TO: Members of the City Council
FROM: Mayor Angela Birney
DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR CONTACT(S):
|
Public Works |
Aaron L. Bert |
425-553-5814 |
DEPARTMENT STAFF:
|
Public Works |
Jessica Atlakson |
Senior Environmental Geologist |
|
Public Works |
Aaron Moldver |
Environmental Programs Manager |
TITLE:
title
Approval of Redmond Paired Watershed Study Contract Amendments
OVERVIEW STATEMENT:
recommendation
Execute the following contract amendments to continue the Redmond Paired Watershed Study (RPWS):
• Amendment No. 8 to the Interagency Agreement with the Washington State Department of Ecology in the amount of $524,847.12 to fund the contracts with King County and Herrera Environmental Consulting.
• Phase VI Agreement with King County in the amount of $100,227.12.
• Supplemental Agreement No. 6 with Herrera Environmental Consulting in the amount of $424,620.
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 current contracts for the monitoring component of the RPWS expire on September 30, 2024.
• Council Request:
NA
• Other Key Facts:
Background
The Redmond Paired Watershed Study (RPWS) and partnership between King County, Herrera Environmental Consulting (Herrera), and Redmond started in 2014 to measure the health of streams in Redmond and unincorporated King County. The goal of the RPWS is to measure 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 effectiveness monitoring to date has established baseline conditions in six streams. 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 ‘pairing’ watersheds, it will be easier to identify if actions taken by Redmond and King County specifically made an improvement in stream health.
Sustainability
This project supports Strategy N1 and N3 in the Environmental Sustainability Action Plan. The information collected by this Study is used to calculate City of Redmond dashboard measures and budget performance measures. The benthic index of biotic integrity (BIBI) data collected for the RPWS is a target indicator for the Natural Systems focus area within the Environmental Sustainability Action Plan.
OUTCOMES:
These agreements will allow the RPWS to continue as planned as a long term (10 year) study to determine the effectiveness of actions taken to restore urban streams on a watershed scale. The study will help guide regional actions to refine stormwater management programs. Additionally, the RPWS will help state agencies assess whether current regulations and program requirements are effectively improving stream conditions in urban areas.
Description of Agreements
Interagency Agreement with the Washington State Department of Ecology
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.
Agreement with King County
King County’s agreement includes collecting continuous rainfall data, stream flow measurements, and temperature data for six streams from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025, as well as an annual quality control review and final reporting.
Supplemental Agreement with Herrera
Herrera’s contract amendment would authorize continued collection of water quality data, BIBI data, sediment quality data, and physical habitat data in six streams from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025. Herrera’s contract also includes data quality control review, annual reporting, and a data analysis report that will demonstrate trends in the entire dataset. Data quality review and reporting will be completed by September 2026.
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: $3,689,834.33 (this cost has been funded through the SAM program).
Project cost included in this current amendment: $524,847.12
Approved in current biennial budget: ☒ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A
Budget Offer Number:
000214
Budget Priority:
Healthy and Sustainable
Other budget impacts or additional costs: ☐ Yes ☒ No ☐ N/A
If yes, explain:
N/A
Funding source(s):
100% grant funded through the Stormwater Action Monitoring (SAM) Program
The RPWS is planned to continue through 2025 with 100% funding from 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 |
|
10/3/2023 |
Committee of the Whole - Planning and Public Works |
Provide Direction |
|
10/17/2023 |
Business Meeting |
Approve |
|
9/3/2024 |
Committee of the Whole - Planning and Public Works |
Provide Direction |
Proposed Upcoming Contact(s)
|
Date |
Meeting |
Requested Action |
|
N/A |
None proposed at this time |
N/A |
Time Constraints:
The current contract has monitoring scheduled through September 30, 2024. Having amendments in place by September will avoid a lapse in the data collection for the study.
ANTICIPATED RESULT IF NOT APPROVED:
This would end the Study before the effectiveness of actions taken by the City to restore urban streams has been measured. The project would have spent $3,689,834.33 of pooled resources from Phase I and II municipal stormwater permittees without completing the goals of the Study.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A: Washington State Department of Ecology Interagency Agreement
Amendment 8
Attachment B: Herrera Environmental Consulting Supplemental Agreement
Attachment C: King County Agreement