Stormwater runoff occurs when rain or snowmelt flows over the ground on its way to storm drains, drainage ways, creeks, and lakes. Stormwater picks up debris, chemicals, dirt, pet wastes, and other pollutants, and it deposits them in water used for swimming, fishing, and drinking.
Runoff from a rainstorm or snow melt is not treated at a wastewater treatment facility, so extra effort is needed by everyone. We all live and work in a watershed. Once a single drop of rain reaches the earth, its eventual journey is determined by the watershed in which it lands. (A watershed is defined as the geographic region within which water drains into a particular river, stream or body of water.)
No matter where you are in a watershed, what you do affects the entire water system. Collectively, our behaviors can have a profound influence on water quality. For tips on protecting the watershed, visit The Nature Conservancy.
South Platte Watershed
The watershed that all the streams, creeks and rivers drain to in the Denver Metro area is the South Platte watershed. The Town of Columbine Valley is in the Chatfield Basin. Because of its beautiful scenery, trails, and convenient location, more than 3 million people annually visit the 42,000 acres now protected for conservation and recreation within Chatfield Basin. Plum Creek flows through a part of Chatfield Basin. Chatfield Watershed consists of all portions of Plum Creek and its tributaries along with the South Platte River downstream of Strontia Springs Reservoir outfall.
Stormwater Management Program
The Town of Columbine Valley under permit with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and by direction from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Clean Water Act, administers the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). As part of the NPDES Permit, the Town of Columbine Valley’s Stormwater Management Program monitors stormwater quality as it relates to construction.
The goal of the program is to provide information and direction to developers, contractors, and citizens regarding stormwater quality as it relates to construction. The program has been developed with the following objectives in mind:
- Reduce soil loss from all construction sites to the maximum extent possible
- Improve the water quality of stormwater runoff to the maximum extent possible
- Prevent accumulations of soil and debris in the storm sewer system
- Prevent discharges of chemicals, chemical wastes, and other pollutants
- Prevent migration of construction debris off site
- Prevent damage to adjacent properties arising from sediment, debris, or other pollutants
- Protect state waters and wetlands from damage caused by erosion, sedimentation, chemical wastes, or other pollutants arising from construction activity
Citizens, developers, and contractors doing work in the Town are held to the requirements of Section 8.12.070 and Trustee Bill #8, Series 2010 of the Municipal Code of the Town of Columbine Valley and Appendix K of the International Building Code.
Citizens, developers, and contractors are required to remove all refuse such as plaster, broken concrete, bricks, cylinder blocks, stones, wood, roofing material, and loose or discarded or unused material of any kind, resulting from the construction site, promptly, so as to prevent such debris from being scattered about the Town, which, include those areas of the Town where stormwaters flow. The citizen, developer, and/or contractor doing work in the Town must install and maintain erosion and sediment prevention measures in accordance with UDFCD, Vol. 3 BMP Criteria Manual. Copies of typical construction site stormwater BMP plans for these measures are available at Town Hall.
Enforcement of the Town’s Stormwater Management Program begins when deficiencies are present at the construction site. The Town may impose the following enforcement actions:
- Verbal warning to the Contractor detailing requirements for compliance
- Written notice from to contractor stating problems and suggested solutions
- Notice of violation letter with deadline to comply give to the project owner
- Issuance of red-tag (stop work order)
- Cashing of surety bond to correct the deficiency on the site
If you have any questions about stormwater, email the Manager of Public Works at jhayden@columbinevalley.org or call Town Hall during regular business hours.