1. Thornton Creek Begins at North Seattle: Managing Stormwater Runoff
Project Description :
Long term goal:
Manage 100% of NSCC stormwater on campus. Potential annual savings of $40K
Reduce pollutant s in Thornton Creek
Short term goal:
Test & monitor stormwater pollutants
Set benchmarks for stormwater volume and quality
Group Members & Roles:
Daniel Gannon: stormwater sampling/equipment
Sasha Glenn: stormwater sampling/documentation
Pollutants
Sources
Phosphorous, Nitrogen, Potassium
Ammonium
Found in the form of fertilizers and household chemicals, commonly washed off lawns and streets. As many as 23 different pesticides have been found in Puget Sound Streams during rainstorms.
Lead, Zinc, Chromium, Copper, Manganese, Nickel, Cadmium
Found in engine parts and brake linings, all of these metals collect on roads and parking lots until they are washed off during storm events.
Insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides
Found in homes and gardens. Banned chemicals such as DDT are still found.
PCBs, PAHs, Hydrocarbons
Petroleum based hydrocarbons such as motor oils and grease, solvents and industrial chemicals.
Bacteria, Algae
Increase in fecal coliform and nitrifying bacteria from pet waste and failing septic systems. Algae can be used as an indicator of stream health.
Stormwater runoff is naturally filtered
NSCC Lake, the beginning of Thornton Creek
What is Stormwater Runoff?
Stormwater comes from precipitation and is naturally filtered by soaking into porous surfaces such as undeveloped land and fields. An impervious surface is a surface that cannot absorb water such as concrete or roof tops. When stormwater flows onto impervious surfaces it builds up and collects pollutants as it flows into a common area before being drained into a larger body of surface water such as the sound, the ocean, streams and lakes. This is known as surface runoff.  Because the water is not absorbed into the ground, it bypasses the natural filtration process before entering the water body. Anything on the ground here at North, ends up in stormwater runoff, and ultimately in Thornton Creek.
Surface runoff pollution is categorized as non-point source, meaning everyone contributes to it and it will take some out of the box thinking to deal with the issue. Many of the pollutants that end up in stormwater come from sources and products used in our everyday lives.
If NSCC can manage 100% of it's stormwater on campus we may be able to save $40,000 through tax credits per year. This would make a big impact considering the recent budget cuts to higher education. Besides the benefit of saving $$ we would be reducing our negative impact on the important local ecosystem that is Thornton Creek.
Upper parking lots drain into a detention pond
Stormwater from parking lot drains directly to lake
Thornton Creek
The Thornton Creek Watershed is the largest in Seattle and Shoreline, covering 11.6 miles. The headwaters of the south fork begin at NSCC, then travel underneath the freeway and Northgate mall, ultimately emptying into Lake Washington at Matthews Beach.
Thornton Creek is home to many plant and animal species and is one of Seattle's few remaining valued natural habitats which is why it is crucial that we lessen our impact to the best of our abilities.
Sources:
Get Involved!
Students interested in in stormwater management or other sustainability projects on campus should contact NSCC’s Sustainability Coordinator:
Christian Rusby -