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Stormwater Park County Management ? Why is it regulated ? What can you do to help ? What is stormwater What are the responsibilities of homeowners, contractors, and developers? If your project will have more than one acre of dis- turbed ground, you are required to obtain a Construc- tion Activity Permit from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Detailed permit information can be found at the fol- lowing Web link: http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/wg/PermitsUnit/ During Construction or remodeling: Please take the following steps to protect stormwater quality and quantity: ♦ Refer to Park County’s Land Use Regulations: www.parkco.us/Documents for Review/LURs Article VII—Use and Development Standards, Division 6, Section 7-602 (Drainage) and Sec- tion 7-603 (Erosion and Sedimentation) ♦ Replant bare areas quickly. ♦ Use erosion control blankets. ♦ Cover piles of dirt. ♦ Use silt fence to prevent sediment transport. Remember... sediment is the main pollutant in our surface water. Please follow proper erosion and sediment control practices to keep soil on site. What you can do to help: take the following steps to protect stormwater quality after development is com- plete. ♦ Clean up vehicle spills. Pick up pet waste and put these items in the trash. ♦ Limit the amount of impervious surface on your prop- erty. ♦ Use porous paving surfaces such as wood decking, open-celled bricks, and concrete pavers that allow water to soak into the ground. ♦ Where possible, direct runoff from impervious sur- faces to vegetated areas. ♦ Allow thick vegetation or “buffer strips” to slow runoff and soak up pollutants. ♦ Shovel snow onto grass/landscaped areas. ♦ Plant drought tolerant or native species where appro- priate. ♦ Aerate your lawn. ♦ Drain roof gutters away from the foundation, but onto grass or toward landscaping. ♦ Avoid over-fertilizing lawns. ♦ Sweep up litter and debris from driveways instead of hosing debris into gutter and/or storm drain. ♦ Call your contract waste management company for disposal of household chemicals such as paint or oil. How do I learn more? Citizens interested in learning more about stormwater management are invited to call our specialist Bob O’Con- nor at [PHONE REDACTED] or e-mail him at: [EMAIL REDACTED] ---PAGE BREAK--- What is Stormwater and where does it come from? Stormwater is any precipitation that collects in a natu- ral or constructed storage or transport system following a storm event. For example, during construction of a new building or neighborhood, sites are often cleared and the soil is firmly compacted, which prevents rain- fall or snowfall from soaking into the soil. As a result, the rainfall streams along the surface of the ground— this is stormwater runoff. After construction activities, impervious areas such as roads, roof tops, parking areas, and sidewalks prevent infiltration of moisture from rain and snowfall, thus causing stormwater run- off. This runoff can be too much for the existing natural drainage systems to handle. As a result, natural drain- age systems are often altered to rapidly collect runoff and convey it away (using curb and gutter, enclosed storm sewers, and lined channels). The stormwater runoff is then discharged to waters such as streams, reservoirs, and lakes. How does impervious area affect water quantity? Impervious area such as asphalt or concrete creates a barrier to water soaking into the soil and prevents the rainfall or snowfall from recharging ground water sup- plies in that area. This reduces the amount of ground water that is available to well water users and in- creases the surface water flow. How does stormwater pollution affect water quality? Developed land affects the quality of stormwater that flows off it—and into our ditches, creeks, rivers and our drinking water reservoirs. Water flowing on the surface of developed property picks up pollutants such as sediment, oil and salts from roads and parking areas, fertilizer from lawn runoff and bacteria from property where animals are kept. Why must Park County manage stormwater quality? Stormwater regulations are a component of the Clean Water Act, which was passed by Congress in 1972. The Act is a set of laws designed to clean U.S. waters and maintain water quality for all residents. Park County is responsible for the stormwater quality that drains from property, and discharges to state waters. The stormwater rules recognize that stormwater generated from one area often becomes drinking water for a commu- nity. Stormwater Utility Like many communities in Colorado, Park County has a stormwater infrastructure of curb, gutter, ditches, and piping that transports stormwater. This is similar to the water and sewer infrastructure that serves your home or business. In addition, infrastruc- ture must be constructed and maintained to manage stormwater volume, the stormwater regulations re- quire measures to be implemented that will improve stormwater quality. The Stormwater Phase II Permit requires: ♦ Public education ♦ Public participation ♦ Illicit discharge detection/correction ♦ Construction site runoff control ♦ Post construction stormwater management ♦ Good housekeeping in County operations