The Work Never Ends

Looking out my window as I write this, the sky has that strange orange quality familiar to anyone who lives in a wildfire-prone area. Luckily for me, where I live in Santa Barbara is not currently in any danger—the smoke coloring the sky is high in the atmosphere and being blown from fires farther north. Still, we are in the midst of a heatwave (90°F and 50% humidity) and since we’re a coastal city, very few homes have air conditioning. My single, small fan has been working overtime.

All this means it’s officially peak fire season here in California. For stormwater and erosion control professionals, this means preparing for post-fire remediation efforts ahead of the rainy season, which can bring mudslides and intense, sediment-laden surface flow. In the meantime, though, surface water professionals and the public alike will keep an eye on the news and hope this year’s fires are small, quickly contained, and far away. In the meantime, however, Stormwater is bringing you a wide variety of excellent articles to offer some distraction from the heat.

Don’t miss our lead feature this month, “Credit for Going Green,” where we discuss a way that communities may be able to receive permit credits for a range on nonstructural BMPs that are already active components of their municipal stormwater program. James Houle and Dolores Jalbert Leonard outline FAST, an expert panel-based approach that helped quantify the water quality value of buffers so communities in New Hampshire’s Great Bay region can ensure they’re getting the maximum credit deserved.

The new Federal MSGP set to be implemented early next year will have a wide-ranging effect on the majority of American states’ Industrial General Permits. In “California on the Rise,” Jonathan Meronek and Alissa Barrow look at California’s IGP, which has many directives that echo the increased regulatory regime as seen in the new MSGP, and provide strategies and lessons learned that can offer guidance for dischargers in other states as they face increased industrial stormwater regulation.

One way to minimize project costs, especially in the long run, is to ensure the job is done right the first time, avoiding the potential for costly remediation work. In “Solar and Stormwater,” Ryan Daponte, Nichole Murawski, and Todd Greene offer guidance on some of the challenges and solutions associated with stormwater and erosion management on solar array developments, both during and after the construction phase.

We’ve also brought you two excellent Project Profiles from the Pacific Northwest this month. In “Treating Industrial Roof Runoff,” an industrial facility in Washington was continually struggling with zinc exceedances from a galvanized metal roof. In addition to other on-site stormwater treatment, the facility conducted a pilot study using fabricated downspout treatment units to remove the zinc.

Meanwhile, efforts are underway in Oregon to restore fish habitat and bring the Sandy River watershed into compliance with the Endangered Species and Clean Water Acts. At two sites along the river, several powerful pumps played a key role in streambank restoration efforts. Engineered log jams, which provide both habitat for salmon and reduced sedimentation and erosion, were built into the dewatered holes. Check out “Go, Fish” for more.

And finally, I had the opportunity to speak with Bethany Bezak, Assistant Deputy Director of Storm Water for the City of San Diego. Don’t miss this month’s Q&A where we discuss the city’s street sweeping program and the decision to pause parking enforcement back in March in order to support state and city stay-at-home orders.

This year threw us all a huge curveball in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the flexibility and resilience of those in the stormwater and erosion control industry continues to amaze me. New protocols have been implemented to promote physical distancing and operating procedures have been modified to support the public. At the same time, Atlantic states are facing a severe and early hurricane season and the West is grappling with a particularly challenging fire season. The work of minimizing erosion and promoting surface water quality is varied, invaluable, and never-ending. But wherever you are, the team at Stormwater hopes you’re staying safe—and cool.