Difference between revisions of "Urban stormwater management in the City of Scotts Valley"
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* [http://www.scottsvalley.org/downloads/public_works/SWMP.pdf '''2009''' City of Scotts Valley Storm Water Management Plan] | * [http://www.scottsvalley.org/downloads/public_works/SWMP.pdf '''2009''' City of Scotts Valley Storm Water Management Plan] | ||
==Resources at Stake== | ==Resources at Stake== | ||
| + | The most common pollutants entering the San Lorenzo River watershed via storm water runoff within Scotts Valley include sediment, pesticides and herbicides, nutrients, heavy metals, toxins, oil and grease, solvents, viruses, and bacteria <ref> | ||
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==Management Strategies== | ==Management Strategies== | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
Revision as of 07:34, 4 April 2013
Contents
Summary
Scotts Valley is a small city within Santa Cruz County, California, located approximately six miles north of the city of Santa Cruz. Scotts Valley lies within the San Lorenzo River watershed [1], with the primary land use represented by medium- to low-density residential development with a growing commercial/industrial sector [2]. Carbonera Creek, a perennial stream that eventually flows into the San Lorenzo River, is the central waterway and main recipient of urban storm water within Scotts Valley.The city of Scotts Valley published a Storm Water Management Plan (SWMP) in 2009 in accordance with the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit requirements for small Municipal Seperate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) [3].
Stakeholders
- City of Scotts Valley
- California State Water Resources Control Board
- Scotts Valley Water District
- Ecology Action
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
Clean Water Act, Section 402: National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) - The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to manage a permit system regulating point sources of water pollution. This system requires industrial and municipal agencies to obtain an NPDES permit before discharging point source pollution into local bodies of water. In addition to regulating pollutant discharge, the permit requires municipal separate storm water systems (MS4s) to develop a Storm Water Management Plan (SWMP) for their region [4].
- Phase I (1990) requires cities and certain counties with populations of 100,000 or more to acquire NPDES permits for their storm water discharges. Phase I MS4s are covered by individual permits [5].
- Phase II (1999) requires regulated MS4s for cities and certain counties with populations under 100,000 to acquire NPDES permits for their storm water discharges. Phase II MS4s are covered by a general permit [6].
Endangered Species Act (ESA) - The ESA prohibits the impairment of habitats that contain endangered or threatened species [7]. The San Lorenzo River maintains a population of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss), which is listed as threatened under the ESA [8].
State
California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB)
Construction Storm Water Program
Industrial Storm Water Program
Regional
Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
Local
Santa Cruz County Code
Chapter 7.79: Runoff and Pollution Control
Scotts Valley Municipal Code
Chapter 12.14: Stormwater and Urban Runoff Pollution Control
Timeline
Resources at Stake
The most common pollutants entering the San Lorenzo River watershed via storm water runoff within Scotts Valley include sediment, pesticides and herbicides, nutrients, heavy metals, toxins, oil and grease, solvents, viruses, and bacteria [9]
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