Learn to manage the rain that falls around your home!
Work with your fellow community members!
Improve your watershed!
Join us for the annual
Stormwater Stars workshops
to learn all these things and more!
Spring 2018 workshops are over but more workshops will be scheduled.
Subscribe to the SW Watershed News to be informed about the next workshops and other resources.
Stormwater Stars workshops lead participants in hands-on planning and installation of yard-scale stormwater management techniques, including soil amendments, permeable walkways, pavement removal, lawn reduction/replacement, native landscaping, and biodegradable erosion control to reduce the volume of stormwater runoff and sediment pollution generated by their property.
These practices reduce stream bank erosion, pollution, habitat degradation, and flooding in local streams while creating backyard habitat and reducing the need for harmful lawn and garden chemicals. Stormwater Stars practices may also help with minor drainage issues such as damp lawns, low-lying soggy areas and surface erosion.
Workshops and home visits conducted through this program DO NOT include recommendations for drainage piping or plumbing, basement flooding, foundation problems or foundation drains, French drains, retaining walls, landslide prevention, mitigation of high groundwater, or the capture and infiltration of runoff. We recommend that property owners consult a qualified licensed engineer to address such issues.
Anyone can be a Stormwater Star -- join us to learn how to improve your watershed's health! This design-build workshop series provides participants with hands-on installation experience, and engages you in a supportive community to help you get the job done where you live!
Additional Stormwater Management Resources
Portland Bureau of Environmental Services
Stormwater Starts at Home!
For a brief overview of the science, regulation and management of stormwater, and stormwater practices for challenging sites, check out the Stormwater Starts at Home presentation (PDF) from the March 2017 Sylvan Highlands neighborhood meeting. If you are interested in hosting a similar presentation for your neighborhood association, faith community or other group, please contact watershed@swni.org or 503-823-2862.
Want to get a feel for the Stormwater Stars approach?
Here's a video recording from the Introduction to Stormwater workshop held in March 2015.
