Latest Updates

Questions and Answers About Drought and Water Conservation

Q.  How much water do landscapes use in California?
A.  Landscape irrigation accounts for only about 9% of total statewide developed water use, but the percentage varies widely among communities.  Water applied to landscapes is estimated to account for about 50% of residential water consumption statewide, but the amount varies from about 30% in some coastal communities to 60% or more in many inland suburban communities.

2020 Bike Tour Final Report

The Barr Lake and Milton Reservoir Watershed Association (BMW) in collaboration with the Colorado Stormwater Council (CSC) and the City and County of Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI), created a virtual bike tour for 2020.  The tour went ‘live’ and was posted to YouTube on June 23rd.   Registration was free for all participants.

E&O Committee Update - Trashcan Cleaning

There are cleaning instructions printed on most curbside trashcans (see image attached) that may be misleading so we are encouraging CSC members to adopt the following Residential and Commercial Tips to avoid encouraging residents to rinse their trash cans on the curbside as pollutants such as e-Coli, harsh cleaners, oils, etc may impact water quality.

Residential Tip:

E&O Committee Update - FACEBOOK Account!!

The Colorado Stormwater Council has a FACEBOOK account! Please help us spread the word. Thank you to Heather Otterstetter with Westminster for creating the account and volunteering to administrate it. Please send any publishing requests to her directly.

TRAC Committee Update - MHFD's Videos!

Check MHFD’s videos related to minimum water quality design standards for Phase II Permittees. This is a great tool for your development review team:

Permit Standards video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tdw2Cr_6mg

Redesigned Iron-enhanced Ditch Checks Could Help Filter Pollutants from Stormwater Runoff

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is exploring innovative ways to filter pollutants from stormwater runoff and meet permit requirements for construction projects. In a recent study, U of M researchers documented the performance of an iron-enhanced ditch check filter to remove phosphates from stormwater. They found that the filter was effective, though its performance decreased over time.

Major South Platte River Basin Project Would Maximize Reuse of Western Slope Water

DENVER — A multibillion-dollar reservoir and pipeline project may one day pull more than 50,000 acre-feet of water per year from the South Platte River before it reaches Nebraska. That’s more than 16 billion gallons of water, enough to fill 25,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Stay On The Jobsite - National Association of Home Builders

The safety and health of all those who work in construction remains the top priority for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The industry continues to adhere to all public health guidelines set forth by OSHA and the CDC. Work on a new unfinished home site occurs primarily outdoors and does not involve going onto a location occupied by residents or a public location, and there is minimal (if any) physical or transactional contact with customers.

Archaeologists explore ancient stormwater tunnels beneath Pompeii

In southern Italy, the pristinely preserved remains of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii have mystified historians and archaeologists since they were rediscovered nearly 300 years ago. Ongoing expeditions continue to reveal new details about the city and its people, believed to have been decimated by the sudden eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius around 79 CE.

Marble quarry operators violated Clean Water Act

MARBLE — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has determined that the operators of a local marble quarry violated the Clean Water Act when they diverted a tributary of the Crystal River to make way for a mining road.

Stormwater and Green Infrastructure Decision-Making

Researchers at Colorado State University, Kent State University, and UCLA are working on a joint project to study stormwater and green infrastructure decision-making in Denver and Cleveland. We are seeking stakeholders who work in stormwater management and green infrastructure in the Denver region (in private industry, government, and nonprofits) that would be interested in taking a brief (15 min) online survey about their experiences in stormwater planning and compliance.

UWRI/MHFD Regional Bioretention Research

Mile High Flood District is ready to start their new bioretention study. They are looking for bioretention basins throughout the District that have been in place at least a year. It can be one you think is a good example or one with which you are struggling. Please use the link below and fill out what you can. MHFD can help sort through design documents and look at the site to fill in the blanks.

Massive Gulf of Mexico dead zone threatens economy and water quality

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts the Gulf of Mexico’s annual summer dead zone – a low-oxygen area which can cause mass death of marine life – will grow over 40% this year compared to last summer, approaching the size of Massachusetts.

The effects of this year’s dead zone on the local economy already are becoming apparent. According to Nancy Rabalais, a Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge) marine ecologist and expert on the Gulf dead zone, fishing has slowed to a crawl in the region.