Urban stormwater management in the City of Santa Cruz
Contents
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
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
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 [4].
- 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
References
- ↑ [http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/index.aspx?page=735 City of Santa Cruz Storm Water Management Plan[
- ↑ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Endangered Species Program
- ↑ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Species Profile
- ↑ 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.
