INTEGRATED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLANNING: CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES FOR MULTI-MUNICIPAL COLLABORATION & SOLUTIONS TO STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
Gateway Engineers Ruthann L. Omer, P.E. President – Board Member Lisa Werder Brown – Economic Development South/Saw Mill Run Watershed AGENDA
• History • Why Create The Saw Mill Run Watershed? • Who Is The Saw Mill Run Watershed Group? • Saw Mill Run Watershed Projects • What Are We Faced With In The Saw Mill Run Watershed? • Integrated Watershed Plan • Challenges & Opportunities • Questions HISTORY
Saw Mill Run is: • Open from the West End to Route 88, making it the longest free flowing stream in the city of Pittsburgh. • The stream is 22 miles long. • It drains a land area of almost 20 square miles. • 12 separate and unique communities. • 14 City of Pittsburgh neighborhoods. WHY CREATE THE SAW MILL RUN WATERSHED GROUP? Frequent Flooding Along The Stream And Its Tributaries Has Caused: • Disinvestment In The Existing Properties • Transportation And Traffic Issues • Basement Backups • Degraded Water Quality • Eroded And Damaged Riparian Areas • Negative Perception Of The Stream All Of These Issues Have Inhibited Economic Development In The Partner Communities And Neighborhoods WHY CREATE THE SAW MILL RUN WATERSHED GROUP?
Partnering On MS4 Program Addressing TMDL’s • Inlet Inspection • Sampling • Testing Prioritized Outfalls • Monitoring • Educational Materials • Joint Reporting • Public Outreach • Meeting with DEP • Cohesive Plan of Development & Action Redevelopment Flood Plain Along Saw Mill Management Run & Its Major Tributaries Partnering Consent of Projects Order WHY CREATE THE SAW MILL RUN WATERSHED GROUP? WHO IS THE SAW MILL RUN WATERSHED GROUP?
• Baldwin Township • City of Pittsburgh Neighborhoods • Municipality of Bethel Park ▪ Banksville • Brentwood Borough ▪ Beechview • Castle Shannon Borough ▪ Brookline ▪ Carrick • Dormont Borough ▪ Duquesne Heights • Greentree Borough ▪ Hilltop Neighborhoods • Municipality of Mt. Lebanon • Allentown • Mt. Oliver Borough • Beltzhoover • Bon Air • City of Pittsburgh • Knoxville • Scott Township ▪ Mount Washington • Whitehall Borough ▪ Overbrook ▪ Ridgemont ▪ West End WHO IS THE SAW MILL RUN WATERSHED GROUP? SAW MILL RUN WATERSHED PROJECTS
• USACoE Non-structural flood mitigation • Curriculum Development assessment • Stream Walks Integrating Water Reporter • Gtech Strategies Decision Matrix • EE Partnership with Keystone Oaks School • McKinley & Emerald View Parks District • Fish & Wildlife – Stream Restoration • Watershed Days - a hands on family Assessment friendly event held in the watershed • Historic Designation for Skewed Arch Bridge communities in Seldom Seen • Stream Cleanups • Seldom Seen Greenway & Trolley Trail • Storm Drain Stenciling • The Allegheny County GreenWeb • Presentations – community groups, regional • Code Sweep & state-wide conferences • Water Reporter Mobile App • Tours of NMR Restoration to Interested • TMDL & MS4 Collaborative Planning for Citizens Joint Reporting to Regulators • Integrated Watershed Management • Joint Meetings with DEP Planning • Riparian Tree Plantings • WQ Monitoring • DEP Biological Monitoring • Trout Unlimited AMD Technical Assistance WHAT ARE WE FACED WITH IN THE SAW MILL RUN WATERSHED?
• CSO / SSO Controls with Consent Orders and Agreements • DEP Municipal Separate Storm Systems (MS4) • TMDL’s – Nutrients Low Dissolved Oxygen (DO) – Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) – Organic Enrichment / Low DO – Water Flow / Flow Variability – Siltation – Metals & Habitat Modification INTEGRATED WATERSHED PLAN
Collected Various Historical Datasets
Conducted Steering Committee Meetings
Conducted Collection System Flow Monitoring & Sampling INTEGRATED WATERSHED PLAN
• Collected Various Historical Datasets From Municipal Partners & Other Stakeholders (U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers, DEP, Etc. • Conducted Steering Committee Meetings On An Approximately Monthly Basis, With Support From Every Major Municipality In The Watershed • Conducted Collection System Flow Monitoring & Sampling Of CSO Outfalls To Address Data Gaps INTEGRATED WATERSHED PLAN
• Conducted Stream Walks Along The Main Stream & Tributaries To Document In-stream Conditions, Streambank Erosion & Potential Pollutant Discharge Locations
• Partnered With DEP To Perform Biological Sampling Surveys To Update Current Conditions In The Watershed
• Currently Calibrating & Validating Updated Hydraulic & Water Quality Models To Meet Industry Standards INTEGRATED WATERSHED PLAN
• Partnered With USACE To Develop An Updated Saw Mill Run In-stream Hydraulic Model
• Identified Demonstration Projects Throughout The Watershed, & Ranked These By Potential Pollution Reduction & Community Benefits According To Criterial Developed By The Steering Committee OPPORTUNITIES CHALLENGES OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES
OPPORTUNITIES • Strength In Numbers • Project Criteria Matrix • Flooding Has No Boundaries • Joint Sampling Project • Reduced Costs • Multi-Municipal Events • Coordinated Submittals – Stream Walk • Increased Awareness – Watershed Days • Broader Representatives of the – Clean Ups Region • Tour of the Stream – Sold Out! • Regional Approach OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES
CHALLENGES
• Coordination • Define Roles Of Each Entity • Changing Politics • Need Agreements Early On • Protecting Each Entity From • Funding Strategic Plan Fines And / Or Penalties • Balance In Representation • Meeting Deadlines • Agency Participation • Buy-in by Municipalities & • Flexibility In Plan Of Direction Agencies • Collaboration Is Possible If Groups Understands The Benefits PROJECT CRITERIA MATRIX
• What Is It? Prioritization Factor Maximum Score
Pollutant Reduction 20 • How Does It Work? Reduction Cost Efficiency 20 CSO & SSO Volume Reduction 20 • Results Stormwater Volume Reduction 10 Stormwater Peak Reduction 10 Partnership/Coordination 5 Funding Opportunities 5 Other Consideration - Economic, Social 10 Total 100 PROJECT CRITERIA MATRIX CONTD’
Stormwater Volume Managed/Removed in CSS/SSS % of Maximum Score
Very High 100% 20
High 75% 15
Moderate 50% 10
Low 25% 5
No impact 0% 0
0
0
0
0
0 PROJECT CRITERIA MATRIX
Project Prioritization Project Prioritization Score Score Doverdell Drive Storm & 57.5 Hayson Avenue 50 Sanitary Sewer Emerald View Park AMD 38 Rockwood Greening 56.5 Walnut Street Parking Lot 37 Volunteer’s Field 56
Clock Tower Plaza 37 Middle Street Parking Lot 51 Greenery SUMMARY
Where Do We Go From Here Because People Do Care About The Stream QUESTIONS