Master Planning 96

The table "Status Of Planning Projects" lists the projects that were under way or completed in 1996 and the ones we hope to begin in 1997. We will begin the consultant selection process for the 1997 projects as soon as the funding agreements are executed between the District and each project's local sponsors. This is expected to occur anytime between February and November.

Project	Sponsor(s)	Consultant	Status
Westerly Creek U. S. of Havana	Aurora	Merrick	Completed in 1996
Niver, Brantner & Grange Hall Cr. Updates	Thornton & Adams Co.	Kiowa	90% Complete
Arapahoe & Magpie Gulches	Golden & Jefferson Co.	WRC Engineering	98% Complete
Big Dry Cr. (ARAPCO) Update	Arapahoe Co., Douglas Co., Greenwood Village, Englewood, Littleton	WRC Engineering	95% Complete
Willow/Little Willow Cr.	Douglas Co.	Greenhorne & O'Mara, Inc.	40% Complete
Brighton Basin	Brighton & Adams Co.	WRC Engineering	25% Complete
Cherry Creek - Reservoir to County Line	Arapahoe Co. & Cherry Cr. Water Quality Authority	n/a	Mapping under way.
East Henry's Lake Trib. to Bear Creek	Denver, Lakewood & Jefferson Co.	n/a	Mapping done Select Engineer
City of Englewood OSP	Englewood	n/a	Mapping under way.
Pleasantview Area OSP	Jefferson Co. & Lakewood	Turner Collie & Braden, Inc.	15% Complete
Lower Box Elder Cr. OSP	Adams Co.	n/a	Scheduled for 1997
Areas SE of 54th & Pecos Trib to SPR	Denver & Adams Co.	n/a	Scheduled for 1997
Misc. Big Dry Cr. & Slaughterhouse Gulch Outfalls	Arapahoe Co., Greenwood Village	n/a	Scheduled for 1997
Broomfield & Vicinity MP Updates	Broomfield, Westminster	n/a	Scheduled for 1997
Quincy Reservoir Watershed Outfall Plan	Aurora	n/a/	Scheduled for 1997
Sulphur & Tallman Gulches Outfall Plan	Douglas Co., Parker	n/a	Scheduled for 1997

Only one of the ongoing planning projects was completed in 1996, although we came close to completing three more. Westerly Creek Upstream of Havana now has the distinction of being the longest ongoing planning project the District has ever had. It has been under way since 1990 and is an example of a project that gets stalled because of changes in staff, changes in policies and direction, and for many other reasons as it moves forward. However, this is atypical and we try very hard to move these projects forward as rapidly as possible. Typically a master plan is completed within one to two years.

Technology Transfer & Education

In our last issue I mentioned that Red Rocks Community College is offering training and certification (the latter for Colorado Department of Transportation) in stormwater quality management during construction activities. Contact Scott Olson at Red Rocks for information: telephone 988-6160, X-282). This training program was originally started in cooperation and sponsorship by the Colorado Department of Transportation and the District. We encourage all municipal officials, consultants and construction contractors to take this class and to obtain the CDOT certification.

The District has entered into an agreement with the Denver Regional Coucil of Governments (DRCOG) to develop a training video for the selection, design, installation and maintenance of stormwater quality management activities and facilities during construction. DRCOG has received a Section 319 grant from EPA through the Colorado Department of Health and Environment (CDOHE) for this project and the District is contributing a significant portion of the local match. We are exited about this project and hope to have a video addressing the conditions faced during construction in Colorado, especially within its semi-arid regions.

The District and Computer Software Library, Inc., the District's software distribution agent, cooperated to upgrade the District's hydrologic software. CUHPFPC and UDSWM386 are expanded and updated versions of earlier software. CUHPFPC now provides for an option to account for the effects of hydraulically unconnected impervious areas and UDSWM386 has corrected some of the problems reported by users and has been expanded to handle gutter/pipe numbers of up to 1900. Both have been compiled using the Microsoft FORTRAN Power Station 32 bit compiler. Both programs have undergone considerable testing and are now available through Computer Software Library, Inc. P.O. Box 27517, Denver, CO, 80227, Tel. 303-947-3413, FAX 303-985-8882.

Stormwater NPDES Activities

There is very little new to report on this topic. The Clean Water Act stalled in Congress and did not see daylight in 1996. No one can predict if it will move forward in 1997. However, EPA in August issued Interim Permit Approach for Water Quality-Based Effluent Limitations in Storm Water Permits. In a nutshell, the policy states: "The interim permit approach uses best management practices (BMPs) in first-round storm water permits, and expanded or better-tailored BMPs in subsequent permits, where necessary, to provide for attainment of water quality standards." It also states that each permit should include a monitoring program to gather the "necessary information" to determine if such standards are being met and if "adjustments" need to be made to the municipality's BMP program. In other words, the beat goes on as the relentless march towards the mandate of end of pipe standards moves forward. What does this mean to municipalities and its local taxpayers? A very expensive mandated program unless the law is modified!

On September 30th, EPA issued a Storm Water Phase II Draft Preliminary Concept Paper. This document is the first formal step leading toward Federal regulations that will define the permits and their requirements for municipalities having less than 100,000 residents and for Phase II industrial/commercial sites. It is a complex document, stressing the need for state implemented general storm water discharge permits (although individual permits can be issued) that contain a number of required practices. This draft suggests that all municipalities located in metropolitan areas with 50,000 residents be covered by these permits. If you would like a copy of this document, call Dena at our office. We encourage all municipal officials to become involved in EPA's process to promulgate these regulations.

The three largest cities in the Denver area submitted their Part 2 Permit Applications to the State of Colorado in November, 1992. Their permits were issued in May, 1996. They contain specific provisions in how, by whom, and when certain urban activities, such as street sweeping, inlet cleaning, maintenance of detention basins, etc. will be performed. These activities, required by the permits, will take precedence over others for the cities to not be in violation of their provisions.

These permits also require the three cities to develop a wet weather monitoring program that supports the State's and DRCOG's Total Daily Maximum Load (TMDL) plan development and ongoing activities. The District has entered into agreements with these three cities to assist them to comply with the wet weather monitoring requirements and the development of the certain public education materials.

In 1995, Arapahoe County was notified by the state that it now has an urban area population of over 100,000 and this put them into the Phase 1 category for municipal stormwater NPDES permitting. The District is assisting the county as it begins to prepare Part 1 of its application. If we think that the other three applicants had complicated institutional issues, we have seen nothing yet. The county has to address a number of metropolitan, water and sanitation and other special districts that have stormwater responsibilities. In addition, part of the county is also within the Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority. Who will ultimately be responsible for each entity's performance will require agreements between all concerned.

For the most part the county is taking advantage of the protocols developed by the Joint Task Force (which included Arapahoe County) when the initial permit application requirements were being defined for the three cities that now have received their permits.

Should your city or county (i.e., if within the District's service area) decide to begin any work preparing information that will lead toward a permit application, or is taking an initiative to develop its own stormwater quality management program, or simply wants to develop a stormwater system inventory, call us. We can provide you with advice, a fully developed set of consistent protocols, and data management tools that will help you with these goals.