Green Stormwater Infrastructure
Assistance Programs
Guidebook
A tool for managers, planners, and other agency staff to update or create a
Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Assistance Program
January 2023
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
Purpose and Disclaimer …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
About STORM ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5
Executive Summary ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6
Definitions ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 7
Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8
What is GSI Assistance? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8
GSI options …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8
Barriers to Developing a GSI Assistance Program …………………………………………………………………………. 9
Reasons for Developing a GSI Assistance Program ……………………………………………………………………… 10
Purpose of the GSI Assistance Programs Survey …………………………………………………………………………….. 10
GSI Assistance Program Survey Methodology …………………………………………………………………………….. 11
Guidebook Layout ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 11
Equity ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 13
Barriers ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 13
Cost …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 13
Maintenance ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 14
Language ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 14
Co-designing GSI Assistance Programs ………………………………………………………………………………………. 14
Co-benefits …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 15
Gentrification …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 15
Equity metrics ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 15
Program Set Up ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 17
Program Goal(s) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 17
Types of GSI …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 17
Type of Assistance Offered ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 18
Financial Assistance …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 18
Technical Assistance ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 20
Selecting Assistance Type(s) …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 21
Priority Audience ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 21
Audience Research ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 23
Establishing Site Eligibility Requirements …………………………………………………………………………………… 23
January 2023
Site Requirements……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 23
Program Goals ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 24
Program Coordination and Implementation Roles ……………………………………………………………………… 24
Partnerships ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 24
Workforce and Contractors ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 25
Do-It-Yourself (DIY) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 26
Budget …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 27
Use of Public Funds …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 27
Program Participant Support ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 29
Program Implementation ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 32
Program Promotion (Outreach) ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 33
Communication Channel Examples ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 34
Messengers ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 34
GSI Assistance Program Messaging ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 35
Tracking Outreach and Program Promotion …………………………………………………………………………… 36
Inspections and Maintenance ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 36
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 40
Program Evaluation ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 42
Recommendations ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 44
Program One Pagers …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 46
GSI Assistance Program Survey Responses ………………………………………………………………………..Appendix A
Figure 1: Person watering rain garden (photo credit Katie Campbell)…………………………………………………. 5
Figure 2: Downspout disconnection in progress (photo credit: City of Seattle). …………………………………… 8
Figure 3: Permeable pavement and a rain garden (photo credit: Kitsap County). ………………………………… 9
Figure 4: Family looking at a recently planted rain garden (photo credit: David Hymel). …………………….. 12
Figure 5: Backyard rain garden. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 16
Figure 6: Example of how to select a priority audience, using City of Bellingham and Whatcom County as
an example………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 22
Figure 7: Person mulching a rain garden with wood chips (photo credit: Erica Guttman). …………………… 29
Figure 8: Downspout disconnection. …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 31
Figure 9: Person inspecting the levelness of a rain garden (photo credit: Erica Guttman). ………………….. 38
Figure 10: Community members selecting plants for a rain garden (photo credit: David Hymel). ………… 41
Figure 11: Front yard rain garden (photo credit: David Hymel). ……………………………………………………….. 43
January 2023
Acknowledgements
This guidebook was prepared by the Stormwater Outreach for Regional Municipalities (STORM) Green
Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) work group members, which include Betsy Adams (City of Kirkland),
Peggy Campbell (Snohomish County), Christie Lovelace (City of Shoreline), Eli Mackiewicz (City of
Bellingham), and Alison Schweitzer (King County).
The STORM GSI work group would also like to thank the staff that participated in the 2021 GSI
Assistance Program survey:
Apryl Hynes, City of Everett
Betsy Adams, City of Kirkland
Bob Spencer, Seattle Public Utilities
Cameron Coronado, City of Lynnwood
Christie Lovelace, City of Shoreline
David Jackson, Snohomish Conservation District
Jo Sullivan, King County
Melissa Buckingham, Pierce Conservation
District
Michael Korchonnoff, Kitsap Conservation
District
Paul Marrinan, City of Puyallup
Peggy Campbell, Snohomish County
Susan McCleary, City of Olympia
Tasha Bassett, Seattle Public Utilities
Tom Gannon, Seattle Public Utilities
Vince McIntyre, City of Port Angeles
And a big “thank you” to the staff and managers that participated in the barrier survey.
Purpose and Disclaimer
This guidebook is a report of information compiled about current GSI Assistance Programs throughout
Western Washington. Its purpose is to share information about these GSI Assistance Programs with
agencies and municipalities looking to update or start their own program.
This report captures these GSI Assistance Programs as of 2022. These programs are continually adapting
and evolving, and many have changed since this report was published. This guidebook does not obligate
jurisdictions or agencies to follow any of the recommendations provided.
For more information or questions about this report:
Alison Schweitzer- King County Stormwater Services
Phone: 206.263.6917 | Email: [email protected]
January 2023
About STORM
Stormwater Outreach for Regional Municipalities (STORM), formed in 2008, is a regional coalition of
over 80 Puget Sound area cities and counties working together to meet National Pollution Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Stormwater Permit requirements. Their efforts focus on outreach
and education to engage, build awareness, and support behavior change and personal pollution
prevention related to stormwater and water quality.
Polluted stormwater runoff is the top threat to the health of our local lakes, creeks, and Puget Sound.
Effectively engaging the public on this issue is a huge challenge. It requires broad, regionally consistent,
and recognizable pollution prevention messaging across the Puget Sound region, as well as effective
programs that address critical pollution prevention behaviors at the local level. STORM works together
to meet this challenge by ensuring that regional and local stormwater outreach efforts are effective,
consistent, and cost efficient.
STORM’s Vision: People living and working in our communities will take actions that protect water
quality within the Puget Sound basin.
STORM’s Mission: To work together with regional partners to address polluted rainwater runoff and
impacts by advancing broad-scale education & outreach and behavior change initiatives.
The STORM Resource Reservoir (https://www.pugetsoundstormgroup.org/) is an online sharing library
of outreach and education materials created by STORM members.
Figure 1: Person watering rain garden (photo credit Katie Campbell).
January 2023
Executive Summary
Many Western Washington jurisdictions, state agencies, and environmental organizations have created
Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Assistance Programs. GSI Assistance Programs offer financial
and/or technical assistance to help property owners convert their landscapes in ways that reduce runoff
and prevent stormwater pollution. Each program is uniquely designed depending on its respective goals,
type(s) of assistance offered, types of GSI options promoted, and priority audiences.
This guidebook is a report of information compiled about current GSI Assistance Programs throughout
Western Washington. Its purpose is to share information about these GSI Assistance Programs with
agencies looking to update or start their own program. We hope to make the process of creating or
modifying a GSI Assistance Programs more efficient for agency staff by sharing insights, lessons learned,
and strategies for creating and implementing a GSI Assistance Program.
The main elements covered in this guidebook include:
An introduction to GSI Assistance Programs and overview of common GSI features
Equity considerations in GSI Assistance Programs
Guidance on developing, implementing, and evaluating a GSI Assistance Program
One page overviews of current GSI Assistance Programs in Western Washington
Recommendations on next steps for program managers looking to create or update their GSI
Assistance Program
We hope this guidebook inspires agency staff and provides them with a foundational framework to
begin creating or modifying their own GSI Assistance Program. Collaborative efforts to create impactful
GSI Assistance Programs do not end with this guidebook! We encourage you to reach out to program
managers for more information on specific GSI Assistance Programs (see the one-pagers for…