Snohomish County Seeking Public Input on Plan to Reduce Harmful Tire Dust Entering Upper North Creek
Contact:
Meghan Jordan
Communications Specialist
425-312-0564
Public comment on draft plan being accepted through October 30.
EVERETT, Wash., October 1, 2026 – Snohomish County Surface Water Management (SWM) is seeking public input on the draft Stormwater Management Action Plan (SMAP) for the Upper North Creek watershed. The SMAP is the result of a multi-year process to develop a 20-year plan that addresses the water quality of a watershed in Snohomish County, required by the County’s National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.
As required by the permit, the draft SMAP identifies actions and projects to address transportation related runoff. The plan focuses on ways to reduce tire-wear particles, or “tire dust” and associated chemicals that can enter the watershed. As car and truck tires age and wear they create tire dust that react with ozone in the air, creating 6PPD-q. This chemical is lethal to coho salmon. The upper North Creek watershed was chosen to address 6PPD-q tire dust because of the type of road infrastructure, the outflows from roads into the creek, as well as the presence of coho in this watershed.
“Protecting clean water and the health of our natural environment is top priority,” said Snohomish County Surface Water Management Director Gregg Farris. “This plan allows us to apply the latest science and best available information to reduce emerging pollutants like tire-derived chemicals and take meaningful steps toward improving water quality in the Upper North Creek watershed.”
As part of the final step in this process, the public is invited to give input on the draft plan on the project website, by October 30. Staff have been at community events; the final event they will be at is on October 10 at the Food Distribution at The Clearwater School from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
About Snohomish County Conservation and Natural Resources
The Snohomish County Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) includes the Division of Surface Water Management; the Division of Parks and Recreation; the Office of Energy and Sustainability and the Office of Agriculture. DCNR works in support of thriving communities; a clean and healthy environment to foster environmental stewardship; ensuring food security; supporting a green economy, and strengthening communities by providing regional parks and infrastructure; protecting the region's water, air, land and natural habitats; enhancing agriculture and recreation; and reducing flooding. https://snohomishcountywa.gov/5758.
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