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STORMWATER RUNOFF TREATMENT AREA <br /> CONSTRUCTION PROJECT <br /> Wildish Construction Co., contractor for the improvement on Goodpasture Island Road, will begin <br /> constructing a stormwater runoff treatment azea neaz the Delta Ponds during the week of September 21. The <br /> area will be directly across the street from the entrance to the Boulders on the River apartments. <br /> This is one of the first projects of its type in the Eugene area. These prototypes will help us better <br /> understand the effectiveness of using natural areas to treat stormwater. City staff will closely monitor the area. <br /> As we learn more about how these stormwater treatment systems work, we may have to make adjustments to <br /> ensure they operate as planned. <br /> " ~ STORMWATER RUNOFF <br /> a <br /> TREATMENT AREA <br /> , ;k; <br /> r:~ The stormwater runoff treatment area <br /> ' will collect and clean the runoff from <br /> ~ ~ buildings, parking lots, and roadways in <br /> ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ the immediate area before it enters the <br /> '~,F' <br /> ~''A ~ , , , , Delta Ponds. Two storm sewer lines will <br /> ~ ' w; 'y'„ drain into agrass-lined swale. The Swale <br /> will be approximately one foot deep and <br /> `4'..,.. six feet wide and will follow the contour <br /> ~ of the land. It will be designed to disperse <br /> y& °'a w rr the runoff so it can spread over a wider <br /> area. From the swale, the water will drain <br /> { ~ ~ ~ ~ slowly to the Delta Ponds, filtering <br /> '"s . l ~ through grasses and willows before it <br /> ~ a+~~N <br /> ~aat~' enters the Pond. <br /> 1' ~ ~ Initially, the contractor will have to <br /> . <br /> remove existing vegetation and soil. A <br /> a , plant ecologist recently surveyed the area <br /> and found that because the site had been <br /> disturbed previously there were no <br /> remaining native plants. We hope to <br /> improve the site by planting grasses in the <br /> Swale and along the slopes, and by <br /> reintroducing willows along the banks of <br /> the Pond. <br /> WHAT IS STORMWATER RUNOFF <br /> As land develops, land surfaces become covered with buildings, parking lots, and roads. These impervious <br /> surfaces make it more difficult for rain to percolate, by natural means and by natural rates, into the groundwater. <br /> Instead, rain becomes runoff that flows into the storm conveyance systems. These systems are not connected to <br /> the wastewater treatment plant, but flow directly into local waterways, such as the Willamette River. The runoff <br /> picks up and carries any pollutants from the surfaces over which it travels. In general, the greater the amount of <br /> impervious surface on a parcel, the greater the quantity of stormwater runoff from the pazcel. <br /> WHY DO WE HAVE TO TREAT STORMWATER <br /> In recent years, federal and state agencies have become concerned about the quality of stonnwater and the <br /> degradation of natural resources inside urban areas. Revisions to the federal Clean Water Act are requiring <br /> cities with populations over 100,000 to develop comprehensive stormwater management plans that will reduce <br /> the amount of pollutants entering streams and channels through stormwater runoff. <br /> The city is currently developing a stormwater management plan that is unique in its effort to incorporate <br /> natural drainageways, open channels, and wetlands into an overall management strategy. <br /> FOR MORE INFORMATION <br /> ity of Eugene For more information about the stormwater runoff treatment area, please call the stormwater/wetlands <br /> ublic Works program at 683-6839. For information about the road construction project, call Bud DeSantis at 687-5291. <br /> <br /> Engineering <br /> <br />