The template includes 5 main groups of activities, called tasks, that begin at the regional or watershed scale and sequentially move toward the selection of one or more preferred site(s). At the conclusion, practitioners will be well-prepared to begin an initial design or pursue supplemental funding through grants or larger initiatives. Depending on prior work in the watershed, current initiatives, or other priorities, the practitioner may choose to skip portions of a task or whole tasks entirely.
As part of developing the template and to continue to support acceleration of high-impact stormwater in our home, TNC collaborated with two jurisdictions, the City of Tacoma and the City of Kent, to pilot the template. These case studies also demonstrate the customizable nature of the template, enabling practitioners to only utilize the portions of the template relevant to their projects.
For example, working with Tacoma it was clear an existing sub-area plan provided most of the information that Task 2 and 3 of the Scope of Work template were designed to produce. With this as the foundation, TNC worked in partnership with the City of Tacoma’s stormwater planners on Tasks 4 and 5 to complete a technical engineering feasibility study of potential stormwater sites in the south part of Tacoma. The final sites selected used engineering criteria like pollutant removal and hydraulic feasibility while also looking at the potential community benefits. A final report produced showed significant opportunity at multiple sites in the community and illustrated the potential for GSI to capture a large amount of stormwater pollution. Ultimately, the project team focused in on a final site for a GSI project that could provide multiple community benefits. There is continued discussion about this potential site.
The template and associated case studies are just one piece of the puzzle when considering green stormwater infrastructure projects to address threats to salmon and ecosystems in the Puget Sound. These documents offer concrete first steps and examples of what to consider when engaging in project design. Using the template tasks, jurisdictions, municipalities, and other organizations can work to build projects that provide the most impact while supporting salmon, ecosystems, and our communities.
ACCESSING THE SOW TEMPLATE
The template is available in two formats, a PDF with example deliverables and a fully modifiable plain text document intended to be customized by the practitioner with their community’s values and priorities.
SOW Template: https://www.cityhabitats.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/SOW-Template-Final.pdf
Case Studies: https://www.cityhabitats.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Case-Studies-Document-Final-compressed-2.pdf
Modifiable Template: https://www.cityhabitats.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Plain-Text.Site-Screening-and-Selection-SOW-for-Stormwater-Treatment.docx
Please contact Kate Sievers at k.w.sievers@tnc.org with any questions or feedback.
