Evaluation and Assessment

There are three primary evaluation and reporting requirements:

a.  Evaluation of program compliance, appropriateness of identified best management practices, and progress toward achieving identified measurable goals. (The permitting authority may determine monitoring requirements in accordance with State monitoring plans appropriate to the watershed; group monitoring is encouraged.)

          b.  Records Maintenance: records required by the permit must be kept for at least 3 years, but need only be submitted to the permitting authority when specifically requested. Records, including the storm water management program, must be made available to the public at reasonable times during regular business hours. A reasonable fee may be assessed for copying, and members of the public may be required to give advance notice, not to exceed two working days.

     c.  Submission of annual reports to the permitting authority for the first permit term. Subsequent submissions in years two and four unless the permitting authority requires more frequent reports. Reports must contain status of compliance with permit conditions, assessment of the appropriateness of identified best management practices and progress towards achieving identified measurable goals for each of the six minimum control measures.  Results of information collected and analyzed, including monitoring data, during the reporting period. Summary of storm water activities to be undertaken in the next reporting cycle.  Change in any identified measurable goals that apply to program elements.

Urban Runoff:

Urban Runoff is defined as the storm water surface runoff from highly developed areas, which tends to contain heavy concentrations of pollutants from vehicles, buildings, pavement and industry. As reported in the most recent National Water Quality Inventory reports, urban runoff is a leading source of water quality impairments to the limited sources of surface water in the country.  From 1977-82, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funded the Nationwide Urban Runoff Program (NURP) and other studies, which showed that urban storm water runoff was contaminated. The NURP and other studies findings provided the basis for EPA to regulate storm water runoff. The following damages are attributed to urban runoff:

·        Changes in urban stream hydrology: increased floods, increase in runoff annual volume and higher velocities in stream flow.

·        Changes in channel morphology: channel widening and down cutting, stream bank erosion, changes in sediment grain size, different scour patterns and channel modification or relocation.

·        Changes in urban stream quality