Adopting the Manual of Best Management Practices for Stormwater Quality. Facts for Communities

Transcription

1 Adopting the Manual of Best Management Practices for Stormwater Quality Facts for Communities

2 Adopting the Manual of Best Management Practices for Stormwater Quality September 2006 prepared for the Mid-America Regional Council by Patti Banks Associates 2

3 Questions answered in this report: The BMP Manual may be downloaded from the following locations: 3

4 4 Green roof 909 Walnut, Kansas City, Missouri

5 National and local studies have concentrations in urban runoff. In shown repeatedly that dispersed practice, BMPs typically include non- or nonpoint sources of pollution structural practices such as preserving carried by stormwater runoff are natural vegetation, particularly next major contributors to water pollution. to streams; and structural practices The National Water Quality Inventory, like vegetated swales, stormwater 1996 Report to Congress stated that wetlands, and wet detention basins stormwater runoff is the leading planted with native vegetation. cause of water quality impairment on a nationwide basis. Recent local studies by the U.S. Geological Survey and Kansas City, Missouri reveal that many pollutants in our area streams exceed national standards. BMPs are best practices because they provide benefits beyond stormwater management, and often cost less over time than traditional practices. A vegetated swale filters pollutants while conveying runoff; a wet As a region, we can control flooding pond or wetland detains and pollutants with an integrated, and treats smaller storms watershed-based approach to and creates habitat. More planning and engineering. Developers, and more communities engineers, and planners must control across the nation are volumes and quality of stormwater building BMPs into their discharges as our watersheds stormwater management develop - crucial elements for programs, including our protecting human life and property, peer communities like maintaining water quality, and creating Denver, Minneapolis, environmentally sensitive site designs. Columbia, and Lincoln. Stormwater best management practices (BMP) are a major element of environmentally sound development. In the broadest sense, a stormwater BMP is any action or practice aimed at reducing flow rates and pollutant Illustration of the Mill Creek Watershed which flows into the Kansas River 5

6 6 Kansas City Discovery Center Wildflower Garden

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8 8 Healthy stream buffer along the Big Blue River at Red Bridge Road

9 Curb cut into rain garden 9

10 Kansas City Discovery Center Parking Lot Bioswale Mixed pervious pavement and parking in Lenexa, Kansas 10

11 The manual is designed for all area guidance and specifications for the communities: urban, suburban and minimum recommended BMPs. rural; large and small. Communities Communities could also phase may choose to mandate some or all adoption of the manual by first of its provisions and adopt design adopting the initial practices followed criteria and specifications. Because by full adoption at a later date. stormwater doesn t stop at the property line or political boundary, APWA and MARC encourage communities to adopt this manual in its entirety through ordinance or policy. The BMP Manual promotes a watershed Several Kansas and Missouri communities have adopted the manual along with other watershed management practices. See the table at the end of the report for a summary. perspective for both public and private projects. Adopting the entire BMP Manual will provide a community the maximum number of stormwater management tools for evaluating development impacts to their watersheds and for planning and designing excellent projects. However, some communities may choose an incremental approach. These communities may adopt the Initial Measures and Minimum Practices, along with the runoff calculations, corresponding design Wet pond at St Pauls United Methodist Church in Lenexa, Kansas 11

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13 First Half The first half of the manual provides general information and planning guidance, including: 13

14 14 Rain garden at Visitation Church

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16 16 Plan review for Oakbrook subdivision Clay County, Missouri

17 Permeable walkway Lenexa Conference Center, Lenexa, Kansas 17

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