Oral Presentation Society for Freshwater Science 2026 Annual Meeting

The forgotten utility: Managing stormwater in the built environment (135342)

Ariana Dionisio 1
  1. Public Works, City of Mukilteo, Mukilteo, WA, Snohomish

Adjacent to drinking water and wastewater, stormwater is often forgotten utility. However, in the region of western Washington where periods of heavy and consistent rain are common occurrences the stormwater utility increases in importance. This talk will go over how the stormwater team at the City of Mukilteo manages a natural system (e.g. rain) within an unnatural environment (e.g. urban) and how the team strives to make data informed management decisions. Mukilteo, WA is a growing city that is primarily urban landscape, contains 13 first order streams, steep slopes, and abuts the Puget Sound. These characteristics develop a unique challenge for stormwater management. Primary goals of the stormwater team are to 1) Ensure proper drainage to prevent flooding 2) Mitigate pollutants that enter waters of the state and 3) Educate the public on best management practices. This talk will go over how the stormwater team fulfills these goals and the next steps the program will take to better serve a growing city.