September 2007

Flurries and Torrents

Changing urban waterways in Alaska and Idaho

Tweet

“Though there are many pristine areas in the states of Idaho and Alaska, there are also fast-growing urban areas where nonpoint pollution issues must be addressed,” says Misha Vakoc, stormwater coordinator for the EPA’s Region 10. “In the Northwest, we have many more TMDL [total maximum daily load] programs than would be typical nationwide; we have many more impaired streams. Idaho itself has a TMDL program addressing 900 impaired streams throughout the state.” She says several of these impaired stream segments flow through urban areas and thus fall under the protection of communities covered by National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase I and Phase II permits.

Because NPDES permitting authority for Alaska and Idaho is not delegated to the respective states but is held as a federal responsibility, Vakoc says her duties include writing the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permits for the State of Idaho. Though there are only six Census-designated urbanized areas within Idaho, Vakoc says, “When it comes to stormwater, it is difficult to write one general permit for the entire state.” The diverse environmental conditions in the region, and the unique needs and goals of the communities within the urbanized areas, mandate a more individualized approach.

“We have developed a template for Idaho, and we’re working closely with the municipalities to propose permits that are meaningful to their particular circumstances,” she says.

A Complex Mix
“We live in a cool, semi-arid desert on the Columbia Plateau. We’re on the western edge of the Rocky Mountains and at the upper end of a basin where there is quite a bit of fluvial morphology,” says Johanna Bell, stormwater coordinator for the City of Boise, ID. Bell says the factors impacting water quality of the Boise River, which flows through Boise, are complex.

According to Bell, the sporadic precipitation Boise receives amounts to a meager 11 to 12 inches per year. Meanwhile, upstream of Boise, she says, Bureau of Reclamation reservoirs impound the river for summer irrigation purposes. These impoundments release flows during the summer months from a low depth—flows that are both higher during the summer than at other times of the year and a great deal cooler than what would occur under natural conditions. These flows are routed across the Boise valley to supply irrigation water for agricultural practices and then return to the Boise River downstream of the Boise urban area. Though Bell says she is concerned about the typical range of such urban nonpoint sources of pollution as lawn care practices and hydrocarbons washed from road surfaces, because of the small size of the urban area and clean bottom releases from upstream reservoirs, the impacts from these sources have not yet become problematic. Nevertheless, she says, one of Boise’s goals is to increase opportunities for onsite retention and infiltration. In what she terms the nations’ third-fastest-growing urbanized area, she says the ongoing challenge is minimizing impacts on the rivers resulting from the conversion from rural to urban land uses.

“During the 1970s, the Boise River was rated as one of the nation’s most polluted waterways,” says Bell. Unmitigated discharges from meat-processing plants and other industrial activities along the river’s banks had rendered it a foul-smelling nuisance.

However, she says, rising environmental awareness, accompanied by regulatory guidance provided by the Clean Water Act of 1970, have transformed the way people view the river. One result is that the industrial facilities previously located along the river have relocated to less sensitive sites.

According to Bell, the Boise River gained further protection when land owned by local citizens along the riparian corridor was donated to the City of Boise for preservation. Today the Boise River, as it courses through the city, is one of the best urban fisheries in the nation. Veiled by a protective swath of green known as the “Ribbon of Jewels,” the river’s edge offers parks, a zoo, soccer fields, and attractive destinations for aquatic diversions such as rafting, inner-tubing, and fishing. The challenge is keeping it that way.

A Roadway Runs Through It
Boise’s integrated approach to stormwater managementis reflected administratively. Its NPDES program comprises a partnership between Ada County Highway District (ACHD), itself an MS4 permittee, and the City of Boise. ACHD owns and operates all public infrastructure along the rights of way, both within the city of Boise and within each of the communities throughout the county. “While Boise is a Phase I community,” says Erica Anderson-Maguire, stormwater-quality coordinator for ACHD, “the Highway District is both Phase I and Phase II. We have six co-permittees on our permit. It’s probably a unique arrangement; the City of Boise takes the lead in public involvement and participation, while we implement erosion control, sediment control, and post-development requirements.”

One challenge Anderson-Maguire says Ada County Highway District faces is lack of political jurisdiction. As a public service agency, ACHD does not have the authority to write ordinances. She says that in order to obtain cooperation

Field Trials
With the rapid growth in the region, Anderson-Maguire says, “The primary public concern that people want us to address is traffic.” But she says ACHD also has implemented policies to address the environmental challenges posed by rapid development. “One of our most successful policies is erosion and sediment control in new subdivision projects.

“We require implementation of construction-site controls at all construction sites regardless of their size. Sites over an acre in size are also required to submit a stormwater pollution prevention plan [SWPPP].” The peculiar dimensions of a site also have implications for Anderson-Maguire. “Sites longer than 600 feet are required to develop a full-scale SWPPP, while those under 600 feet in length can proceed with only a general permit. We developed this policy with the rationale that projects 600 feet or greater in length fit the profile for jobs on sewer projects. These types of projects potentially involve a great deal of sediment and a higher threat of pollution exposures.”

She says that every month there may be close to 100 projects involving utility companies and small contractors working in subdivisions throughout the county. “On projects of all scales, we try to ensure the use of inlet controls and make sure that contractors contain their stockpiles and that they clean up the work site when the job is complete.“We keep our own maintenance staff supplied with erosion and sediment control products, including samples that vendors might bring over for field tryouts. The vendor often sends one of their technicians out into the field to instruct workers on the application of their products. We encourage feedback from the crew chiefs on what works and what doesn’t.”

Swales and Ponds
Anderson-Maguire says there are numerous stormwater detention ponds throughout the county.The responsibility for light maintenance duties on these ponds usually falls to the individual homeowners’ associations for the respective subdivisions, she says, “but we have easements to all pond facilities to handle repairs beyond the capability of the homeowners’ associations.” She adds that if the homeowners’ association becomes defunct, the responsibility for the ponds again falls to the Highway District under its flood prevention mandate. “We’ve become a sort of de facto drainage district.”

She continues, “One difficulty is that many times people don’t understand the ponds; sometimes they do a great job caring for them, but in other instances they overwater them. There’s a lot of education that needs to go on. Right now the maintenance crews are the ones doing the teaching while they’re out in the field. With so many ponds—perhaps a thousand to manage them.”

However, Anderson-Maguire says she is a big proponent of swales. “Roadside swales are one of the best things for water quality. They are ideal BMPs [best management practices] for addressing phosphorus and other pollutants. But the drawback is that a lot of people don’t understand their function and fill them in.” Alternatively, homeowners sometimes build driveways so large that they overwhelm the capacity of the swale. “In this area, swales tend to work best for commercial and industrial properties, where the landowners are less likely to alter them.” Nevertheless, she would like to keep swales on the ACHD’s approved list of BMPs but acknowledges that it is a struggle. “If they are not managed properly, they cannot be effective.” Anderson-Maguire has met with developers and ACHD staff internally to lobby for the swale, saying ultimately, “It’s about education.”

Clean Carpets and Clean Water
“With modest means, we’ve developed good public awareness of how individual actions can affect water quality,” says Bell. “One thing that we have recognized is that businesses performing remote services, such as carpet cleaning and landscaping, have the highest risk of illicit discharge into storm drains.”

Bell says the City of Boise, along with Partners for Clean Water, has initiated a pilot program for carpet-cleaning service providers. The service providers are given the opportunity to certify that they use proper disposal methods for their wastewater. In exchange, “We give them a decal and cards they can hand to their customers. The customers get a number to call to offer their feedback, and we list the participating firms on our Web site. Response from the public has been fantastic.”

Watching a Changing River
According to John Sigler, senior environmental coordinator for the City of Pocatello, ID, the Portneuf River, passing through the city, displays a character completely divergent from the charm of the Boise. Though several miles upstream the river is known as “a pretty good trout stream,” Sigler says within the city a 1-mile stretch of the Portneuf is barricaded behind a chain-link fence and confined to a concrete channel with walls 12 feet high, constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers to alleviate recurrent flooding. A city ordinance prohibits entry. Sigler says there are serious water-quality issues. “We’re in the midst of a drought. The streams are brown most of the year, with high levels of sediment because of upstream diversions.

“It has been assumed that the biggest issue with the river is sediment. Data seems to indicate more sediment downstream of the city than upstream.” Sigler says one of his top priorities is addressing this sediment and that data collection is the first step. “Exactly where in the city it’s coming from is part of what we hope to discover.” He says the city has positioned sondes at several monitoring sites along the river to collect and characterize samples. “We will be collecting data over the next several years to determine if the source is road salt or sand or if it’s released by development activity or from some other uncontained source in the city.” He says this information will assist the city and regulators in working together to make informed choices on how to best protect the receiving waters.

For Sigler, the region’s rapid growth is a major concern. “Last year over 30 subdivisions went up in the area.” He says many developers in the Pocatello area have never had to deal with the EPA or with stormwater pollution control regulations. “We’re working with developers and homebuilders, trying to educate them as to the requirements incorporated into the permit.” He says Pocatello is working toward a goal of onsite retention and is trying to familiarize builders with this concept. Part of that process, he says, involves demonstration projects. “We’ve got experimental swales at several homes’ sites, which we’ll be monitoring.”

Photo: City of Pocatello

High levels of sediment plague the Portneuf River most of the year.

He continues, “We began a lot of the pollution prevention work prior to receiving our permit in 2006. We’ve initiated an inventory procedure to document the location of municipal facilities and operations. We’re looking at water management and how to keep pesticides and other contaminants out of the environment.” He says Johanna Bell from Boise has provided considerable assistance, both philosophically and in terms of hard-core information. “She has been especially helpful with regard to developing low-toxicity, integrated pest management strategies for our parks and city-owned golf courses.” He says Pocatello has been fortunate to have a neighboring community that has been through the process and which can be drawn upon for information and support.

A New Designation
Alaska has only two Census-designated urbanized areas, Anchorage and Fairbanks; Fairbanks just barely made the cut in the 2000 Census. According to Vakoc, a network of municipalities including Fairbanks, North Star, and North Pole, as well as the University of Alaska and the Alaska Department of Transportation, were designated co-permittees under a regional MS4 permit granted in 2005. Vakoc says these municipalities “have begun to look at stormwater management from the viewpoint of the six minimum measures and have also begun to integrate these measures with those previously under way from a nonpoint perspective.”

Snow in April
Kristie Bischofberger says the coastal city where she lives boasts more miles of shoreline than any other city in the United States. “We have 46 streams flowing through the municipality with water so clean that they are all identified as drinking-water sources.A number of these creeks are headwaters to the sea, flowing out into Cook Inlet.” Bischofberger, an engineer with the Municipality of Anchorage, says the environment is verdant with ash, birch, and devils’ club, and the streams are so fully integrated into the life of the city that “it’s even possible to go out and catch salmon from a creek during your lunch break.”

Photo: City of Pocatello

Pocatello hopes to discover the source of the river’s sediment.

With an average annual precipitation of 15 inches, Anchorage’s climate would be classified as semi-arid. But because of the cold, from October through April most of the region’s precipitation falls in the form of snow. According to Bischofberger, the average accumulation amounts to 69 inches. “In April we still have lots of snow on the ground,” she says. “But soon we’ll be going into the period we call breakup.”

Piling On
Colder still, with an average annual temperature of just 24 degrees, Fairbanks entered the NPDES program in 2005 as a Phase II permittee. “We have a sub-Arctic climate with little wind and two really hot weeks in July, where temperatures get up into the 80-degree range,” says Helena Byard, engineer with the City of Fairbanks.

“Snowfall fluctuates. During winter we get 4 to 5 inches of precipitation, which translates to 4 to 5 feet of very powdery snow. But this year we’ve received only 24 inches of snow, a record low.” She says climatic conditions include snow in winter, torrential downpours in summer, and wind-wafted deposits of glacial dusts year-round.

Number-One BMP
During snow events in both Anchorage and Fairbanks, plows rush to push snow off to the roadsides. Salt and sand then is applied to the roads for traction. After the storm, Bischofberger says, the snow on the roadsides is collected and hauled to snow disposal sites. “We design the sites to be as flat as possible and load the snow in a particular manner. Throughout the winter the piles can grow quite large. There’s a whole science to it,” which, she says, is “practiced by cold-weather cities around the globe.” Bischofberger says the intent is to keep water onsite as long as possible.

“The salt moves through quickly as the snow melts, but the chloride concentration goes down the longer you keep the snow onsite.”

Chris Haigh, engineer with City of Fairbanks, notes, “We don’t use salt as much as they might in Anchorage. So we’ve found that, aside from the trash that gets picked up with the snow, the runoff from our piles is pretty clean.” Nevertheless, he says that because of the trash that gets mixed in, the snow cannot be placed directly on the ice. “That would be convenient, but we’re required to locate the piles at least 100 feet from the receiving body.”

Breakup is considered the key event in the stormwater protection cycle. “All of that snow has to melt, and all of that water has to be flushed out of the system pretty much all at once,” says Bischofberger.

And breakup never happens the same way twice. “Sometimes it warms so fast that everything melts at once and hillsides roll with water. Streets, if they’re not paved, get washed away,” says Haigh.

Bischofberger agrees. “Its pretty unpredictable. This year we had no interim breakups during the winter; the thaw has been more gradual. A little snow has melted every day, but because of the depth of the freeze there may be more problems with underground pipes.”

When breakup occurs it is essential that storm drain inlets stay cleared to keep the water moving through the system. With frost penetration in some areas of Fairbanks creeping as deep as 28 feet, Haigh says staff must be dispatched with steam trucks to clear the pipes and connections and remove the piles of ice. “The idea is to get to the drains and keep water from backing up into the streets, where it can refreeze and become a safety hazard.”

“As soon as breakup begins and before it’s finished, our street sweepers are hitting the roadways,” Bischofberger says. “They are probably our number-one BMP for dealing with sediments and absorbed pollutants.” She says the sweepers make multiple passes. On the first pass they pick up the larger particulates like sand, gravel, and salt. Two subsequent passes pick up finer particulates and dust. “The finer particles are the constituents that don’t settle out in the settling basins situated around town. So we’re concerned that we get them off the streets to the degree possible before they get entrained.”

A Bird’s-Eye View
According to Haigh, grant funding for pollution prevention activities is available, but eligibility sometimes is tied to MS4 permit status. He says, “Our public works director was very proactive and took advantage of the period prior to regulation to apply for grants for which we would not be eligible after receiving our permit.” Haigh says these funds were used to support Fairbanks’ illicit discharge detection mapping effort. But he says there was a surprise.

“When we got into the project, our GPS [global positioning system] readings did not seem to match up with our AutoCAD renderings and actual measurements. We had to use translators provided by the University of Alaska, one of our co-permittees, to adjust our coordinates.” Haigh says he later learned that for national security purposes, global positioning systems in the area had been made to operate, for a time, with reduced accuracy.

Fairbanks also invested in a detailed planimetric map comprising aerial photos, with the resolution needed to spot the location of manholes and catch basins throughout the entire city. “That gives us the real locations,” Haigh says. Beginning in the summer of 2007, Fairbanks plans to dispatch field verification staff to accompany catch basin maintenance crews and capture additional survey data. “When they pop open the manhole covers, the technicians can check the elevations and determine the true GPS coordinates.”

Haigh is impressed by the robustness of the database being created. He says its capabilities are not limited to mapping the locations of outfalls and BMPs; it can also be used to track public works maintenance activities such as jet vacuum cleaning and repairs. He says it also will be used to predict where spills will drain. “That way we can get somebody out to the right location, plug the inlets, and keep contaminants from getting into our system.” According to Haigh, the key will be to compile the information “into a format that is accessible to our public works personnel. Ultimately, we want to have a coordinated site for all of our maps.” He says the Borough of North Star, one of Fairbanks’ co-permittees, will be the repository of this information and anticipates seeing it made available via the Internet.

Is Green the New Gold?
Byard says Fairbanks has played a very active role in bringing the public into the pollution prevention process. During Earth Day week, several of Fairbanks’s co-permittees visit with elementary school students to share a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation on water quality. “We’re currently working with Tanana Valley to help develop and support its Adopt-a-Stream program, and we’re encouraging businesses to participate in water-quality monitoring.

“Each year, for a stream cleanup day, we target one of three currently impaired waterways that run through the center of Fairbanks. This year’s cleanup in August will target the Chena River.”

In Bischofberger’s view, as the characteristics of the land change, it is necessary to adapt stormwater practices. “You have to think well into the future and think of developing and managing stormwater from a watershed approach. We’ve been working on watershed planning with each of the watersheds to engage people in thinking what they want community to look like.”

While the sparkle of gold may never completely fade into Alaska’s past, there is a new color that is growing quietly in popularity. “We’re fortunate that most of our streams are natural systems,” says Bischofberger. “They still have some greenbelts surrounding them, helping the community understand the value of green. There has been a change. The public is more aware of stormwater, and there is a genuine interest to make good choices for our creeks.”

Author's Bio: Writer David C. Richardson is a frequent contributor to Forester publications.