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Working together, SWM's Floodplain Services (FS), Capital Projects (CIP), and the Property Acquisition and Construction Management (PACM) teams led three large construction contracts on five projects to completion in 2024. The PACM team oversaw and managed these contractor-built construction projects last summer, their first season as a team! Total construction cost was roughly $6.58 million. Project highlights included:
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Smith Island Drainage Facility Maintenance – Restored key drainage facility storage capacity and functionality.
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Culvert replacement near 45303 Squire Cr. Rd. – Replaced one failing culvert crossing with fish passable structures along with valuable stream / aquatic habitat improvements.
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Drainage improvements near 11200 67th Ave NE. – Replaced six failing culverts with fish passable structures along with valuable stream / aquatic habitat improvements. The project also included constructing valuable road safety improvements along 67th Ave NE near 112th NE.
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Culvert replacement near 5906 12th St SE – Replaced one failing culvert with a fish passable structure.
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Drainage improvements near 7232 E Lowell Larimer Rd. – Reconstructed a failing storm drainage system down a steep hillside.
 112th and 67th Culvert BEFORE Construction — Water is backing up at under capacity culvert, deep ditch and narrow road shoulder.
 112th and 67th Culvert AFTER Construction — New box culvert and large wood for fish habitat, widened shoulder and guardrail for public safety.
The new Stormwater Utility StoryMap provides a comprehensive overview of SWM’s stormwater management program. Text, imagery, and interactive maps help describe the program and our stormwater management efforts throughout Snohomish County. You can follow links in the text to further explore data, projects, and opportunities for involvement.
 New StoryMap is a great introduction to SWM's stormwater management program.
Surface Water Management works to reduce flooding from rivers, lakes, and streams, to improve salmon and marine habitat, to address drainage and road flooding, and to improve water quality in unincorporated Snohomish County. This work is mostly funded by a charge that appears on the annual property tax statements. While cities have their own separate charges and programs, the County’s Surface Water utility charge is assessed on all developed properties in unincorporated Snohomish County and is the primary funding source used to support this important work.
Developed properties contribute stormwater runoff to local ditches, streams, or groundwater. The utility charge is assessed based on each property’s contributions to the general types of problems created by stormwater runoff and not by the direct impacts or benefits associated with each individual property. The Surface Water utility charge includes different rate categories for single family residences, condominiums, farms, and non-residential properties (businesses, etc.). In 2025, a single-family residence pays $140.07 for the year. This charge is one of the lowest surface water charges among jurisdictions in the region.
You can find all Surface Water utility rates on our website at Storm and Surface Water Management Utility Charges | Snohomish County, WA - Official Website.
 Stormwater carries leaves and debris from streets into storm drains.
Snohomish County Surface Water Management has added river-gauge notifications to its Real-Time Flood Information Center. Anyone can sign up for text or email notifications when any of the 16 river gauges in the county reach flood phases 2 through 4.
Individuals can select specific river gauges and flood phases they wish to monitor and will be notified when the river exceeds the flood phase(s), and when it recedes below the flood phase(s) they signed up for.
These notifications are different from the SnoCo Alerts system managed by the Departmen
t of Emergency Management (DEM). While SnoCo Alerts provide life-safety information and directives for immediate action, the river gauge notifications are informational and based on real-time conditions without forecasting future flood scenarios.
To sign up, go to https://snohomish.onerain.com, click “Subscribe to Flood Notifications”, select which river basin you are interested in, then select the gauge and phase.
Questions? Email: [email protected]
 Sign up for real-time river gauge notifications at https://snohomish.onerain.com
The Lakes Team developed new aquatic plant resources this year—including educational webpages and fact sheets on eight key invasive species, and an interactive webmap showing the distribution of plants found during field surveys. The webpages and fact sheets share options for properly controlling invasives. Plans are in the works to continue updating the map as more lakes are surveyed each year—eight lakes have been mapped so far. Resources for additional species are also planned, as are fun and informative newsletters outlining survey results.
 New map will help lake residents visualize native plant communities and discover if they have invasive species on their properties.
Snohomish County Noxious Weed Control Board is still seeking one volunteer board members to serve District 1 (from Stanwood east to Darrington).
The mission of the Noxious Weed Control Board is to serve as responsible stewards of Snohomish County by protecting and preserving land and resources from the degrading impacts of noxious weeds. Board Members guide and oversee the Noxious Weed Control Program. Interested parties involved in the primary production of agricultural products are encouraged to apply.
To learn more, visit: https://snohomishcountywa.gov/1753/Noxious-Weed-Control-Board.
 For questions and to apply, email: [email protected].
 Upcoming Public Events and Workshops
Learn more about upcoming SWM co-sponsored events and workshops on our events webpage.
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Saturday, February 8, 7:00 to 8:30p.m. | Starlight Beach Walk - Edmonds Olympic Beach Visitor Station
- Free Event - Just Bring a Headlamp! Join us for tidepool exploration and hot chocolate. Families welcome!
- Presented by the WSU Snohomish County Extension Beach Watchers, the Snohomish County Marine Resources Advisory Committee, and the City of Edmonds. For more information, call 425-771-0227.
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Septic System Care Workshop – Available On-Demand!
- The popular Septic Care Workshop is now hosted by the Snohomish County Health Department, your go-to resource for questions about:
- septic system permitting,
- operation and maintenance requirements, and
- finding certified septic system contractors.
- Taking the workshop also makes you eligible to earn up to $500 in rebates and can help your property become LakeWise
- Visit the Savvy Septic Program website to learn more.
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