FLOOD03407

• County: Statewide
• Community: State of Colorado
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Stormwater Management in the United States - A Study of Intsitutionl Problems, Solutions and Impacts
• Date: 9/1/1980
• Prepared By: Office of Water Research and Technology
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

governments, regional public planning agencies, state regulatory agencies, special
districts, and private consulting engineering firms. Most of the agencies had some
responsibilities under Section 208 of Public Law 92-500.

The survey form contained three questions which were to be answered by ranking
a series of listed answers. Each respondent could also insert answers, and rank
those he inserted. The questions concerned stormwater management goals, priority
needs for stormwater management, and the principal institutional problems delaying
progress in satisfying needs.

The choices offered the 56 respondents are given in tabular form in Appendix B,
Survey of Stormwater Management Agencies.

Priority Needs for Stormwater

Representatives of the 20 agencies located west of the Mississippi River clearly
identified "flood control" as the top need. But, the 36 agencies located east of
the Mississippi ranked flood control as the lowest priority need of the five choices
offered.

"Control of Stormwater pollution from sources other than erosion to make sig-
nificant improvements in existing wet-weather quality of water bodies" was the over-
whelming first choice of the 36 eastern agencies. However, the 20 western agencies
ranked this last.

"Control of soil erosion to reduce the suspended solids loading in streams,
lakes, bays, etc." was ranked third in priority. Fourth priority was "control
stormwater pollution from sources other than erosion to prevent deterioration of
wet weather quality below existing satisfactory conditions". Lowest priority was
"control soil erosion to reduce silt accumulations in downstream drainage systems,
or siltation of downstream land aJ::eas".

It is reassuring to note that the need to "control stormwater pollution from
sources other than erosion to make significant water quality improvements" was the
top priority of the agencies located in the eastern, heavily-industrialized sections
of the Country. The opposite was true for the agencies located west of the Missis-
sippi River where heavy industry fades out in a transition toward lighter industry
and agriculture.

Ten respondents inserted their own choices which they ranked first or second.
Included were: control of land development to maintain the high quality of the rural
environment; non-structural land use controls; reducing wastes at the source; using
natural soil areas to filter wastes from runoff; use of greenbelt areas; reducing
infiltration/inflow into sanitary sewers; reducing economic losses; harvesting
stormwater for water supply; and water conservation. Although these inserted items
are all important, most constitute "objectives" rather than "needs".

Agency Goals.

Each of the survey participants was asked to rank the priority "reasons for pro-
viding solutions", which can be interpreted as agency goals. Six choices were
offered for evaluation; also, each participant could insert and rank other goals.
The six choices offered and the ranking of the respondents are listed below in des-
cending order of priority.

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