In 2005 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandated local government agencies in Fairbanks develop, implement, and enforce a Storm Water Management Program to control pollutants in being discharged from their storm drain systems to local water bodies.
In response, the Fairbanks North Star Borough, City of Fairbanks, City of North Pole, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, and University of Alaska Fairbanks (each owning segments of the storm drain system in the Fairbanks area) teamed up to create the program and collectively tackle storm water pollution. The program's focus is to improve the water quality of the Chena River, Noyes Slough, Chena Slough, and all other water bodies to which storm water discharges in the Fairbanks area.