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Stormwater discharges are generated by runoff from land and impervious areas such as paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops during rainfall and snow events that often contain pollutants in quantities that could adversely affect water quality. The primary method to control stormwater discharges is through the use of best management practices.
Stormwater management programs are designed to maintain quality and quantity of stormwater runoff to pre-development levels. Most stormwater discharges are considered point sources and require coverage by a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.
As the amount of impervious surface increases, the amount of runoff increases.
Stormwater management programs are designed to maintain quality and quantity of stormwater runoff to protect watersheds, habitat, and groundwater. There are a number of techniques and management practices that can be applied to protect these resources.
Land Planning - Watershed planning covers a wide array of activities that generally revolve around land use and development decisions.
Land Conservation - Land conservation is an important watershed protection tool because it involves taking the necessary steps to protect the most valuable resources within a watershed which include conservation easements and urban watershed reforestation, both of which target the establishment of large, permanent tracts of open space.
Aquatic Buffers - Buffers are a type land conservation that have added importance because they are the interface between streams and developed or disturbed areas. Establishing and maintaining buffers is an important tool for watershed managers.Better Site Design - Several innovative site planning techniques can help reduce the amount of impervious cover and stormwater runoff from a site. In addition, these practices can reduce the pollutant loads that are delivered to receiving streams.
Erosion and Sediment Control - Effective erosion and sediment control at a site requires that a full suite of redundant controls be applied in a logical fashion to prevent adverse effects on receiving waters.
Stream Restoration Practices - Stream restoration practices have a range of objectives, from bank protection to habitat creation. Frequently, these practices are installed in concert with upstream stormwater management practices which includes four major groups: bank protection, grade control, flow deflection/concentration, and bank stabilization.
Pollution Prevention - One of the goals of watershed stewardship is to increase public awareness and understanding about watersheds, which includes educating people about the consequences that many of their day-to-day behaviors can have on the health of a watershed, from pet waste management to green rooftops to illegal dumping controls
