Administration
The people of Whatcom County have historically benefited from
the abundance and  availability
of water resources. This region is rich in natural beauty, renewable
resources and plentiful fisheries. Our community has enjoyed
abundant outdoor recreation as well as a vibrant economy. However,
these resources and Whatcom County's economic future depend on
adequate and dependable supplies of clean water for many uses.
The time has come when all government units, citizens and industry
must work together to respond to critical and unavoidable water
resource issues that will decide our future quality of life. While
Whatcom County is currently involved in numerous on-going water
issues, many new, expanded commitments and obligations have been
placed upon the county. These include groundwater protection, Lake
Whatcom management, salmon and shellfish recovery, and watershed
planning under HB2514. It is essential that the county help to
develop and implement plans and programs to protect and manage the
water supply. All will have to work together, citizens, private
businesses and organizations.
In order to better
facilitate this process, the Stormwater Administrative section
provides services to other key sections including clerical
support for water resource programs, budgeting, grant oversight,
data management, and management of staff and resources.
This support assists Stormwater in their implementation of
the following goals: a sustainable and reliable water supply
that supports existing needs, as well as provides for reasonable
growth and economic vitality, protection and enhancement of
fisheries, restoration of shellfish and satisfaction of the
Endangered Species Act requirements, land use and habitat
management that protects drinking water supplies and provides
recreational opportunities while restoring and sustaining
natural systems, protection and promotion of safe and healthy
drinking water supplies, and promotion of the efficient use
of available resources.
 The
mission of the Whatcom County Stormwater Division is to effectively
and efficiently implement elements of the County's Comprehensive
Water Resources Plan, including management of Lake Whatcom,
recovery of endangered fish species, and marine resources.
The Stormwater
Division develops plans, implements work programs, manages
studies, provides support to citizen committees, leads and
participates on multi-agency teams, and creates informational
materials on water issues in the county.
Stormwater administration provides
a number of key services to both county departments and regional
Stormwater efforts. These services include grant oversight
and development, project management, and clerical support
for the many stakeholder-driven water resources initiatives
occurring in the region.
Currently Stormwater
manages over a million dollars worth of grant revenue for
a number of key water resource groups including Whatcom County
Marine Resource Committee, Drayton Harbor/ Portage Bay Shellfish
Committees, WRIA 1 Watershed Management Project, and the Lake
Whatcom Management Program. Stormwater maximizes the coordination
among these groups in order to ensure the "most bang
for the buck" for each grant dollar received.
Stormwater provides
technical support for a number of county departments. Within
the Public Works Department, Stormwater provides technical
help in the area of stormwater management for road, development
services and capital improvement projects. Stormwater provides
technical support for Planning and Development Services to
ensure that land use regulations and enforcement activities
protect and enhance the county's interests in salmon recovery,
water supply and marine resources.
Stormwater provides
project management services to a number of water resource
groups in our region including Whatcom County Marine Resource
Committee, Drayton Harbor/ Portage Bay Shellfish Committees,
WRIA 1 Watershed Management Project, and the Lake Whatcom
Management Program. This service includes contract oversight
and processing of payment. Currently Stormwater provides contract
oversight and invoice payment for contracts totaling over
3 million dollars.
Stormwater provides clerical support
for the Whatcom County Marine Resource Committee, Drayton
Harbor/ Portage Bay Shellfish Committees, WRIA 1 Watershed
Management Project, and the Lake Whatcom Management Program.
This support prepares meeting summaries and disseminates meeting
information packets. The many successes of our stormwater
planning efforts are a reflection of the timely dissemination
of information for project participants.
|
