Anacortes council hears draft stormwater master plan; consultants recommend pipe program, habitat priorities and Ecology exemption request

Anacortes city staff and outside consultants on Jan. 27 presented a draft stormwater master plan that updates the city’s 2007 plan, outlines a new pipe repair-and-replacement program, identifies habitat-restoration priorities and explains permit-driven requirements from the Washington Department of Ecology.

Public Works Director Andy Rayam introduced the presentation and invited the consultant team to summarize findings. Terrell Osborne, a lead consultant, told the council, “We have about 20 slides today and a lot of information to cover, so we're gonna try to move as quickly as we can and still have time for all of your questions.” Modeling expert Dave summarized hydraulic work: “The red dots is where we anticipate flooding, and that's water coming out of the system,” he said, describing maps of projected ponding and surcharging under a 25-year, 24-hour design storm.

The nut graf: The draft plan compiles updated mapping, a condition inventory and modeling the city can use to prioritize capital projects and regulatory compliance. It identifies program-level changes — most notably a proposed stormwater pipe repair-and-replacement program — and recommends next steps for permitting, public outreach and budgeting so the city can decide timing and funding.

Key findings and recommendations

- Pipe inventory and inspection: Consultants said the city has logged camera inspections of 237 stormwater pipe segments to date and recommended a systematic, risk‑based pipe…