Water resource management is of paramount importance to agriculture and urban communities on Whidbey Island. We all use water and we all live downstream. The availability of safe drinking water, groundwater & aquifer recharge, and safely discharged stormwater are critically important to the residents of Whidbey Island.

Perhaps water resource management for you involves drainage challenges, erosion, an excess of water, steep slope stabilization, or alternative stormwater management techniques. Request Assistance below and check out our Resource Hub.

Nearshore Living:
Orcas swim by, herons stand patiently waiting for fish, clams and mussels hide in the sand until our shovels dig them up. We eat and recreate in the ocean, lakes, and rivers. We get our drinking water from underground aquifers and nearby rivers. As island residents, we live on the nearshore - that magical place where land meets ocean. Read our Nearshore Living Guide on the website to learn more.

Learn about rain gardens through the video on our website.

Stormwater:
Stormwater Run-off is rain that falls on impermeable surfaces and, since it can't be absorbed by these surfaces, it flows directly into nearby lakes, rivers and Puget Sound. For us islanders who live on the near-shore, the ocean is never far away, and our stormwater run-off flows into it with few opportunities to be caught and filtered. Everything that sits on our roofs, driveways, sidewalks, and streets is in danger of being picked up by stormwater run-off and carried to the ocean along with the water. As landowners, our job is to keep impermeable surfaces free of pollutants, fecal bacteria, and garden chemicals so that these pollutants don't build up in our waterways and poison them. Rain gardens are a wonderful, low maintenance solution to treating run-off in any landscape.