Stormwater Division
In recent years regulations have been tightening on stormwater. So, what is it, why do we care?
Stormwater is rainwater after it hits the ground. Then it becomes ground water or surface water.
It is a hot topic because surface water can have all sorts of impacts as we develop our communities.
- Increased flooding risks: More houses means less ground water, means more surface water.
- Water pollution: Surface water crossing yards, streets, etc picks up just about anything including trash, motor oil, dirt. You get the picture.
- Increased erosion and property damage: When the water is focused in narrow areas rather than broad fields or forests, it has a lot more energy and volume.
- Polluted local waterways: Anything and everything that surface water picks up ends up in our rivers and streams. Yuck!
So....stormwater has some impacts on how we want our communities, homes and streams to function. Read on to see how our community is dealing with stormwater issues or check out our FAQ page.
Chapter 16.22 The Cowlitz County Stormwater Drainage Ordinance is a requirement of the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II Municipal Stormwater Permit issued to Cowlitz County by the Washington State Department of Ecology.
On February 16, 2007, Cowlitz County was issued a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) phase II Municipal Stormwater Permit. This permit requires the County to develop and implement a Stormwater Program. This permit was reissued on August 1, 2013. Check out this link to find information about the program and what it means to Cowlitz County.
Clean Water, It’s Our Future - and it starts in your neighborhood.
Cowlitz Clean Waters is a collaborative initiative of the City of Kelso, City of Longview, Cowlitz County, Consolidated Diking Improvement District #1 (CDID#1), Kelso School District, Longview School District, Washington State University (WSU) Cowlitz County Extension and the Lower Columbia College.
This partnership is committed to supporting a multifaceted public information and education campaign to help inform the Lower Columbia region about the impacts of stormwater runoff on our local waterways and to affect behavior changes and water quality improvements in our communities.
Interested in protecting our local waterways from everyday activities that leave pollutants behind. Watch the following Clean Water ads , as seen on Fox 12, with helpful tips on how to help keep our waters clean.
Reference Materials and Applications
Stormwater Adivsory Committee (SAC) Agendas and Meeting Minutes