Flowering cells at the Wedgewood site. Photo credit: Juan Romero

The AWRA Washington Section invites you to join a guided tour exploring two contrasting approaches to urban stormwater management: centralized stormwater facilities and distributed green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) being led by Jacobs Engineering.

This field tour will provide attendees with an opportunity to see how different stormwater management strategies are being implemented across Seattle and to discuss the objectives, benefits, challenges, and long-term stewardship considerations associated with each approach. Students and professionals interested in water resources, stormwater management, green infrastructure, and watershed planning are encouraged to attend and network.

Meeting Location:
Watershed Pub & Kitchen
10104 3rd Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125

Tour Highlights:

Meadowbrook Pond | 

Meadowbrook Pond serves as a regional-scale stormwater facility that provides water quality treatment and drainage management for a larger watershed area. Discussions will focus on:

• End-of-pipe stormwater treatment
• Watershed-scale drainage management
• Emerging interest in stormwater parks by agencies such as Ecology and King County
• Operations, maintenance, and long-term stewardship considerations
• Balancing water quality, flood control, and community benefits

Wedgwood Natural Drainage Systems (NDS) & Bioretention Facilities | Distributed Green Stormwater Infrastructure

Attendees will visit several neighborhood-scale green stormwater infrastructure facilities that demonstrate distributed stormwater management approaches. Topics will include:

• Infiltration and groundwater recharge
• Natural drainage system design principles
• Performance comparisons between distributed and centralized approaches
• Capital and lifecycle cost considerations
• Community integration and neighborhood-scale benefits

Optional Stop: Thornton Creek Water Quality Channel | Stormwater Infrastructure Integrated with Urban Redevelopment

If timing allows, the tour will include a visit to the Thornton Creek Water Quality Channel at Northgate. This site demonstrates how stormwater infrastructure can be integrated into larger redevelopment projects while enhancing environmental outcomes and public spaces.

Schedule:

• 2:00 PM = Meet at Watershed Pub & Kitchen, introductions, and walk-through of the Thornton Creek Water Quality Channel
• 2:30 PM = Tour Stop #1: Meadowbrook Pond
• 3:45 PM = Tour Stop #2: Wedgwood Natural Drainage Systems and Bioretention Facilities
• 5:00 PM = Tour concludes with an optional transition to a nearby no-host happy hour and networking gathering.

Registration Fees:
Registration details and capacity limits will be announced soon. Space may be limited to 30 attendees ensure a quality tour experience.

Questions?

For questions about the event, please contact the AWRA-WA Events Committee.