Integrating Stormwater
Requirements into Land Development
Decisions SCAPA Winter Conference
March 18, 2016
Watershed Plans affecting Land Use Policies
Kim Jones
Town of Bluffton & May River Boundary
May River Importance: • Outstanding Resource
Waters designation from SCDHEC-EQC BoW for its -
• historic and cultural uses; • aesthetics which add to the
quality of life for citizens; • numerous natural resource
populations harvested and used by local & regional residents;
• economic impacts, direct and indirect, to the community; and
• The Oyster Factory
1999 Land Cover
2015 Land Cover
Issues • Ecological • Social • Political
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• 2007 SCDHEC reported fecal coliform increase • 2009 SCDHEC shellfish harvesting classification
change
Methods EPA Guidelines: 1. Build Partnerships 2. Characterize the
Watershed 3. Set Goals & Identify
Solutions 4. Design an Implementation
Program 5. Develop Watershed Plan
Outline 6. Implement the Plan 7. Measure Progress & Make
Adjustments
Town Process: 1. Set Goal & Initial
Objectives 2. Environmental Inventory 3. Identify Stakeholders &
Form Committees 4. Design an Implementation
Program 5. Develop Watershed
Action Plan 6. Implement the Watershed
Action Plan 7. Measure Progress & Adjust
the Plan
Methods 1. Goal & Objectives: Goal - Protect & restore the May River Objectives -
• Increase development standards • Dedicate staff • Develop a watershed management plan with
specific projects to achieve the goal • Implement plans to improve water quality
Methods 2. Environmental Inventory:
Methods 2. Environmental Inventory: • Mid 60’s – Present: SC DHEC - Shellfish • Mid 70’s – Present: SC DHEC - Ambient • 1999 – Present: SC DNR/DHEC/NOAA/EPA -
SCECAP • 2002-03: USGS/NOAA/DNR - May River Baseline • 2005-06: Town of Bluffton - Stormwater Sampling • 2007 – 2009: Town of Bluffton - May River Water
Quality Monitoring Project • 2007 – Present: Beaufort County - Ambient
Trends • 2009 – Present: Town of Bluffton & Beaufort
County – Weekly bacteria samples with USCB
Methods 3. Identify Stakeholders & Form Committees
(Social Inventory): • Watershed Advisory Committee – community
involvement • Water Quality Technical Advisory Committee – expert
advice to move science to policy • May River Waterbody Management Plan Project
Advisory Committee & then Implementation Committee – community involvement to ensure policy changes and action
• Public meetings/workshops & Civic Presentations • Watershed Action Plan Advisory Committee
Methods 4. Design an Implementation Plan – US EPA 319 Grant awarded by SCHDEC • Immediate action • Raised Awareness • Community Participation – rain gardens, rain barrels,
social marketing, pet waste reduction, septic system maintenance
Methods • Coordinated proactive
approach (Dec 2010 – Nov 2011) Strategies & projects for sustainable
watershed Dynamic & adaptable document Provide measureable goals Partnerships and Funding
• Public Comment Period (Jul 2011 – Aug 2011) Document is the Town’s and stakeholders’ Purpose to seek feedback from
stakeholders >250 total comments and suggestions
• Restoration & Prevention Measures: engineering-based solutions... planning-based solutions…
5. Develop May River Watershed Action Plan
Methods 6. Implement Watershed Action Plan
Methods 6. Implement Watershed Action Plan
Methods 7. Measure Progress & Make Adjustments • Completed & In-Progress Projects 319 Phase I Pilot Project: concentration reduction 319 Phase II Pilot Project: volume reduction Wetland Restoration Project
• Identifying Funding Sources for more projects Additional 319 funding applications Assessing grant opportunities and State
Revolving Funds
Initial Results • ’07 – Developed the Town’s first Stormwater Ordinance
& Design Manual
• ’09 – Created water quality monitoring program
• ’09 – Began working with area municipalities & partners on a watershed approach to stormwater mngt.
• ’10 – Volume requirement in stormwater ordinance
• ’11 – Unified Development Code Overhaul based in Sustainability & Watershed Management elements
• ’11 - Development and initiation of the May River Watershed Action Plan
• ‘12 – TDR of 1300 future units out of the headwaters
Adaptive Management
• Adaptive management and holistic watershed assessment approach.
• This is described as an “iterative” process as it is routinely implemented to improve the plan and its intended short-term and long-term outcomes.
(EPA, 2008)
Adaptive Management Logic Model
(EPA, 2008)
Results ACTION PLAN INITIATIVES FUNDING OUTPUTS OUTCOMES MEETS
GOAL CONTINUE
? 2011 2012 2013 2014 YES NO
Fecal Coliform "hot spot" monitoring SWU 1,000 samples 1,000 samples 700 samples 360 samples to date
Provides data to assess project efficacy and evironmental indicator for program successes; provides input for future project retrofit areas.
x YES
May River Watershed Action Plan Advisory Committee
Stormwater Utility Fees
(SWU) formed
meets quarterly to review project progress and
performance measures
Provides public forum to gather input into project, programs & initiatives; provides process for quarterly assessment of data and adaptive management of Action Plan.
x YES
Neighbors for Clean Water - Facebook, Twitter, website 319 Phase I
Brand created; social media
sites launched Continue to engage public via social media
Continued opportunities to reach a broad audience via social media and traditional media venues; conclusion supported by items #1 & 2 below.
x YES
1. Community Clean-Ups 3 events; 100
volunteers; 1.6 tons collected
2 events; 275 volunteers; 1.75
tons collected
2 events; 300 volunteers; 2.5 tons collected
2 events; 300 volunteers; 2.5 tons collected
Community clean-ups will continue and staff will increase participation levels by broadening the scope of the events to be more festival-like.
x YES
2. Outreach/Education events & participants 30 events;
reach of 2,000 40 events;
reach of 4,000 50 events;
reach of 3,000 In progress Continued outreach & engagement is necessary for success, however improved performance metrics need to be investigated and adopted.
x YES
Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) Overhaul based on watershed principles 319 Phase I Provides a set of standards for development design and
environmental protection, but impact is un-quantified. ? ? YES
1. Growth Framework map adopted directing future growth and protecting headwaters
Uncertain what impact the Growth Framework Map has had on development patterns on the whole. ? ? YES
2. Low Impact Development incentives adopted available, but not regularly utilized
Uncertain what impact the incentives have had on development designs; requires better promotion of availability and tracking in the development process.
x YES
3. Stormwater Volume Control requirement adopted requires post-construction stormwater run-off
volumes to equal pre-construction levels
Uncertain what impact the volume requirement has had for protecting receiving waterbodies; requires calculation of percentage of stormwater volume decrease compared to previous design requirements.
? ? YES
4. Transfer of Development Rights
1,300 units transferred; prevents 146
acres impervious surface in
headwaters
While this program was effective in this single case, it needs to be more broadly promoted and applied. ? ? YES
Rain Barrel (55-gallon) 319 Phase I 175 installed Increased awareness and engagement for 150 homeowners (several sites received multiple barrels); prevented additional run-off from home sites.
x YES
Results Rain Garden (~70 sq. ft. each) 319 Phase I 13
Not the most effective stormwater BMP due to cost & maintenance needs making homeowners reluctant to participate.
x NO
Doggie Dooley Pet Septic installation 319 Phase I
5 installed in support of "scoop the
poop" pledge campaign; 30 pledges made
While this small-scale program was used as an incentive to have pet owners sign a "scoop the poop" pledge to be eligible to win a Doggie Dooley, only 30 pledges were made.
x NO
Manure management plan & buffer garden 319 Phase I
250 sq. ft. garden
installed
This particular project stabilized the soil and provided filtration of runoff. Wide-spread application of this BMP would be time consuming and costly.
x AS NEEDED
Bird Roosting Deterrent for docks 319 Phase I 40 Homeowners were reluctant to deploy a roosting deterrent due to their appearances. x NO
Septic Maintenance Assistance 319 Phase I & SWU
82 service requests
98 service requests
19 service requests
12 service requests to date
Until sanitary sewer service is extended to most residents, this program is necessary for environmental and health/safety/welfare of the public.
x YES
New Riverside BMP Pilot Project 319 Phase I
1.25 acre lagoon; 300
acre sub-basin treated
1 year of monitoring data show a
90% reduction in fecal
coliform concentrations
The efficacy of a pond to reduce fecal coliform loading from an undeveloped drainage area is currently being investigated via the monitoring data. Dependent upon these results, the applicability of this type of BMP in similar conditions will be known.
? ? ?
Animal Waste Ordinance completed General Fund
adotped; 1 ticket written and dismissed
by judge
no tickets written
Widespread education in support of this ordinance needs to be conducted for police officers, judges and general public to increase its effectiveness as a BMP for fecal coliform reduction.
x YES
Trash can installation in Old Town Palmetto Pride Grant 6 Trash cans are emptied weekly and more frequently after
festivals, thus preventing debris from entering the river. x YES
Construction Site Sediment & Erosion Control inspections SWU 200 400 2,000 700 to date
Sediment and erosion control inspections are effective to prevent sediment transport of pollutants to receiving waterbodies.
x YES
Pine Ridge Retrofit BMP 319 Phase II initiated
The efficacy of a stormwater BMP retrofit to an existing system to meet the current volume control requirements will be assessed via monitoring stormwater re-use for irrigation.
? ? ?
Wetland Restoration impact assessment Capital
Improvement Program
initiated The potential impact of a wetland restoration project to improve water quality downstream is currently being investigated.
? ? ?
ACTION PLAN INITIATIVES FUNDING OUTPUTS OUTCOMES MEETS GOAL CONTINUE?
2011 2012 2013 2014 YES NO
Results • Ten (10) initiatives result in outcomes considered to be a
positive improvement for water quality. • Two (2) initiatives (LID & Pet Waste Ord.) are not
considered to be meeting the goal of improving water quality, but are considered worth continuation and thus require modification.
• Five (5) initiatives (denoted by ?) require modification and re-assessment to determine if their outcomes are contributing to water quality improvement.
• Four (4) initiatives – rain gardens, Doogie Dooley pet septic installation, bird roosting deterrents, and buffer gardens – were not considered worth continuation, or only on an “as needed” basis, due to poor public response or participation as well as limited water quality improvements in spite of high staff effort or monetary requirements.
• The EPA Watershed Planning Guidelines are just that – guidelines.
• Do NOT underestimate the power of stakeholders in the process. Identify and engage them EARLY.
• Technical expertise is invaluable, but plain communication (education) is key.
• Involve all pertinent departments & jurisdictions. • Show early action for credibility. • Identify funding sources (SW Utility, grants, etc.). • Be PATIENT.
Discussion
Discussion • Adaptive management logic model indicates
that ½ of the Action Plan initiatives are resulting in outcomes considered
positive for water quality improvement.
½ of the initiatives are believed to be producing positive results, but require different and/or additional monitoring and assessment to support this assumption.
All of the initiatives require a quantitative assessment of contributions to fecal coliform load reduction.
• Adaptive management provides insight into which efforts should, or should not, continue. For those projects & programs that continue, which additional data needs are identified.
• Analysis provides guidance to determine which projects are most effective for our watershed conditions.
Conclusions/Recommendations • The adaptive management strategy provides
managers a tool to effectively assess and modify their watershed management plans in response to ever-changing environmental conditions, an increasing technical knowledge base, increasing implementation costs with decreasing funding sources in the face of a constant demand for action and positive results.
Stormwater Concepts in Development Codes
Eric W. Larson
Background of the 2014 Community Development Code
• ZDSO first adopted in 1990 and revised in 1999 • Stormwater Regulations not until after 1999 • Began writing the CDC in 2010 • Partnered with the Town of Port Royal and the City
of Beaufort • Final version adopted in 2014
Significant Features of the Community Development Code
• Use of Transect Zones / Place Types • Open Space / Civic space • Natural resources protection • Buffering and Landscaping • Road sections vary by place type • Stormwater requirements vary by place type
How Land Development Standards Can
Impact Water Quality and Quantity • Increased pavement width, mandatory hard
surfaces = more impervious area and runoff • Min. lot size, min. lot widths, large setbacks = less
open space • Prohibition on mixed use = more traffic, cars,
parking, impervious surface • lack of buffers = more cleared land, less vegetation
for water quality and quantity benefits • Disconnect between stormwater requirements and
place type standards = “gray” infrastructure that lacks aesthetic value
Transect Zones
• Community plans & place type standards define a mixed use form based design
• Maps logical placement of uses o Clustering of developed areas devote more land to open space o Allows higher density in smaller area, removing pressures to develop more
sensitive areas
• Encourages active and passive civic spaces within the open space
• Allows live/work opportunities o Pedestrian friendly design reduce transportation needs such as roads and
parking
• Land use design becomes a BMP o Clustering reduces amount of stormwater infrastructure needed o Reduced paved surfaces & rooftops limits runoff volume and pollutant
loading
Open Space
• Open space is an effective stormwater BMP o Buffers provide opportunity for runoff reduction, water treatment via
natural processes o Preserved area may contain streams, wetlands, prime soils – elements that
can mange stormwater naturally o Civic spaces encouraged to include stormwater ponds, vegetative
buffers, and similar BMPs as long as the BMP provides a focal point and is not a single use feature or screened from use/view
• eg. trails, fountains, piers
Natural Resource Protection • Buffers screen land uses and preserve tree canopy
o Percentage of natural forest protection varies by zone o Requirements for specimen tree protection and re-planting for tree
removal o Natural buffers must not be disturbed or improved o Transitional buffer setback to limit disturbance of the natural buffer o Beach dunes setback to preserve coastal buffers and encroachment by
tidal erosion
• Trees and vegetation serve as a BMP o Natural forests can be as effective in stormwater treatment as a
constructed BMP o Trees reduce runoff volume and pollutant loading by infiltration and
evaporation o Stabilizes stream banks and prevents erosion
Landscaping Standards • Standards for perimeter, parking areas, and road
section o Street tree and thoroughfare screening o Green roofs, if accessible to occupants as an amenity
• Landscaping can be an effective BMP o Use of native plants, drought tolerate plants, and/or deep rooted plants
need less irrigation water o Provide more uptake of runoff volume and pollutant absorption o Mitigates soil erosion o Protects the water table and surface water, both with recharge of volume
and pollutant loading reduction
Thoroughfare Standards
• Allowance of differing road cross sections by zone or place type prevents a “one size fits all” roadway o Transportation needs, traffic volumes, parking needs vary by place type –
so should the roadway o Rural zones can have dirt / gravel roads o Rural zones can have shoulder and open swale cross sections with trails –
not limited to traditional curb & gutter and sidewalk o Alleys and street parking can be porous materials
• “Road diets” can be a BMP too o Higher volumes roads contain medians, allowing opportunities for
landscaping and stormwater BMPs o Shoulder and ditch sections are preferred over curb and gutter (and
pipe) for stormwater volume reduction and water quality treatment o Porous pavements act like grass areas in that water infiltrates instead of
running off
Stormwater Standards
• The Beaufort County Community Development Code creates the nexus between site design and stormwater management
• Sets the pollutant removal and volume reduction standard (exemptions are strict and few)
• Introduces a variety of best management practices, ranging from natural swales to disconnected impervious areas to cisterns/rain barrels
• Provides a summary of appropriate BMPs for each zone / place type
BMP Manual Principles
Stormwater Review
Peak Controls
Water Quality Controls
Runoff Volume Controls
or, Impervious Cover Controls
Approved Design
Equivalent / Effective Impervious Cover (EIC)
• Metric that measures how effectively impervious surface runoff is reduced relative to pre-development pervious surface runoff
• Adopts Anti-degradation Goal on 10% Impervious Surface for Phosphorus
• Adopts 5% goal for Bacteria • Adopts 10% goal for Nitrogen • Volume control of 95th percentile rainfall event is
equivalent to 10 % EIC
Step 2 Requirements
• Required On-Lot Volume controls o Control runoff for 1.95 inch storm event o Encourages Impervious Surface reduction to reduce
size of volume practices o Options for staff variance if lot becomes unbuildable o Can be exempted if development complies
In Practice…Bluffton Gateway
• Corner of two largest roadway thoroughfares in Bluffton, SC
• 66 acres site • 185,000 sq. ft. Wal-Mart Supercenter, and • 137,000 sq. ft. Sam’s Club, and • 20,000 sq. ft. in outparcels, and
o Bank o Retail / restaurant o Fuel center
• But that’s not all…
In Practice…Bluffton Gateway
• Thoroughfare buffers • Forest preservation, wetland preservation • Landscape irrigation • Wet Detention Pond • Rain gardens / bio-retention • Porous pavements • aux. parking requirement
o Additional spaces must be pervious.
• Tree root preservation when preserving existing trees in medians, parking lots o Pervious ground or porous pavements
• In other words…the site’s runoff is as if it was only 9 acres
paved!
Site Plan • Thoroughfare buffer • Wetland Preservation and buffer • Irrigation re-use • Wet Detention • Rain Gardens • Porous Pavements
Stormwater Projects affecting Community
Growth Tony Maglione
Case Study Cypress Wetlands
• Existing heavily damaged system of non-interconnected wetland systems
• Unique in that the wetlands bisect downtown Port Royal
• Pond #1 Flooding Issues
Pond #1
Pond #2
Pond #3
Pond #4
Pond #5
Elev. 32’
Elev. 12’
Hydraulic Solution • Model
Watershed • Connect all
ponds to new outfall
• Control pond levels to maximize transpiration, infiltration and evaporation and prevent flooding
Pond #1
Pond #2
Pond #3
Pond #4
Pond #5
Elev. 32’
Elev. 12’
Watershed Area Served • Three existing
watersheds were diverted into the Wetland system
• Over 550 parcels diverted into the Wetland System
Environmental Solution • Restore
Original Rookeries
• Provide a regional SW treatment system
• Create a major passive use park
Existing Condition
Solutions & Opportunities • Developed hydraulic solution that mirrored normal
wetland system seasonal water levels • Did this with simple weir control in inlet boxes • Cleared wetlands of invasive species • Diverted Watershed into pond system for SW
treatment • Ensured stormwater discharged to open marsh
areas not to the ends of “finger creeks” • Controlled flooding • Created a passive use public park • Created a “Stormwater Credits” program to
promote economic development
Water Level Control • Weir box
outlet for Pond #1 (approx. 11 acres)
• Weir opening • 6” X 24”
Passive Use Parks
“Stormwater Credits” • Modeled wetland system after completion to
determine maximum capacity and future areas that could be diverted into the system in the future
• Worked with OCRM to: o Create a “credits” program based on system capacity for a 25 year
event o If stormwater from new or redeveloped areas of Port Royal can be
discharged to the wetland system, only the first flush of stormwater would have to be treated on site
o This eliminates the need for individual stormwater ponds that do not function well, need maintenance and are unattractive
• Most recently the Parkers Store is taking advantage of this program
Follow up pilot project • As part of the $600K
renovation & addition to the Town’s Police Station as plan to intercept stormwater and treat it on site was developed
• All roof drainage goes to water gardens, then sheet flows onto grass then to a raised permeable parking lot and sidewalk system.
• Even with the additional building impervious area total stormwater flows were significantly reduced from their pre-construction levels.
Where are we now? • The wetland systems have become havens for
wading birds • It has become a favorite bird viewing area for the
local Audubon Society • The 0.6 miles of elevated walkways, running paths
and observation areas are widely used by many throughout the region
• Many schools and organizations use the amphitheater for programs and events
• The Cypress Wetlands highlights stormwater management and water quality
• No impaired waters exist in discharge areas of the system
It is all about education
Questions & Answers
Contact Information
Tony Maglione Vice President Applied Technology and Management, Inc. (843) 414-1040 [email protected]
Kim Jones Stormwater Division Director Town of Bluffton (843) 706-4593 [email protected]
Eric W Larson Director of Environmental Engineering Beaufort County (843) 255-2805 [email protected]