management actions that will provide for growth and protect water quality. The Plan has proposed stormwater management actions to protect and improve receiving water conditions as more people move into the area.

Through the basin prioritization process, the review of public comments and additional evaluation by the City, North Creek Basin has been selected as the Plan's priority basin. To determine the areas to be considered for prioritizing SMA, the City of Everett further narrowed down areas within the North Creek Basin. Areas within the North Creek Basin were broken down into smaller sections called sub-catchments, based on existing drainage systems and topography. These sub-catchments were explored in detail based on basin attributes, environmental justice and stakeholder input. The full Plan process and opportunities for public participation are detailed in the following graphic.

Project update

The City of Everett, with the help of the community, selected North Creek as the top basin for developing a Plan. The reasons for choosing this basin are further described below. The Plan outlines proposed stormwater management actions the City is considering to improve the water quality of North Creek basin.

Everett considered many factors in selecting the North Creek Basin for the Plan. North Creek headwaters start in Everett, and the creek flows through other communities to Lake Washington via the Sammamish River. North Creek basin was chosen for the following reasons:

• Large areas of pollution-generating surfaces, such as roadways that are currently untreated before draining into North Creek
• Lower development pressures, meaning fewer construction projects on vacant land or existing buildings that would provide new or improved stormwater facilities are expected
• Larger population of overburdened communities
• More opportunity to address tree canopy and open space
• Headwaters to North Creek

Rainwater runoff from urban areas – also known as stormwater – is a leading pollution threat to natural waters like lakes, rivers, streams and marine water bodies in Washington state. Pollution in natural waters is harmful to fish and animals, people who swim and play near the water and industries that rely on clean water bodies.

Stormwater pollution comes from urban activities, like vehicle traffic, fertilizer and pesticides, spills from activities conducted outdoors and buildup of debris and garbage. Stormwater can carry nutrients and harmful chemicals to natural waters if left untreated.

The City is considering a wide range of potential actions, which include different programs and projects that will improve water quality in North Creek. The North Creek Stormwater Management Action Plan is available for review, please provide your feedback on the plan. The actions the City is proposing are described above.

Environmental and socioeconomic stressors, which may contribute to ongoing health inequalities, are being considered in the SMAP process. U.S. Census, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and City data were used to create an equity screening tool that includes a Demographic Index, an Environmental Hazards Index and an Environmental Opportunity Index. The Combined Equity Index, intended to serve as a general check for extreme scenarios or other patterns, is an average of the other three. The Combined Equity Index is meant to be reviewed along with the other three, not in their place. As the SMAP process continued into prioritization, the analysis was refined to show more specific results for geographic areas across the City. Each equity index was reviewed as part of the ranking and screening in order to select a priority basin. The data can be reviewed in the environmental and social justice mapping tool linked below.