Public Facing Stormwater Mapping

Date: Presented at StormCon 2024 in Reno, Nevada on August 28, 2024
Speakers: David Mora & Rachel Yonemura
Credits: 0.75 PDH / Approved for all Envirocert International, Inc. (ECI) Certifications: Approval #PDH-0042

More and more stormwater managers transparently manage their stormwater systems through web-based mapping tools. Here in Washington State, teams are putting together a Web Map that includes as many public facing stormwater system feature services as they can find. At the Washington State Department of Ecology, teams use web-based mapping tools to help manage their stormwater retrofit grant program. At the Department of Ecology, teams rely on public facing stormwater mapping data. The information they gather helps better understand the value of existing infrastructure to help guide retrofitting and maintenance priorities. Through simple overlay analysis, professionals can evaluate the relative stormwater management influence on receiving waters and/or groundwater. What teams learn informs coordination with internal and external partners. The web map is useful to the grant program and to many internal partners here at Ecology: NPDES MS4 permit managers, spill responders, TMDL permit managers, the Toxics Cleanup Program, and Shorelines Program. In this presentation, speakers will share how this effort has improved the understanding of municipal stormwater systems and the need for a more comprehensive dataset.

Session duration: 45 minutes

About the Presenters

David Mora has been with the Department of Ecology since 1993 and has a Master of Science in Environmental Science degree from Indiana University and a BS in Biology from Bowling Green State University (OH). Since 2013, David has been a stormwater grant project manager and has helped oversee the implementation of dozens of stormwater system retrofit projects. He currently resides in Longview, Washington and enjoys the accessibility to the ocean, river, forest, and mountains.

Rachel Yonemura started working at the Washington State Department of Ecology as a Municipal Stormwater Grants Project Manager in 2023. Before working in Ecology, she helped with stormwater education and outreach at Whatcom County Public Works. She has a B.S. in Environmental Science and Biology from the University of Washington and an M.S. in Environmental Science from Western Washington University.