Management Resources

Stormwater Management

According to the National Water Quality Inventory, 70 percent of lakes, reservoirs, and ponds; 78 percent of bays and estuaries; and 55 percent of rivers and streams assessed in the U.S. are impaired by pollution and do not meet minimum water quality standards. The leading causes of river and stream impairments are pathogens, sediments, and nutrients; and the top probable source of these impairments is agriculture. Other waterbodies are impaired due to mercury pollution or Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), and often, the probable cause of impairment is unknown.

To address impairments linked to stormwater runoff, conservation districts across the nation have engaged in state stormwater management programs and begun providing urban erosion and sediment control services. They also provide assistance to developers and operators of smaller MS4s and promote the use of “low impact development” practices designed to improve water quality and stormwater management.

District Showcases

• Dutchess SWCD – The Dutchess SWCD in New York provides assistance with stormwater practices related to construction activities and city planning.
• Dakota SWCD – The Dakota SWCD in Minnesota works in partnership with the state, watersheds, local units of government, developers, and landowners to provide education, technical, and financial support to minimize the impact of stormwater runoff from new and existing development.
• Papio-Missouri NRD – The Papillion Creek Watershed Partnership – made up of the NRD, two counties, and eight cities in Nebraska – addresses issues related to surface water quality and stormwater quantity within the watershed.
• Whidbey Island CD – The Whidbey Island Conservation District in Washington provides information on alternative stormwater management. The CD also held a series of three low impact development workshops in 2008.
• Clark CD – The Clark Conservation District in Washington created this brochure on stormwater management that may be of help to your district. Click here to view the PDF.

Resources

Low Impact Development: Put a LID on it |PDF| – Low impact development is considered by many as a more resource-friendly alternative to conventional stormwater practices. Read our feature story from the fall 2009 edition of The Resource to learn about LID.

• EPA NPDES Stormwater Program
• EPA Green Infrastructure
• Center for Watershed Protection
• Low Impact Development Center
• National Agroforestry Center
• The Conservation Fund Green Infrastructure

Training

• Certified Professional in Storm Water Quality
• Low Impact Development Center – Training and Workshops
• Green Infrastructure by The Conservation Fund Leadership Network – Upcoming Courses
• EPA – NPDES Training