Strategy to Optimize Resource Management of Stormwater (Stormwater Strategy, STORMS)

Strategy to Optimize Resource Management of Stormwater (PDF)

Table of Contents

• 1. Executive Summary
• 2. Introduction
  • 2.1 Background
  • 2.2 Relationship to the California Water Plan
  • 2.3 Relationship to the California Water Action Plan
  • 2.4 Relationship to Sustainable Groundwater Management
• 3. Vision and Mission
  • 3.1 Stormwater Strategy Vision
  • 3.2 Stormwater Strategy Mission of the Water Board
    along with Key Partners
• 4. Implementation Strategy
  • 4.1 Terminology
  • 4.2 Goals
  • 4.3 Objectives and Projects
• 5. Implementation Resources
  • 5.1 Training and Information Sharing
  • 5.2 Proposed Phased Implementation of Projects
• 6. Measuring and Reporting Progress
  • 6.1 Performance Reporting-Part I
  • 6.2 Interim Performance Reporting-Part II
• 7. Strategy Updates and Revisions


• Appendix A - Proposed Projects List (PDF)
• Appendix B - Potential Pilot Projects (PDF)
• Appendix C - Proposal to Develop a Stormwater Program
  Workplan and Implementation Strategy - Including Projects
  for Immediate Action (PDF)
• Acronyms and Abbreviations

Upcoming Seminars

Past Seminars

• August 2020
  • Evaluating Benefits and Costs in Stormwater Management
    • Seminar Recording
• July 2019
  • STORMS Seminar - Multivalent Stormwater Actions in an Era of Climate Change – July 11th, 2019
    • Watershed Approach Handbook
    • Seminar Recording
• November 2018
  • Ocean Friendly Gardens: Taking the Watershed Approach to Protect Local Water Resources
    • Seminar Recording
• October 2018
  • Nature-Based Stormwater Projects: From Microbial to Human Communities - October 1, 2018
    • Seminar Recording
• June 2018
  • Watershed Solutions through Data Sharing, Collaboration & Education - June 14, 2018
    • Seminar Recording
• May 2018
  • Talking Trash with Clean River Alliance founder Chris Brokate - May 9, 2018
    • Seminar Recording
• August 2017
  • Floating Islands - August 11, 2017
    • Seminar Recording
• July 2017
  • Protect Every Drop - July 17, 2017
    • Seminar Recording
• May 2017
  • Enhancing Groundwater Recharge with Stormwater - May 30, 2017
    • Seminar Recording
• April 2017
  • Municipal Finance of Stormwater Projects - April 20, 2017
    • Seminar Recording
• January 2017
  • Stormwater Management Using Customized Science Based Software - January 30, 2017
    • Seminar Recording
• December 2016
  • Enhancing Urban Development with LID Designs in Sacramento - December 6, 2016
    • Seminar Recording
• September 2016
  • Transforming Gray Space into Green Space: Integrating Green Infrastructure into our Built Environment - September 26, 2016
    • Seminar Recording
• July 2016
  • Using Deep Infiltration and Drywells for Groundwater Recharge - July 8, 2016
    • Seminar Recording
• May 2016
  • Living Schoolyards for Storm Water Management May 18, 2016
    • Seminar Recording
• March 2016
  • Using Graywater and Stormwater to Enhance Local Water Supplies
    • Seminar Recording
• April 2016
  • Real-Time Cloud-Based Continuous Monitoring and Adaptive Stormwater Control

Implementation Committee Page

In response to the recommendations made by the State Auditor in 2018 (Report 2017-118), the State Water Board released guidance for the Regional Water Boards on how to obtain adequate, consistent and comparable information on stormwater management costs local jurisdictions incur and for the Water Boards to base decisions on that information. This is a living document and may be subject to change.

• Guidance for Obtaining Phase I Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Permit (MS4) Compliance Costs

Chapter 811, Statute of 2017 (Senate Bill 541, Allen) required the State Water Board to “recommend best design and use practices for stormwater and dry weather runoff capture practices that can generally be applied to all new, reconstructed, or altered public schools, including school grounds.” The following guidelines provide insights for the selection, design, and implementation of practices that can reduce runoff and pollutants that flow from school properties by minimizing impervious surfaces, increasing green space, promoting infiltration, and treating runoff on site.

• Guidance for Stormwater and Dry Weather Runoff CAPTURE at School
• Appendix A - Stormwater Control Measure Fact Sheets
• Appendix B - Stormwater Control Measure Sizing Methods
• Appendix C - Cost Estimating Resources

A finite amount of new alternative compliance pathways (ACP's) are being established in municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permits that focus on implementing BMPs throughout a watershed, as well as using green infrastructure to achieve compliance with water quality objectives. However, there is little empirical data on the long-term efficacy of these new approaches, which may create concern amongst regulators attempting to enforce permit conditions. To improve confidence in the application of these tools, the following document was developed which summarizes existing compliance strategies that are applied in California to demonstrate water quality protection and watershed-based stormwater management, describe the watershed tools typically applied (models, including data inputs and outputs, assumptions, and uncertainties), and provide MS4 programs with insights for using these tools throughout various stages of implementation.

• Quantitative Methods that Support Reasonable Assurance Analysis for California’s Alternative Compliance Framework