Urban stormwater management in the Monterey Bay region

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Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP) for the Greater Monterey County. Map Provided by Central Coast Wetlands Group[1]

Summary

Urban stormwater management is quickly gaining the attention of the public and decision makers in the Monterey Bay Region. Two permit phases are used for cities of large, and medium to small populations. Large populations (>100,000) were given a Phase II permit, medium and small populations (10,000 - 100,000) were given Phase I permits. The Phase II cities were broken into individual cities and groups based on population size; areas containing smaller populations were grouped intot he Monterey Region Storm Water Management Plan (MRSWMP). The Monterey Regional Management Storm Water Management Program was developed to "implement and enforce a series of management practices, referred to herein as 'Best Management Practices' (BMPs)." [2] The MRSWP's goal is to minimize surface runoff pollutants[3] from entering areas of biological significance in the Monterey Bay. Efforts are being taken to reduce stormwater runoff using a multitude of methods.

Monterey Bay Region Municipalities

Phase I

Phase I regulations, effective since 1990, require NPDES permits for storm water discharges for certain specific industrial facilities and construction activities, and for “medium” and “large” municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) generally serving populations greater than 100,000. For example, the only Phase I city in the Monterey Bay Region is Salinas.[4]

An MS4 is:[6]

  • Owned by a state, city, town, village, or other public entity that discharges to waters of the U.S.;
  • Designed or used to collect or convey stormwater (including storm drains, pipes, ditches, etc.);
  • Not a combined sewer; and
  • Not part of a Publicly Owned Treatment Works (sewage treatment plant).

Phase II [2]

In December 1999, the EPA promulgated more regulations known as the Storm Water Phase II Final Rule for all MS4s with urbanized areas and municipalities with a population base greater than 10,000 with a population density greater than 1,000 persons per square mile, and includes construction sites of 1 to 5 acres. In California, the NPDES General Permit for small MS4s is overseen by the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) and requires the development of a management plan that discusses existing and proposed programs that will protect water quality by reducing or eliminating pollutant runoff from entering local water bodies. [7]


Small SM4s are designated by:

  • Automatically designated by EPA because it is located within an urbanized area,

or

  • Individually designated by the RWQCB after considering factors such as high

population density (1,000 residents per square mile), high growth or potential (growth greater than 25percent between 1990 and 2000 or anticipated growth greater than 25percent over a 10-year period), a significant contributor of pollutants to an interconnected permitted MS4, discharge to sensitive water bodies, and/or a significant contributor of pollutants to waters of the United States.


Phase II requires the implementation of six Minimum Control Measures (MCMs):

  • Public Education and Outreach on Storm Water Impacts
  • Public Involvement/Participation
  • Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
  • Construction Site Storm Water Runoff Control
  • Post-Construction Storm Water Management in New Development and Redevelopment
  • Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations

Individual cities

Basin Plan 1994 adopted by the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board applies to the following cities:

  • Watsonville
    • Annual review of the Storm Water Management Plan's (SWMP) effectiveness, BMPs effectiveness and improvement opportunities to achieve the Maximum Extent Practicable (MEP) are required under Phase II permit requirements.
  • Annual Reports:
  • Hollister
    • The SWMP will be implemented over the next five years (from 2004 to 2009)[9]
  • Annual Reports:
    • July 2007 - June 2008[10]
    • July 2008 - June 2009[11]


  • Gilroy
    • An SWMP does not currently exist. [12]

King City

The King City SWMP was revised for final review in 2009 and the first year of the permit will end in early 2010[13]. The plan will have a 5 year implementation period. Over the course of the permit the City will be required to submit annual reports documenting the progress made each year in the form of measurable goals for each best management practice.

Soledad [14]

Group with small municipalities

  • Monterey Regional Storm Water Management Program (MRSWMP) [2]
  • Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP)[23]
    • Entities Included:
      • government agencies
      • nonprofit organizations
      • educational organizations
      • water service districts
      • private water companies
      • organizations representing:
        • agricultural
        • environmental
        • community interests

Timeline

<timeline>


</timeline>

Resources at Stake

Stormwater has the potential to carry large pollutant loads into areas of special biological significance (ASBS), such as designated areas in the Monterey Bay. The large pollutant loads can cause harm to ASBS's, and in turn endangered species and marine ecosystems.

Stakeholders [24]

  • California American Water Monterey Bay Citizen Watershed Monitoring Network
  • California Coastal Commission Monterey County Service Area 50
  • California Coastal Conservancy Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District
  • California Department of Fish and Game NOAA Fisheries
  • California State University Monterey Bay Pebble Beach Community Service District
  • California State Water Resources Control Board Pebble Beach Company
  • Carmel Area Wastewater District Planning and Conservation League
  • Carmel River Steelhead Association Regional Water Quality Control Board
  • Carmel River Watershed Conservancy Resources Conservation District of Monterey County
  • Carmel Unified School District Seaside Basin Watermaster
  • Carmel Valley Association State Department of Parks & Recreation
  • City of Carmel-by-the-Sea Surfrider Foundation
  • City of Del Rey Oaks The Nature Conservancy
  • City of Pacific Grove The Watershed Institute at CSUMB
  • City of Sand City U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
  • City of Seaside U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serve
  • Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Ventana Wilderness Society

Laws, Policies, and Regulations

The following is a list of laws, policies, and regulations that effect stormwater management:

  • Porter-Cologne Act [25]
  • Clean Water Act [26]
  • Endangered Species Act [27]
  • Proposition 50 [28]

Systems

... What elements of the biophysical system are/were involved?...

Science

Stormwater management is highly site-specific, therefore studies on the Low Impact Development(LIDs)[29] and Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) [29] would be needed.

      • More information needs to be provided on scientific studies completed for stormwater management

Tools

The tools that are used to help manage stormwater issues are HEC-HMS [30] for hydrologic modeling, and water monitoring instruments to measure discharge at a particular point (preferably at the watershed outlet).

Future Research

  • Possible Thesis topic: Effectiveness of management efforts
  • Continuous monitoring
  • Effective and preferred Best management practices (BMPs)

References

  1. http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&authuser=0&biw=984&bih=896&tbm=isch&tbnid=ZueC1Ho9QWDebM:&imgrefurl=http://ccwg.mlml.calstate.edu/irwmp&docid=pbcs6kplT6qNkM&imgurl=http://ccwg.mlml.calstate.edu/sites/default/files/images/region_map1.preview.jpg&w=480&h=640&ei=7edzT-uGLK-E2QWLiOXFBg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=749&vpy=131&dur=615&hovh=259&hovw=194&tx=137&ty=121&sig=102689191159301866187&page=1&tbnh=162&tbnw=121&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/stormwater/swmp/monterey_swmp.pdf
  3. TMDLs in the Monterey Bay Region of California
  4. http://hollister.ca.gov/site/Documents/SWMPfinalone.pdf
  5. http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/rwqcb3/water_issues/programs/stormwater/salinas.shtml
  6. http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/munic.cfm
  7. http://hollister.ca.gov/site/Documents/SWMPfinalone.pdf
  8. http://www.watsonvilleutilities.org/images/pdf/entirewatsonville%202009-%202010%20annual%20report%20final.pdf
  9. http://hollister.ca.gov/site/Documents/SWMPfinalone.pdf
  10. http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb3/water_issues/programs/stormwater/muni_phase2/hollister/2008_Hollister_yr3_AR.pdf
  11. http://hollister.ca.gov/site/html/gov/office/documents/FY08-09AnnualReport.pdf
  12. http://www.morgan-hill.ca.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DID=4142
  13. http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb3/water_issues/programs/stormwater/muni_phase2/kingcity/Jan_2009_King_City_SWMP.pdf
  14. http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/stormwater/swmp/soledad_swmp.pdf
  15. http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/rwqcb3/water_issues/programs/stormwater/muni_phase2/monterey_co/2007_MR_yr1_AppF_Monterey.pdf
  16. http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/rwqcb3/water_issues/programs/stormwater/muni_phase2/monterey_co/Jan_2007_Carmel_SWMPSupplement.pdf
  17. http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/rwqcb3/water_issues/programs/stormwater/muni_phase2/monterey_co/2007_MR_yr1_AppD_DelReyOaks.pdf
  18. http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/rwqcb3/water_issues/programs/stormwater/muni_phase2/monterey_co/2007_MR_yr1_AppH_SandCity.pdf
  19. http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/rwqcb3/water_issues/programs/stormwater/muni_phase2/monterey_co/2007_MR_yr1_AppI_Seaside.pdf
  20. http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/rwqcb3/water_issues/programs/stormwater/muni_phase2/monterey_co/2007_MR_yr1_AppE_Marina.pdf
  21. Urban stormwater management in the City of Pacific Grove
  22. http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/rwqcb3/water_issues/programs/stormwater/muni_phase2/monterey_co/2007_MR_yr1_AppJ_CountyMonterey.pdf
  23. http://ccwg.mlml.calstate.edu/irwmp
  24. http://www.mpwmd.dst.ca.us/Mbay_IRWM/RAP.pdf
  25. http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/laws_regulations/docs/portercologne.pdf
  26. http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/cwatxt.txt
  27. http://epw.senate.gov/esa73.pdf
  28. http://www.cdph.ca.gov/services/funding/Documents/Prop50/General/Proposition50.pdf
  29. 29.0 29.1 http://stuff.mit.edu/afs/sipb/project/wine/dosdevices/z:/mit/lugia/MacData/afs.cron/project/urban-sustainability/Stormwater_Sarah%20Madden/References/Roy_etal_2008.pdf
  30. http://www.hec.usace.army.mil/software/hec-hms/

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.