Why is the City doing this Project?

Project Goals:
* Increase water quality that goes to the Columbia River
* Treat stormwater runoff from streets and the north college campus areas
* Reduce stormwater that goes to the Number (No.) 2 Canyon Drain
* Improve flooding in the neighborhoods in the area

What will the project include?

This project will improve water quality in the No. 2 Canyon Drain and the Columbia River through design and installation of new stormwater pipes and treatment structures in the 9th Street Basin in the City of Wenatchee. The 9th Street Basin covers approximately 500 acres in the City of Wenatchee. Stormwater in this area discharges to the No. 2 Canyon Drain, a Type F intermittent stream, and to the Columbia River. Land use in the area is primarily residential but experiences high vehicle traffic due to the centralized location of Wenatchee Valley College. Stormwater in the 9th Street Basin is discharged to the No. 2 Canyon Drain through a series of pipes and inlets. The No. 2 Canyon Drain directly flows into the Columbia River. Improving the quality of the stormwater discharged to the Columbia River will provide public health benefits by protecting recreational areas used for swimming, decreases in the amount of sediment discharged will also be beneficial for the protection of salmon habitat. Currently the stormwater flowing into the No. 2 Canyon Drain receives no water quality treatment.

This stormwater project will take place in Wenatchee Washington within city limits and city right of way as well as on the Wenatchee Valley College property. This project will install stormwater pipe, catch basins and other best management practices (BMPs) to improve the water quality of the waters that flow in the area and lead to the Columbia River. A portion of the City’s stormwater system currently discharges by run off and sheet flow to the No. 2 Canyon Drain from Ringold street and on to the Columbia River through an open ditch and piped sections that flow underground through city streets and private properties.  The project’s goal is to provide basic treatment for the removal of total suspended solids (TSS) and to reduce total pollutant volume to the Columbia River  by routing stormwater from neighborhood street, parking lots and away from the canyon drain to the City’s storm drain system in the 9th Street Basin. The total upper basin of 9th Street totals 620 acres and runoff generally flows from west to east toward the Columbia River. Land in this area includes the north portion of the Wenatchee Valley College property at 1300 Fifth Street along Nelson Road. The sub-basin is bounded by 5th Street to the south and 9th street to the north, totaling approximately 19 acres.  A stormwater retention vault will be installed at the Wenatchee Valley College in the lower parking lot of the Wells House, then stormwater will travel by pipe east to Morris Street, out to Ringold, then east down 7th westerly and then turn north on Princeton connecting to the existing stormwater pipe in 9th Street at the intersection of 9th and Princeton. 

What to expect

This project will kick off in Spring 2024.  The anticipated working hours are during the daytime and include partial road closures during construction and the possibility of utility outages. 

Proposed Timeline

Last Updated: September 2023

More Project Details

• Power Point Presentation about the project, can be found here.
• Zoom webinar talking about the project, can be found here.