Marigold Drive Stormwater Improvement Project

Sudden Valley Project Location Map

Contact Us

  1. Cody Swan

    Project Engineer

    cswan@co.whatcom.wa.us
    (360) 778-6265
    322 N Commercial Street, Suite 224
    Bellingham, WA 98225

Project Overview

Status: Awarded

Construction Schedule: Start - Mid to Late July 2022

Completed - Late September 2022

Engineer of Record: Wilson Engineering, LLC

Contractor: Premium Services, Inc.

Construction Contract Amount: $524,153.56

Summary

The Lake Whatcom comprehensive Stormwater Plan identifies drainage areas within Sudden Valley as areas for stormwater improvement projects for water quality improvements.

Project Updates

06/23/2022 - Construction Update

The project was awarded through a competitive bid process on May 31, 2022 to Premium Services, Inc. The project was presented to the Whatcom County Hearings Examiner at a public meeting on June 15, 2022. The requested Shoreline Substantial Development and Land, Fill and Grade permits were granted, subject to conditions of approval. The project will likely begin mid to late July and conclude in late September. This project will have substantial traffic impacts to the community that is served by Marigold Drive. It is the County's objective to limit the time in the travel way and complete the project as soon as possible with few impacts to the traveling public as possible.

11/17/21 - Virtual Public Meeting December 1st

Sudden Valley Community Association residents are invited to a public meeting to learn about Whatcom County’s upcoming stormwater improvement project on Marigold Drive.   The proposed drainage improvements will collect and treat stormwater runoff upstream of Lake Louise. The goal is to improve water quality entering Lake Whatcom by reducing heavy metals, fecal coliform bacteria, suspended solids and phosphorous.  This project is planned for late summer 2022.  

Marigold Drive Stormwater Improvements Public Meeting Details:

Project Benefits

  • Improve water quality entering Lake Whatcom
  • Reducing heavy metals
  • Reducing total suspended solids
  • Reducing phosphorous loading of the lake

Lake Whatcom supplies drinking water to approximately 100,000 residents in the Bellingham area.  Elevated levels of phosphorus have caused Lake Whatcom to be placed on Washington State's 303(d) listing as an impaired water body.  This project will treat stormwater runoff to reduce phosphorus loading to Lake Whatcom.  The planned improvements focus on runoff from developed residential areas in the Lake Whatcom watershed.  The treatment facilities will be constructed on Sudden Valley Community Association (SVCA) property with appropriate easements. These improvements are planned primarily for stormwater flows that are currently conveyed to the lake with little or no treatment for particulate or dissolved nutrients. In addition to phosphorus removal, the 2022 Sudden Valley Stormwater Improvements project will provide additional environmental benefits.  Although the benefits have not been quantified, the new treatment facilities will also remove heavy metals, fecal coliform bacteria, and total suspended solids.  Habitat for fish and other aquatic organisms in the lake will be improved by the reduction of all of these water quality parameters.    

Project Description

This project will provide water quality improvements by constructing 750 feet of new storm pipe and a new stormwater cartridge filter vault along Marigold Drive to reduce phosphorus and sediment loading of Lake Louise.

  1. Financial Updates
  2. Project Documents