Utilizing storm water as a water resource is gaining momentum in California. In 2014, California passed the Water Quality, Water Supply and Infrastructure Improvement Act (also known as Proposition 1), which included $200 million in grant funds for municipal storm water projects to be administered by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) through the California’s Storm Water Grant Program (SWGP). The SWGP will draw on the $200M to provide funding for multi-benefit storm water management projects that may include, but are not limited to: green infrastructure, rainwater and storm water capture projects, and storm water treatment facilities. In order to receive grant funds for the implementation of storm water and dry weather capture projects – agencies must develop Storm Water Resource Plans (SWRP) or functionally equivalent plans.
KJ successfully submitted a competitive planning grant application for the Water Resources Association of Yolo County (WRA) and secured $325,000 in funding to develop a Yolo County SWRP.
Our team is currently working with the County to prepare the SWRP to promote effective conjunctive use as well as alleviate flooding and mitigate groundwater and surface water quality issues throughout Yolo County. Projects prioritized in the SWRP included:
- Storm water capture for reuse, groundwater infiltration,
- Waterway/wetland restoration,
- Low impact design,
- Flow and pollutant monitoring,
- Diversion of excess runoff, and
- Optimization of rural conveyance infrastructure.
The Stockholm Environmental Institute (SEI), which is also working on the Groundwater Sustainability Plan for the Yolo Subbasin, provided modeling support to quantify the volume of storm water captured, detained, and recycled through the implementation of projects defined in the SWRP. Recognizing the relationship between storm water and groundwater resources, the Yolo Subbasin Groundwater Agency will support the WRA to implement SWRP-defined projects throughout the County.
One of the Yolo County SWRP priorities is to address a chronic flooding problem in the town of Madison, a disadvantaged community of about 600 residents in rural Yolo County. Yolo County contracted with KJ to build on the work and relationships developed during development of the Yolo County SWRP, as well as previously prepared hydrologic/hydraulic studies, models, reports, and proposed designs, to develop conceptual designs that address flooding problems in Madison. Project alternatives included various numbers and locations of detention basins, check dams, agricultural infiltration opportunities, and various drainage channel maintenance activities. Yolo County’s primary goal for this study is to develop conceptual plans to discuss with stakeholders and project partners (to be identified as part of project development) to advance design and construction of infrastructure improvements that alleviate Madison’s frequent flooding events and their impacts.
If you would like to learn more about our storm water services, including KJ grant writing experience and successes, preparation of SWRPs, and implementation of successful storm water management projects, please reach out to us at stormwater@kennedyjenks.com
