Stormwater and Storm Preparedness

Our Watersheds

The Watershed area surrounding the City of Madera is transected by the Fresno River and is a major tributary of the San Joaquin River system.  The Fresno River starts in the Oakhurst area, winding its way through the foothills, through Hensley Lake and on to the City of Madera.  The river flows southwest past Madera then west to the Eastside Bypass and finally to the San Joaquin River, north of Highway 152.

Watershed Management

Watershed Management is a holistic approach to managing the combined impacts to the water resources and habitats within a watershed. Examples of these impacts are land use practices, erosion, wastewater treatment systems, stormwater collection systems, and pesticide usage. There are four major features unique to watershed management. These features are:

• Create an inventory of the watershed and target priority problems.
• Involve a maximum amount of stakeholders in decision making.
• Use the expertise and authority of the regulatory agencies.
• Measure the success thorough monitoring and other data collection.

Did you know that we get an average of 10-11 inches of rain per year in Madera? Have you ever wondered where all that water goes? In natural areas where urban development hasn’t occurred, stormwater absorbs into the ground. However, where urban development has occurred, there are more impervious surfaces, like rooftops, paved roads, and driveways, which limit the ability of the stormwater to be absorbed into the ground. As a result, stormwater flows across rooftops, over the ground, through gutters, into storm drains, and ultimately into the local waterways.

As the stormwater flows over the urban landscape, it picks up and carries whatever it comes into contact with along the way. This may include animal waste, automobile fluids, pesticides, litter, and other pollutants, which may harm local waterways.  Here are some activities that can occur in and around your home that may impact stormwater, and how YOU can help prevent stormwater pollution.  Remember, clean water starts with you!

1. Prevent Trash from Harming our Waterways - Wind and rain can carry trash that is on the road and sidewalk into storm drains. Once trash enters the storm drains it can either clog the drain and cause flooding, or it can flow into the local waterways where it can harm the aquatic wildlife.
   • Never put or dispose of anything in the storm drain or drainage ditch.
   • Keep garbage can lids secure to prevent wind from carrying trash onto the ground.
2. Be Water Wise - Water conservation is crucial to help prepare our community for future droughts and effects of climate change. Whether it’s falling from the sky or coming through our pipes, water is a precious resource that we all must help conserve.
   • Sunrise/sunset watering: Water your lawn early in the morning or in the late afternoon when evaporation from the sun is low and the water has time to soak into the soil.
3. Keeping Your Car Maintained and Our Waterways Healthy - Follow some simple automotive best practices to keep your car—and the environment—running smoothly.
   • Conduct regular car maintenance.
   • Dispose of used oil, oil filters, antifreeze and car batteries at a collection center
4. Keeping Your Car Clean and Our Waterways Healthy - When you wash your car in the driveway or on the street, the wash water contains detergent, motor oil, gas, and other residues and can flow into nearby storm drains and ultimately the local creeks without being treated. Here are some steps you can take:
   • Take your vehicle to commercial car wash facilities that recycle or treat the wash water.
   • Wash your car on a permeable surface like grass or gravel to allow the ground to absorb the wash water and filter the soap and other residue.
5. An Opportunity for Paw-sitive Action - A single gram of dog waste contains 23 million bacteria, viruses, and/or parasites! When left on the ground, it decomposes and is either transported by water into the street and storm drain.
   • Always bring plastic bags to pick up after your dog on walks and dispose of it in trash cans (not green waste bins).
   • Pet waste is not only harmful, it's also against local Madera County laws to leave pet waste behind.
6. Preventing Yard Waste from Impacting Our Waterways - If yard waste (grass clippings, branches, leaves, and twigs) enters our creeks, it then acts as a fertilizer that can create excess algae growth and decrease the water’s oxygen supply, suffocating fish and spoiling water recreation.
   • Do NOT dispose of yard waste in the landfill.
   • Yard waste goes in your green waste container!
7. Be Careful When Handling Hazardous Household Products - Household hazardous waste (HHW) such as paint, automotive fluids, batteries, and pesticides may be corrosive, toxic, or flammable. They should be disposed of with a HHW facility instead of household garbage or poured/rinsed in a storm drain.
   • See the City's Household Hazardous Waste page for more information
8. Choose to Go Less Toxic in Your Yard - Integrated Pest Management (IPM) offers natural and effective alternatives to conventional methods, which rely primarily on the application of pesticides. Pesticides not only cause harm to our environment and our health, they also only treat the symptom rather than the cause of pest problems.
   • Look at environmental factors that affect the pest and its ability to thrive.
   • Create conditions that are unfavorable for the pest.
9. Take Precaution with Your Pool Care Practices - Water from pools and spas often contains chemicals that are necessary for the use of the pool or spa, but that can be harmful to aquatic life and water quality. The information below explains where to discharge the water when you need to drain your pool or spa and how to properly dispose of pool-related wastes.
   • Best Option - Draining your pool or spa water to the sanitary sewer (only option for saltwater pools).
10. Leaves - Leaves are messy! They can get carried away by stormwater or the wind and eventually end up in the storm drains. This can cause clogging within the storm drain and tribute to flooding in your neighborhood.

We know that pest issues “bug” most residents. However, depending on how you try to resolve the issue, you may unknowingly cause harm to our local creeks and rivers.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a great solution to your pest problems. The University of California Statewide IPM Program defines IPM as “a process you can use to solve pest problems while minimizing risks to people and the environment.” Integrated Pest Management offers natural and effective alternatives to conventional methods, which rely primarily on the application of pesticides. Pesticides not only cause harm to our environment and our health, they also only treat the symptom rather than the cause of pest problems.

Looking at a pest problem through this lens means that you’ll:

1. Look at environmental factors that affect the pest and its ability to thrive.
2. Create conditions that are unfavorable for the pest.
3. Reap the benefits of a mostly pest-free, resilient, and more thriving garden ecosystem.

IPM focuses on a variety of approaches that, when taken together, deal more effectively with pest problems at their source. The IPM approaches include:

• Mechanical/Physical: Try handpicking, barriers, traps or caulking holes to prevent infestations.
• Biological: Rely on beneficial bugs like ladybugs and praying mantises to control harmful pests.
• Chemical: Investigate the source of the pest problem and opt for the least toxic solution first. Find a list of non-toxic or less toxic alternative products here.
• Cultural: Consider what environmental condition you might be creating that supports the pest’s continued survival.

Construction and Its Impact on Stormwater

Dirt Can Hurt

• Dirt and other materials from construction projects are harmful to local creeks and aquatic life (fish and insects). Dirt can smother creek beds where fish and insects breed and hide.
• Construction projects can release dirt and construction materials into the storm drains, which flow directly to the creeks.
• Local, State, and Federal laws require construction projects to minimize the discharge of pollutants, like dirt, from leaving the construction site.
• If you are disturbing the ground, it is important to do your part in protecting stormwater and creeks by implementing Best Management Practices.
• Construction Best Management Practices, also called BMPs, include a variety of measures that help to minimize the discharge of dirt and other pollutants. All projects need to implement basic BMPs to protect stormwater and creeks.
• If your project requires a permit (e.g., building or grading permits) from the City, you may need to develop an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan.
• An Erosion and Sediment Control Plan or ESCP establishes the site-specific plan of actions and BMP that you will take to prevent dirt and other construction materials and waste from leaving your site. You will need to submit your ESCP for City approval with your permit application.
• An ESCP needs to include an effective combination of erosion controls and sediment control to prevent dirt from leaving the site. The ESCP also needs to include good housekeeping practices to prevent construction materials and waste from leaving the site.

Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans

Larger projects, that disturb an acre or more of land, need to obtain coverage under the State Water Board’s General Permit for Stormwater Discharges associated with construction activities. This permit is commonly called the Construction General Permit or CGP.

If your project will disturb an acre or more of land you will need to obtain coverage under the CGP and develop a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) that meets the requirements of the CGP.

Briefly, a SWPPP is a detailed site-specific plan to protect stormwater quality leaving the site. SWPPPs must be prepared by qualified individuals and assess the pollutant potential of the project and sensitivity of the receiving waters. A SWPPP needs to include the detailed BMP implementation plan as well as a construction site monitoring program of inspections and runoff sampling.

More details on the CGP requirements and SWPPPs can be found on the State Water Board’s Construction Stormwater Program page.

If your project is subject to the CGP, you will need to submit your SWPPP to the City with your permit application or application for development approvals. Before you start construction you will need to provide proof that you have obtained CGP coverage by providing your Waste Discharger Identification Number

Helpful Hints and Tips for Protecting Stormwater Quality During Construction Activities

• Fully implement your BMPs year-round.
• Implement an effective combination of erosion and sediment controls.
• Prevent erosion by stabilizing disturbed soil, paying particular attention to exposed slopes.
• Inspect your site, especially before and during storm events to make sure your BMPs are installed properly and are working effectively.
• Keep BMP replacement supplies at the site to make repairs and handle unexpected events.
• Train your staff and contractors on the BMPs and how to protect stormwater.
• Maintain your construction entrance and exit points to minimize tracking and sweep the streets.
• Maintain drain inlet and perimeter protection year-round.
• Prevent discharges of anything but clean stormwater to the storm drains.
• Protect stockpiles by covering them and surrounding them with perimeter controls.
• Make sure you are prepared for the start of the rainy season

Minimum Control Measures for Small Construction Projects

Remember that storm drains and runoff flow directly to our creeks and rivers untreated. Taking minimum control measures for construction projects as noted below helps protect our waterways and their aquatic life.

Select an effective combination of control measures from each category, Erosion Control, Sediment Control, and Good Housekeeping. Control measures shall be continually implemented and maintained throughout the project until activities are complete, disturbed areas are stabilized with permanent erosion controls, and the local agency has signed off on permits that may have been required for the project. Inspect and maintain the control measures before and after rain events, and as required by the local agency or state permit.

There are 16 activities that can be categorized in to three areas; Erosion Controls, Sediment Controls, and Good Housekeeping.

Local Resources:

• Madera County Flood Control & Water Conservation Agency
• City of Madera Recycling & Garbage
• Madera County Integrated Regional Water Management Plan

Regional Resources:

• California Stormwater Quality Association
• CalEPA
• Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board
• California State Water Resources Control Board
• Our Water Our World
• UC Master Gardeners

National Resources:

• Environmental Protection Agency
• Center for Watershed Protection

What is Stormwater Pollution?

• Stormwater and runoff from sprinklers or hoses that isn’t absorbed into the ground flows over various surfaces throughout the urban landscape before entering a storm drain. These different surfaces may contain pollutants such as animal waste, automobile fluids, fertilizers, and pesticides, which may then be carried into the storm drains and harm local waterways.

What's the Problem?

• Stormwater and runoff from sprinklers or hoses may wash pollutants from streets, industrial or commercial facilities, construction sites, and the urban landscape into storm drains. Eventually, this runoff may flow into local streams, creeks, and ravines without being treated.
• Remember: a sanitary sewer system and a storm drain system are not the same. Water that goes down a sink, shower, or other indoor plumbing drain flows to either a wastewater treatment plant or to a septic system for treatment. In contrast, water that flows into a storm drain is not treated.

How Does Stormwater Pollution Affect my Community?

• Since stormwater and other runoff can pick up materials from the urban landscape and flow into the storm drain system untreated, it may harm local waterways. Examples of these adverse impacts include, but are not limited to:
  • Nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen can cause the overgrowth of algae resulting in oxygen depletion in waterways.
  • Hazardous substances from motor vehicles and the over-application of pesticides and fertilizers may harm fish and other aquatic life.
  • Bacteria from animal wastes and improper connections to storm drain systems can make lakes and waterways unsafe for wading, swimming, and fish consumption.
  • Trash can clog storm drains, which can contribute to flooded streets during storm events and be unsightly to your neighborhood.

How Can I Help?

• We’re glad you asked! Every Madera business and resident plays a vital role in helping reduce the potential impacts of stormwater runoff. Here are a few tips that can help protect our city. Remember — Clean Water Starts With You!
  • Only rainwater down the storm drain. Don’t dump anything into the curb and gutter or storm drains. Be sure to clear away leaves and debris.
  • Dispose of Trash and Litter.  Make sure that you pick up any trash that you or your family may have dropped on sidewalks or streets and dispose of it within a trash receptacle.
  • Drop off hazardous waste. Be sure to always take household hazardous waste (HHW) like antifreeze, paints, solvents, cleaners, and old batteries to a certified collection facility. Check out the Madera Recycling & Garbage site for more information.
  • Pick up after your pets:  Please pick up your animal’s waste, not only on your own lawn, but also when you walk your pet. This will reduce the amount of bacteria that gets into our waterways. (TIP: Animal waste can not be composted! Please make sure all pet waste goes into the trash bin or receptacle.)
  • Keep your car well-maintained. Fix any fluid leaks promptly and make sure to clean up any spills. Recycle used oil at Certified Collection Centers in your neighborhood found here.
  • Conserve when watering your lawn.  Especially in the time of drought, overwatering not only wastes a precious and expensive resource, it also creates runoff, which can pick up pollutants and enter the storm drains and waterways.
  • Use lawn or garden chemicals sparingly. Choose organic alternatives when possible and avoid applying chemicals before a rainstorm. Review the Our Water Our World website to find less toxic products or alternative methods for managing pests in your home and garden.
  • Grasscycle. Grasscycling is a simple solution to the problem and involves nothing more than leaving your clippings on the lawn instead of disposing of them. The trimmed blades quickly and naturally break down, and serve as a natural fertilizer. It’s free, it’s easy, and produces no waste at all!
  • Wash your car over your lawn or gravel.  This allows the ground to filter the soap and grime from your car’s wash water rather than allowing it to flow to the storm drain and, ultimately, to our creeks and streams. Use biodegradable or non-toxic soap that is phosphate-free. You can also take your car to a commercial car wash where wastewater is either recycled or treated.
  • Report illegal dumping. To report illegal dumping, see information on the Recycle Madera Website.
  • Start a conversation. Educate friends, family, and neighbors. Share what you know about stormwater pollution with everyone you know!