by JEFF HANSON

Special to the Sounder

Part of Eastsound is getting a new look, and a new job, over the next year or so.

San Juan County Public Works, with funding from an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant, is scheduled to break ground on a project to install replacement and new stormwater transport piping in preparation for a planned constructed wetland. The project has been in the planning stages for many years and when completed, is intended to provide Eastsound with an attractive wetlands “park” and other facilities with a purpose: to remove contaminants from runoff before it gets to Fishing Bay.

Orcas Excavators, the contractor selected by the county, will begin the first phase of the project on September 15, installing new stormwater pipes from an area near the chapel behind the Outlook Inn to the stormwater outfall across the street. This phase of the project will take approximately two weeks. The constructed wetlands project is planned for Summer 2011 for what the county calls the “Mount Property,” a .9-acre area about 100 feet south of the SeaView Theatre and west of the Eastsound Village Green. Prior to this phase the county plans an extensive public engagement process.

According to Ed Hale, San Juan County Utility Manager, the need for stormwater treatment has been recognized since 1994, when the county purchased the Mount Property for the express purpose of stormwater treatment. The present Eastsound stormwater system simply transports the runoff from parking lots, streets, roofs and other impermeable areas of Eastsound directly to Fishing Bay. This runoff contains toxic contaminants from oils and greases on the streets, contaminants from the asphalt itself and from lawn chemicals. The planned stormwater treatment will treat runoff from an area north of the facility and includes a settling pond and a wetlands that mimic natural areas that have the capacity to filter, settle and provide biological treatment for these contaminants, purifying the runoff water. Hale said constructed wetlands offer more complete treatment than other treatment methods such as sand or other filters, because there is more biological activity. He notes that one of the reasons that the county chose this type of stormwater treatment is that there are other benefits, including providing habitat for a variety of species (birds, amphibians and many others) and are attractive places for people, too, effectively adding park land. The tentative design for the area includes walkways, bridges and benches to provide places for people to enjoy this new attractive and “working” space.

The Eastsound project is moving forward thanks to a Puget Sound Watershed Management Assistance Grant awarded to San Juan County earlier this year by the EPA. Mary Knackstedt, coordinator for the San Juan County Marine Resources Committee (MRC) applieed for the grant, which also includes funding for providing incentives and technical assistance for home and business owners to incorporate water-purifying low impact development techniques on their property and for the county to write new codes to allow low impact development techniques to qualify as stormwater treatment.

While the engineered wetlands and the rest of the stormwater system will help reduce contaminants in a portion of Eastsound’s runoff, their job could be made a lot easier if more “pre-treatment” is done. According to Knackstedt, there are many steps that businesses, public facilities and homeowners can take to help filter some contaminants out before they even get to the storm drain. By installing landscaping, rain gardens, simple grassy swales and permeable walkways and driveways, more runoff soaks into the ground where it is filtered, and may never even reach a storm drain. From the EPA grant funds, the San Juan Islands Conservation District will be providing both technical support and funding to assist home and business owners in Eastsound to improve the ability of their own properties to reduce stormwater contamination. For more information on this aspect, call Julie Thompson at the County Community Development and Planning Department at 370-7588.

Patty Miller, County Stormwater Advisory Committee Chair and candidate for County Council, says the Stormwater Advisory Committee and the Eastsound Planning Review Committee would like to partner with Public Works to facilitate community engagement.

“Even though the construction is moving forward and a good portion of the design is completed, it’s primary purpose is to be sure it’s a functional system,” Miller said. “There will still be but plenty of opportunity for decisions on its aesthetic design and how it fits in with and enhances the character of Eastsound.”

Jeff Hanson is the Outreach Coordinator for the San Juan County Marine Resources Committee.