Stormwater capital improvement projects (CIPs) are construction projects that replace or improve old stormwater drainage systems to protect water quality and reduce the risk of flooding. CIPs typically include stormwater facilities like treatment swales, vaults, and catch basins that remove pollutants from stormwater. They may also include new beach outfall structures that protect the shoreline from erosion or reduce maintenance requirements. Capital projects are designed to reduce the risk of flooding by improving stormwater flow capacity. BBWARM has a CIP program based the Birch Bay Comprehensive Stormwater Plan and Subwatershed Master Plans. Read more about our capital improvement projects and process below.

Stormwater Division Project Priorities

The Stormwater Division of Whatcom County Public Works provides a variety of programs, such as education and outreach, capital improvement projects, and maintenance of stormwater facilities within the Birch Bay Watershed and Aquatic Resources Management District (BBWARM) and the Lake Whatcom Stormwater Utility. The division also manages the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program and the Lake Whatcom TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) plan to reduce phosphorus. In addition, the division supports some water quality outreach and capital project development in the Lake Samish Basin and other special assignments for which the division is uniquely qualified.

Recent winter storms heavily impacted many areas throughout Whatcom County, including the Stormwater Division’s focus areas. As a result, additional capital projects resulting from storm damage have been added to the already aggressive workload of the Stormwater Division. As a consequence, the Stormwater Division must prioritize certain storm damage repairs ahead of programmed improvements. Reprioritization will be based on answers to the following questions:

1. Does the lack of immediate repair impact public safety?

2. Is the project a mandatory repair driven by local, state or federal requirements?

3. Is the storm damaged drainage system resulting in on-going environmental impacts?

4. Will future storms provide greater public and/or private property damage?

5. Is the project included in a designated FEMA disaster declaration?

While the division would like to implement all previous commitments to scheduled capital projects, the unprecedented nature of the recent storms requires some schedule adjustments. Every effort will be made to complete storm related projects as soon as possible.