Our Adopt-a-Downspout program has been in full swing this year! Stewardship Partners is expanding our pilot program in Seattle to capture and treat polluted runoff with biofilter boxes, known as Boxes of Rain. 6PPDQ is a toxic chemical that originates from vehicle tires and kills coho salmon and many other fish species. On average, a Box of Rain filters out 92% of 6PPDQ from polluted stormwater before it enters local waterways.
After the success of our pilot program under the I-5 Ship Canal Bridge and securing $1 million of funding last year for this program, we are continuing to grow momentum! Earlier this summer, we installed 2 more Boxes of Rain underneath the I-405 to I-90 HOV on-ramp in Bellevue. This site along with 2 more Boxes of Rain to be installed at the I-5 Ship Canal Bridge will be monitored for effectiveness as we pursue a TAPE certification. This approved best management practice by the Department of Ecology will verify the value in Box of Rain technology and encourage more installations statewide.
As we work to install more boxes for cleaner water and healthier salmon, we have created a Design Guide, Installation Guide, and Operations & Maintenance Guide for Boxes of Rain. These guides are publicly available on our website and will be used by Stewardship Partners to facilitate helping new interested partners in replicating sites with our expert guidance. Our staff have presented at various conferences this year to inform others of this effective resource to protect our water, including the Green Tribal Summit just last week.
Amazing Adopt-a-Downspout Volunteers from Northwest Fly Anglers