Tumwater committee endorses renewal of regional partnership for watershed education program 

The Tumwater Public Works Committee voted to recommend the renewal of an interlocal agreement for a countywide watershed education and environmental stewardship program. 

The committee endorsed the agreement for the Regional Environmental Education Partnership at a meeting on July 9. The contract will be forwarded to the city council for final approval on July 21. 

Grant Gilmore, of the Tumwater Water Resources and Sustainability Department, told the committee the collaboration was designed to fulfill regulatory requirements for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. The system is a federal permit program established by the U.S. Clean Water Act to control the discharge of pollutants into the waters of the United States. 

Regulations mandate jurisdictions comply with water pollution standards, as well as implement public education and outreach initiatives designed to influence positive behavior for reducing water pollution. 

Through the partnership, the parties involved work together to develop and implement programs to get people involved in conservation work. 

The programs include opportunities for hands-on science field work, self-guided learning modules and community events. 

Gilmore noted in 2025, the programs engaged 800 households and drew 321 unique volunteers, who logged nearly 1,800 hours of community service. 

A major component of the partnership is the publication of a newsletter, which Gilmore praised for its quality.  

“We've been asked to submit for multiple awards on it because it's a beautiful, beautiful piece,” Gilmore said. “It's highly designed, highly edited, and we put a lot of thought into what content we're going to be pushing out based on the time of year.” 

The partnership also features outreach efforts focusing on businesses to help them understand obligations in regard to stormwater facilities on their properties. One training program specifically targets landscaping professionals. 

Residential initiatives include installation of neighborhood pet waste stations and workshops on rainscaping, which are best practices for reducing and treating stormwater runoff in green spaces. 

The partnership includes Thurston County, Olympia, Lacey and Yelm. Under the terms of the agreement, the parties agreed to share $120,000 in costs to pay a third-party communication firm and to organize activities related to the program. 

The costs are proportionally based on population. For Tumwater, the city will contribute $14,400 annually for five years.  

Gilmore noted it would be the first time Yelm is joining the partnership, as its population has grown large enough to require its own permit from the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.