Stormwater Program

The State Parks Stormwater Program was created in 2013 when the Phase II Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) General Permit (Phase II Permit) was adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board.  In this permit, the agency was named a new, nontraditional permittee.

The core objectives of the stormwater program are to:

• Identify and control those manmade pollutants in stormwater runoff that exceed water quality objectives;
• Protect the beneficial uses of receiving waters;
• Comply with federal and state regulations to eliminate or control the discharge of manmade pollutants associated with stormwater runoff from State Park’s stormwater drainage system, to the Maximum Extent Practical;
• Develop a cost-effective program that focuses on the prevention of manmade pollution in stormwater;
• Seek cost-effective, alternative solutions where prevention is not a practical solution for exceedances of water quality objectives; and
• Coordinate the implementation of control measures with other agencies.

State Parks identified the following four high priority pollutants of concern (POCs):

The stormwater program focuses on prevention and control measures that target these high priority POCs.