TO: Committee of the Whole - Planning and Public Works
FROM: Mayor Angela Birney
DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR CONTACT(S):
|
Public Works |
Chris Stenger |
425-403-5510 |
DEPARTMENT STAFF:
|
Public Works |
Jessica Atlakson |
Senior Environmental Scientist |
|
Public Works |
Aaron Moldver |
Environmental Programs Manager |
TITLE:
title
Approval of Redmond Paired Watershed Study Contract Amendments in the amount of $73,546
OVERVIEW STATEMENT:
recommendation
Execute the following contract amendments to continue the Redmond Paired Watershed Study (RPWS):
• Amendment No. 9 to the Interagency Agreement with the Washington State Department of Ecology in the amount of $72,646 to fund the contract with Herrera and extend the Agreement end date to September 30, 2027.
• Supplemental Agreement No. 8 with Herrera Environmental Consulting in the amount of $73,546 and extend the contract end date to September 30, 2027.
body
☐ Additional Background Information/Description of Proposal Attached
REQUESTED ACTION:
☐ Receive Information ☒ Provide Direction ☐ Approve
REQUEST RATIONALE:
• Relevant Plans/Policies:
Comprehensive Plan, Environmental Sustainability Action Plan, Redmond Watershed Management Plan
• Required:
The data dashboard was requested by the technical advisory committee for this project.
• Council Request:
NA
• Other Key Facts:
Background
The Redmond Paired Watershed Study (RPWS) is a long‑term partnership between the City of Redmond, King County, and Herrera Environmental Consulting. Launched in 2014, its purpose is to measure the health of streams in Redmond and unincorporated King County. The study was designed as a long term (10 year) study to determine the effectiveness of actions taken by Redmond’s Stormwater Utility and King County to restore urban streams on a watershed scale. The City is focusing restoration efforts in priority watersheds identified in the 2013 Watershed Management Plan.
Many studies have occurred nationally that measure the declining health of streams after urbanization of a watershed. This Study does the opposite by measuring the health of streams in already urbanized watersheds and the impact local governments can have in trying to restore the urban streams to good health.
The Study is ‘paired’ because it measures the health of streams that either:
1. Redmond and King County are working to improve (application watersheds),
2. Are not targeted for improvement (control watersheds), or
3. Are relatively pristine and located in Redmond’s Watershed Preserve Park (reference watersheds).
By comparing these watershed types, the study can determine whether local actions, such as stormwater upgrades, habitat improvements, and pollution‑reduction measures, are making a measurable difference in stream health.
The 10-year monitoring effort concluded in September 2025. Over the past year, the team has analyzed the results to determine how effective these restoration efforts have been. The findings will help local and regional decision‑makers refine stormwater programs and may inform state agencies as they evaluate whether current regulations are successfully improving urban stream conditions.
Several technical reports and fact sheets have been developed with interim results and are accessible on the Redmond Paired Watershed Study website <https://ecology.wa.gov/regulations-permits/reporting-requirements/stormwater-monitoring/stormwater-action-monitoring/sam-effectiveness-studies/paired-watershed-retrofit-and-restoration-study>. Staff plan to present findings from a street sweeping study conducted in the Tosh Creek Watershed during a staff report to Council in the first quarter of 2027. A fact sheet on the street sweeping study can be found here <https://apps.ecology.wa.gov/publications/documents/2610059.pdf>. Although the study didn’t show the expected improvements in water quality, it did provide useful insights for the region about which types of watersheds are most likely to benefit from increased street sweeping.
Sustainability
This project supports Big Move 5 (Foster a Resilient Community and Natural Environment) in the 2025 Environmental Sustainability Action Plan.
OUTCOMES:
These amendments add work to develop an interactive data dashboard to support visualization, exploration, and interpretation of the data collected for the RPWS. Requested by the RPWS technical advisory committee, this dashboard will provide local governments and Washington State Department of Ecology with a decision‑support tool that translates complex study data into actionable insights. By strengthening access to outcome‑focused information, the dashboard will help jurisdictions identify effective stormwater management strategies and guide future investments.
Description of Agreements
Interagency Agreement with the Washington State Department of Ecology, Amendment No. 9
This study is 100 percent funded by the Stormwater Action Monitoring (SAM) program, except for staff time to manage the project. The SAM program is administered through the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology).
Supplemental Agreement 8 with Herrera
Herrera’s contract amendment would authorize them to develop a data dashboard. This will include dashboard scoping, wireframing, and development. Herrera will also produce guidance documents and provide staff training for updating and maintaining the data dashboard.
The Supplemental Agreement amendment with Herrera exceeds the Ecology Interagency Agreement amendment amount by $900. However, the Ecology grant has sufficient unspent funds from completed tasks that are available to fully cover this difference. Page 7 of the Ecology agreement notes that grant funds may be shifted between tasks.
COMMUNITY/STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH AND INVOLVEMENT:
• Timeline (previous or planned):
N/A
• Outreach Methods and Results:
N/A
• Feedback Summary:
N/A
BUDGET IMPACT:
Total Cost:
Total project cost since 2014: $4,214,681.45 (this cost has been funded through Ecology’s Stormwater Action Monitoring program).
Project cost included in this current amendment: $73,546
Approved in current biennial budget: ☐ Yes ☒ No ☐ N/A
This amount is included in the proposed 2027/2028 budget. All expenses will be reimbursed through Ecology’s Stormwater Action Monitoring program.
Budget Offer Number:
000268
Budget Priority:
Healthy and Sustainable
Other budget impacts or additional costs: ☐ Yes ☒ No ☐ N/A
If yes, explain:
Examples: software with a yearly cost, revenue generating, match requirements, etc. - if none, enter N/A.
Funding source(s):
100% grant funded through the Stormwater Action Monitoring (SAM) Program
The SAM program, which is a collaborative stormwater monitoring program in Western Washington funded by Phase I and II municipal stormwater permittees and administered by the Washington Department of Ecology. Redmond pays into the SAM program as part of the fee requirements for the City’s stormwater permit.
Budget/Funding Constraints:
N/A
☐ Additional budget details attached
COUNCIL REVIEW:
Previous Contact(s)
|
Date |
Meeting |
Requested Action |
|
9/3/2024 |
Committee of the Whole - Planning and Public Works |
Provide Direction |
|
9/17/2024 |
Business Meeting |
Approve |
Proposed Upcoming Contact(s)
|
Date |
Meeting |
Requested Action |
|
11/17/2026 |
Business Meeting |
Approve |
Time Constraints:
N/A
ANTICIPATED RESULT IF NOT APPROVED:
This study was funded by contributions from stormwater permittees in the Puget Sound region. The data dashboard will ensure all interested parties in the region have access to data and lessons learned through this 10-year study. If not approved, regional partners will not have easy access to data.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A: Washington State Department of Ecology Interagency Agreement
Amendment 9
Attachment B: Herrera Environmental Consulting Supplemental Agreement