Stormwater Program

In 2000, the Stormwater Program was combined with the Pollution Prevention Partnership to assist local governments, small businesses, and construction companies with the new Phase II stormwater rules.

Briefly, stormwater is the runoff water that occurs when it rains (water from storms = stormwater). The problem is that this runoff carries with it all sorts of pollutants from all kinds of manmade sources. These include fertilizer, pesticides, sediment from agriculture operations, debris, chemicals, sediment from business and construction operations, sewage, other waste, oil, antifreeze, litter, and just about anything else that can be spilled or dumped into municipal storm drains. One interesting statistic from the Galveston Bays & Estuaries program is that more oil than was released from the Exxon Valdez flows into Galveston Bay each year as part of stormwater runoff.

Funded by a grant from the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program and the Texas General Land Office, the mission of our Stormwater Program is to protect and improve the water quality of our streams, bays, estuaries and the Gulf by reducing stormwater pollution. Goals of this initial effort include increasing awareness of stormwater issues and assisting municipal system operators, business owners, construction companies, and individuals with the new Phase II stormwater rules.

The following are services we provide:

• Public Education (community events and kayak based public workshops)
  
• Teacher Training Workshops (Project Wet and Adopt-A-Wetland)
  
• Outreach and Assistance Program for Stormwater System Operators
  
• Outreach and Assistance Program for General Industry
  
• Outreach and Assistance Program for Construction Operations

There is a wealth of information available on stormwater, the new rules, best management practices, and other related topics on the web. Visit the Stormwater section of our links page for a listing of some of our selected sites.