Map of the route of water from Yauger Park to the Salish Sea. The area that drains into Yauger Park is outlined in blue. Water then flows from Yauger Park’s pond to Black Lake Ditch, through Percival Creek, and into Capitol Lake where it then enters Budd Inlet. image courtesy of the City of Olympia

Jessica Sandoval, of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), searching for Olympic minnows in Yauger Park’s pond. photo courtesy of WDFW, 2024

But the raindrop’s journey doesn’t end there! From Yauger Park, stormwater flows through a series of pipes, ditches, storm ponds, and man-made wetlands. The water then spills into Black Lake Ditch and passes through Percival Creek, where it enters Capitol Lake and finally reaches the salty waters of Budd Inlet. Yauger Park benefits life downstream, cleaning the water running off Olympia’s roads before reaching the Salish Sea.

insights into stormwater pond biodiversity

Last year a team of scientists at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) began studying if and how stormwater ponds can serve more ecological benefits. Specifically, this research is exploring whether stormwater ponds can support biodiversity by providing habitat for wildlife, including birds, amphibians, and beavers. This study is underway in roughly 200 ponds across the Washington lowlands flowing into the Salish Sea. Ten city and county partners are working with WDFW to understand how their stormwater infrastructure can help address biodiversity loss in the Salish Sea, in streams, and in the stormwater ponds themselves.

The researchers selected stormwater ponds in neighborhoods with different community attributes. This will help the team understand if and how stormwater pond habitat and biodiversity differ among communities with varying income levels and other socioeconomic characteristics. This research can help us provide equitable access to nature for all urban and suburban communities in the Salish Sea region.

During surveys at Yauger Park this year, WDFW staff found plenty of evidence of beaver activity, including chew marks on the park’s trees! There was also a diversity of ducks and songbirds using the water and surrounding vegetation. And it’s more than mallards! Stormwater ponds like Yauger Park’s are home to various waterfowl like mergansers, buffleheads, and wood ducks, and songbirds like red-winged blackbirds. These ponds can even be home to protected species. For instance, the researchers discovered a large population of the beautiful Olympic mudminnow (Novumbra hubbsi), a state Sensitive species and Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Washington.

Particularly noteworthy were the salamanders. The team counted nearly 500 northwestern salamander (Ambystoma gracile) egg masses in this expansive stormwater pond! This is an exciting find with one large caveat: when the rains ease in the spring, the pond recedes to its normal, much smaller footprint. During this annual reduction of water, the team observed hundreds of stranded salamander egg masses in the park’s ballfields and parking lots. Water levels also recede as the year progresses in natural wetlands, too — but much later in the summer, allowing egg masses to mature without being stranded on dry land. Despite the pond’s water decreasing, dozens of egg masses persisted and likely hatched into larval salamanders. This work is starting to illuminate how we can create win-win solutions to deal with stormwater and ongoing biodiversity loss.

Washington State has lost roughly one-third to one-half of its wetlands. This trend is not unique to Washington; wetlands have decreased across the United States. European and American settlers drained and filled wetlands, first for agriculture and then for urban and residential development. Wetlands provide important services like controlling flooding and cleaning water. They are also home to diverse wildlife species. Numerous fish, birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians rely on wetlands to survive. With the loss of wetlands, their populations have plummeted, resulting in degraded biodiversity. The biggest threat to biodiversity is habitat loss. Without somewhere to live, many species simply cannot persist. Some species we consider to be relatively common were much more abundant before the loss of our many wetlands. WDFW’s study is helping us understand how to replicate habitat conditions of wetlands in stormwater ponds. Our urban areas can be part of the solution to stemming the tide of biodiversity loss for wetland species.

WDFW’s scientists are measuring a range of habitat conditions, including pond vegetation and pond water levels. The scientists are monitoring bird diversity and abundance with a combination of acoustic recording devices and binocular surveys. They’re studying amphibians by counting frog and salamander eggs in late winter and then using nets to see how well the tadpoles and larval salamanders grow in spring and summer. They’re also keeping tabs on beaver and muskrat activity by looking for chewed trees, lodges, and other signs. In 2025, after the final year of studying the 200+ ponds around the Salish Sea, the results will be able to tell us if and how we can enhance biodiversity in stormwater ponds while also allowing the ponds to maintain their engineered functions for managing stormwater.

community science in action

Stormwater ponds aren’t just petri dishes for professional scientists; they offer an opportunity for every member of the community to experience and study biodiversity close to home. In 2022 naturalist Erin Frank of Olympia and her son conducted their own study of invasive and native amphibians in several of their neighborhood stormwater ponds. Although they found some invasive amphibians, they largely found that their stormwater ponds were home to abundant populations of native frog and salamander species.

Who thought investigating neighborhood stormwater ponds would turn up not only hundreds of Nerf darts, but also relevant observations for conservation?! My kid went from cringing at checking nets to a salamander-wrangling, species-counting pro who could identify a handful of amphibians in every stage of their lives; egg masses to mature in the span of a couple months in our own neighborhood! — Erin Frank

If the emerging research shows that we can manage stormwater ponds for biodiversity, participatory science by community members like the Franks will be critically important for growing the next generation of naturalists and developing the data we need to recover biodiversity in our cities and suburbs.

salish sea stewardship

Thousands of stormwater ponds already exist in western Washington and larger stormwater parks are popping up across the Coast Salish region. “When you stand in a well-designed stormwater park, it doesn’t feel like you’re in an engineered water quality project. You feel like you’re in a park,” explains Jessie Israel, director of Puget Sound conservation at the Nature Conservancy. “Success looks like stormwater solutions that benefit people and nature.” Stormwater parks demonstrate the resilience of nature and the role that plants, soil, and wildlife can play in salmon and ecosystem recovery.

Stormwater parks and ponds are a vital approach to restoring ecosystems and cleaning the waters flowing into the Salish Sea. Clean water is key to the wildlife and natural beauty we treasure in the Pacific Northwest. It’s why we live here. While stormwater parks help us recover the Salish Sea ecosystem, keeping pollutants out of stormwater is the first line of defense. Each of us living, working, and playing in this beautiful region has a role to play in protecting our waters. Through our day-to-day choices, actions, and volunteerism, we can make a difference.

Yauger Park’s new interpretive signage, “A Park Designed to Flood.” courtesy of the City of Olympia

COPYRIGHT

Copyright SEA-Media
All rights reserved. Reproduction or distribution, in whole or in part. without consent of copyright owner is strictly prohibited — except for brief quotations in critical reviews and other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright laws.
SEA-Media is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation

PLEASE HELP SUPPORT

SALISH MAGAZINE

Salish Magazine contains no advertising and is free. Your donation is one big way you can help us inspire people with stories about things that they can see outdoors in our Salish Sea region.

We also don't advertise Salish Magazine, so please spread the word of this online resource to your friends and colleagues.

Thanks so much for your interest and your support.