Revision as of 14:22, 9 April 2013

Arial view of Santa Cruz, California

Summary

Information Still Needed The 1972 Clean Water Act requires areas to regulate urban runoff and other "non-point source" discharges via the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. In response to the Phase II NPDES General Permit for Discharges of Storm Water from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (General Permit), The City of Santa Cruz has created a comprehensive Storm Water Management Program (SWMP) to manage and reduce urban runoff pollutants ^[1].

Regulatory Background

Legislation has been developed by multiple regulatory agencies to reduce the level of pollutants and contaminants entering the Monterey Bay and bodies of water within the San Lorenzo River watershed.

Federal

• See Urban Stormwater Management and National Pollution Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) pages for specific information regarding federal legislation.
• Endangered Species Act (ESA) - The ESA prohibits the impairment of habitats that contain endangered or threatened species ^[2]. The San Lorenzo River maintains a population of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss), which is listed as threatened under the ESA ^[3].

State

The City of Santa Cruz currently operates under the State of California's General Permit for Storm Water Discharges from Small Municipal Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s). The city is required to develop and implement a Storm Water Management Plan (SWMP), and submit annual reports to the Central Coast Water Quality Control Board that summarize the city's SWMP implementation measures ^[4]. See Urban Stormwater Management and Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (CCRWQCB) pages for specific information regarding stormwater management and legislation for this part of the state.

Local

Santa Cruz County Code

• Chapter 7.79: Runoff and Pollution Control

Timeline

• 1972 Federal Clean Water Act is the basic regulatory structure for determining allowable levels and discharges of pollutants from point sources to waters of the United States. Section 402 designates the EPA as the agency responsible for implementation of the NPDES program. Discharges are considered illegal without obtaining a NPEDS permit.

Resources at Stake

Information Still Needed

Management Strategies

The following lists Santa Cruz's Best Management Practices (BMPs) for stormwater runoff, as listed by the Santa Cruz SWMP of 2009 ^[5].

• BMP 1: Municipal Operations Program/Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping
• BMP 2: Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Program
• BMP 3: Public Participation Program
• BMP 4: Public Education
• BMP 5: Construction Site Storm Water Runoff Control Program
• BMP 6: Post-Construction Storm Water Management Control Program
• BMP 7: Industrial Facilities Control Program
• BMP 8: Commercial Facilities Control Program
• BMP 9: Addressing TMDLs in the SWMP
• BMP 10: SWMP Program

Stakeholders

• California State Water Resources Control Board
• Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

References

1. ↑ [http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/index.aspx?page=735 City of Santa Cruz Storm Water Management Plan[
2. ↑ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Endangered Species Program
3. ↑ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Species Profile
4. ↑ Storm Water Annual Report 2012
5. ↑ City of Santa Cruz Storm Water Management Plan 2009

Links

• Urban stormwater management in the Monterey Bay region
• Urban stormwater management in the City of Pacific Grove
• Urban stormwater management in the City of Scotts Valley
• Urban stormwater management in the City of Capitola
• Urban stormwater management in the City of Watsonville
• Urban stormwater management in Santa Cruz County

Disclaimer

This page may contain student work completed as part of assigned coursework. It may not be accurate. It does not necessary reflect the opinion or policy of CSUMB, its staff, or students.