Bend staff outline draft stormwater master plan, emphasize groundwater protections and programmatic approach

City of Bend staff on June 23 presented an update on the draft stormwater master plan, highlighting the city’s largely dispersed stormwater system, the need to protect groundwater and drinking-water sources, and a mix of capital investments and programmatic actions the city plans to pursue.

The draft update estimates roughly $22,000,000 in capital implementation over the next 5 to 20 years and places a strong emphasis on programmatic solutions — including drill-hole decommissioning, retrofits and a major maintenance program — because much of Bend’s public system consists of widely dispersed dry wells rather than continuous collection pipes. Staff said the plan also recommends updates to design criteria to reflect more intense and frequent storms driven by climate change.

Lori Bea, the city’s environmental resources manager, said Bend’s geology — much of the city sits on fractured basalt — means “most of it is dispersed” and stormwater is handled by dry wells and drill holes rather than a single collection system. Bea said the public system includes about 7,000 city-managed dry wells and that private dry wells on private property are not shown on the public map.

Austin, the city project manager for the…