Welcome to the Phase 2 Kickoff Meeting. Todays meeting is going to - PDF document

Welcome to the Phase 2 Kickoff Meeting. Today’s meeting is going to include an overview of the Phase 2 planning process and key elements presented by Damon Reische followed by a presentation from Anne MacDonald who will describe a stormwater management strategy that CWS is assessing for incorporation into the Phase 2 update. 1

Overview of DEQ permit requirements showing phased implementation of new standards Phase 1 Standards were adopted, March 28, 2017. Phase 2 Standards will be adopted by April 2019. Phase 2 will focus on implementing a hydromodification strategy. Phase 2 will also include an opportunity to refine standards added or changed during the fast ‐ tracked Phase 1 updates. In brief, hydromodification refers to how water quantity affects water quality. Where the existing Standards prescribe runoff volume for drainage and conveyance purposes, the hydromodification plan will develop strategies to manage water quantity as a means of improving water quality. The next few slides provide an overview of these Phase 1 updates, followed by an overview of the Phase 2 hydromodification planning and updates. 2

Phase 1 Standards included many topics, but the three key topics were: 1,000 SF treatment threshold • LIDA prioritization • Redevelopment • 3

The updated Standards took effect in April 2017 after a 6 ‐ month planning and outreach process. The new standards represent a continuation of prior practice for most development. In the approximately 3 months of implementing the new standards, District and City staff have worked on review processes and outreach and education related to the new 1,000 SQFT threshold treatment requirement. 4

This outreach has included training city plan review staff on the new standards and preparing a fact sheet for homebuilders and homeowners with additions or new dwellings with impervious surfaces that are 1,000 SQFT and greater. 5

The updated Standards also include new terminology that set the stage for a new strategy anticipated through the Phase 2 Update. The term water quality or quantity approach is used to incorporate additional strategies and tools that minimize and mitigate stormwater runoff impacts, such as natural systems enhancement and site planning. This photo shows Bethany Creek enhancement shortly after initial implementation of in ‐ stream enhancement activities that stabilize the stream while accommodating growth. 6

This new terminology is intended to emphasize that there are approaches that can address stormwater quantity management without relying solely on typical upland detention facilities. Here is an artists rendering that depicts how wetland enhancement can be used to store runoff from new developed areas. The wetland enhancement would be one element of a larger enhancement project throughout the stream corridor. Within permit, DEQ has given the District room to develop this alternative approach to manage stormwater at the reach scale. 7

Here we are today at the Public Kickoff Meeting. The next two items are milestones in our permit: You can think of the “Hydromod Work Plan” as a scope and schedule for how CWS will develop the “Hydromod Assessment.” The “Hydromod Assessment” is a strategic concept detailing how CWS programs, including the D&C Standards, will address hydromodification CWS wants to obtain approval from DEQ on the strategic concept (hydromod assessment) prior to updating the Standards. Of course, with this tight timeline, the reality is that we will be working on a revision to the Standards at the same time we are developing the hydromod assessment. Outreach & Stakeholder Involvement is an important part of the process As with Phase 1, we are on a Fast track in order to meet the deadlines within the permit • We are anticipating a similar process to phase 1 where CWS released draft materials in • pieces as it is developed. We think this creates opportunity to provide meaningful input that can be incorporated gradually rather than coming out with a full draft near the end of the process. In addition to releasing draft materials during the planning process, CWS will distribute a • complete draft of the Standards allowing stakeholders an opportunity to review draft Standards prior to Board consideration. 8

As we figure out how to implement the hydromod strategy, we’ll be changing the D&C standards. We’ll be looking at changes across a wide range of elements in the standards, and will specifically be soliciting feedback on these issues as part of our public involvement process. The hydromod strategy will require changes to Chapter 4, Runoff Treatment and Control, as you would expect. In addition, CWS expects that this hydromod strategy will result in changes to many other sections of the D&C Standards, including but not limited to definitions, administration, vegetated corridors and planting requirements. In addition, CWS expects that the hydromod strategy will trigger updates to the Rates and Charges. 9

This Phase 2 update will be a process that will last a little over one year. CWS is just getting started on this process and will use the website and email list to share updates. You can submit comments or questions anytime using the email address specific to the update. 10

Damon just gave a brief example of natural systems enhancement to provide stormwater management on a reach scale. Anne is going to describe what that means and why CWS believes this will allow for better outcomes. AM: As Damon said, CWS has to develop hydromodification strategy to comply with one of the DEQ permit conditions. I’d like to begin our discussion of this today by talking about what we see as managing stormwater at the stream corridor reach scale and provide background on how and why we (along with other major stormwater permittees) got to this point. We’ll describe our approach, and finish with an overview of how we think we’ll be incorporating this approach into our D&C standards and other surface water management activities. 11

To begin this discussion, it’s good to start with the Clean Water Act, which is the primary regulatory program for the District. Since the District was formed to consolidate many small wastewater treatment plants, there has been a recognition that we are managing water that is put to multiple uses across the entire Tualatin Basin. The Clean Water Act, and by extension, Oregon water resource management laws and regulations, recognize these beneficial uses as occurring in our basin, all with specific maintenance requirements that are reflected in our laws. As you know, CWS has been managing stormwater quality since about 1990. At first, this was required by the 1988 Tualatin River phosphorus total maximum daily load or TMDL. Next, the District received a Phase I municipal stormwater permit from DEQ in 1995, and continued managing stormwater for water quality – including managing for pollutants like bacteria– as a result of the 2001 series of TMDLs. By 2009, the District started using more vegetated facilities like planters and swales to promote water quality treatment through infiltration of stormwater, or filtering, degrading or sequestering pollutants through the plants and soil. All this time, the District had development standards for water quantity related to drainage and conveyance. But now, our watershed NPDES permit requires that we address water quantity as a means of improving water quality and supporting beneficial uses under the Clean Water Act and associated Oregon rules, the purpose of which is to “protect and enhance the physical, chemical, and biological nature” of waters of the state. With this presentation we want to review impacts of land use and development on urban streams and water quality, and start 12

the discussion with you of a proposed strategy for managing water quantity. Of the beneficial uses listed here, we’ll be focusing on impacts to: salmonid spawning, rearing; anadromous fish passage; resident fish and aquatic life; wildlife and hunting, fishing; aesthetic quality. 12

The Clean Water Act uses our NPDES permit to provide a direct link between the Beneficial Uses and the District’s D&C standards – by setting prescribed actions (best management practices) to address water quality impacts. The hydromodification requirements specifically address the impacts of sediment, sediment ‐ bound pollutants such as phosphorus and mercury, and dissolved oxygen. These new requirements indirectly address temperature and narrative biocriteria as well. Indirectly, we and our residents also have stormwater requirements that arise via the Endangered Species Act – either because consultation is required when EPA approves elements of Oregon’s water quality program or because a project triggers these requirements. Controls on hydromodification are incorporated into project ‐ specific permits through programmatic biological opinions such as SLOPES. Specifically, • Turbidity/suspended sediment (TSS) is surrogate for TVS [SOD – an issue at low flow], which must be reduced to reach water quality standards for dissolved oxygen. TSS is useful for evaluating total phosphorous (TP) and mercury (Hg). • Turbidity interferes with aquatic sight feeders like salmonids. • Elevated temperatures promote disease in cold water fish like salmonids (steelhead, cutthroat trout and salmon). • Unstable streambeds reduce algae, macroinvertebrate diversity and abundance, therefore reducing food web support for aquatic species. 13