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Stormwater Master Plan

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On August 6, 2014 the Bend City Council voted unanimously to approve the City's first formal Stormwater Master Plan.

The 2008 public draft Stormwater Master Plan underwent significant revision after additional data was analyzed and state and federal regulatory requirements were clearly defined. Two identical workshops were held April 9 and 10, 2014 to provide more information about the Stormwater Master Plan development, and to obtain public input on the infrastructure improvement project approach options. Comments on the approaches that were received by Wednesday, April 30, 2014 were used to help inform the City Council when they provided input on their preferred infrastructure improvement approach at the May 7, 2014 City Council work session meeting. A revised public draft was released in May 2014 and was open for public comment through Monday, June 30 2014.  Revisions made as a result of the public comments were incorporated into the final version.

STORMWATER MASTER PLAN

REVISED DOCUMENTS

 
Background

In 2006, the City embarked on developing its first formal Stormwater Master Plan.  The 2008 public draft Stormwater Master Plan was rolled out for public review at two public workshops on January 29 and February 5, 2009. Public comments were taken and the comment period on the 2008 public draft was closed.

During the public comment period, members of the public expressed concerns with the high cost and necessity of the draft strategy that was proposed as a direct result of impending permit requirements for the City’s dispersed system of drywells and drill holes (underground injection controls). The City anticipated receiving a permit for its underground injection controls (UICs) prior to finalization of the Master Plan. However, the City together with several municipalities throughout the state have collaboratively spent the last several years negotiating science-based permit conditions that have resulted in improved knowledge upon which to make sound requirements. The changes in the final permit requirements were enough to significantly affect the City’s proposed strategy for addressing stormwater. The City was issued its UIC permit—one of the first in the country--in May 2013. For efficiency, the City had placed the Stormwater Master Plan project on hold as a prudent measure so that the final permit requirements were reasonable and known prior to adopting a final master plan strategy.

To ensure reasonability, staff have focused their efforts on obtaining a better understanding of the City’s current system and processes to help scientifically inform long term policy with regards to meeting regulatory requirements and finalizing the master plan strategy.

Once completed, the Stormwater Master Plan will serve as the oversight plan for addressing stormwater quantity and quality issues. In addition to providing an overall strategy for addressing stormwater concerns, it will provide a delineation of drainage areas and runoff quantities throughout Bend, and programmatic goals for addressing quantity and quality concerns.

The first phase of the Master Plan development project, which included assistance in the development of the financing and utility structure to support the stormwater quantity and quality programs and improved understanding of the City’s stormwater system, has been completed.

Please note, the Stormwater Master Plan should not be confused with the City’s Integrated Stormwater Management Plan, which is a separate stormwater-quality-only plan with specific tasks to meet stormwater quality requirements for drainage to surface waters and UICs.

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