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Water Quality Assessment City of Morro Bay Stormwater Management Plan Section 2 Stormwater Management Program Water Quality Assessment 2.1 Stormwater Management Area Assessments Local Environmental Setting The City of Morro Bay, population 10,350 according to 2000 US census, generally lies on the narrow coastal shelf between the ocean and the coastal hills. A map of the City is located in Appendix C. The City is within the north coastal area of San Luis Obispo County and is about 12 miles north of the city of San Luis Obispo. The City of Morro Bay covers an area of approximately 6 square miles. The topography is generally hilly to mountainous, with development and agriculture concentrated on the coastal plain and valleys. The City is primarily a residential community with an economy based on the tourism/visitor-serving businesses. Census 2000 data shows that 24 percent of the population is over the age of 65 and approximately 20 percent of the City’s residences are vacant or used as seasonal second residences. The built out projected population for the City of Morro Bay is 12,500. Almost the entire community of Morro Bay lies within the Coastal Zone. The Local Coastal Program Land Use Plan (LUP) applies to all but a small area of the City. Development within the City is regulated by the Coastal Land Use Plan, the Zoning Ordinance, the General Plan, the Building Ordinance, and other Municipal Codes when appropriate. The City operates and maintains a variety of facilities, including parks, streets, sidewalks, bike trails, public buildings, a corporation/maintenance yard, open space, a waste water treatment plant, a water treatment plant reverse osmosis facility, and harbor support facilities. Drainage A watershed is the area of land that drains to a specific body of water. The City lies within several watersheds (Appendix D) including Chorro Creek Basin watershed, Morro Creek Basin watershed, Toro Creek watershed, Alva Paul Creek watershed, Noname Creek drainage area, and small unnamed watersheds. The City plans to delineate these unmapped watersheds as the GIS mapping of the storm drain system is being completed. The major watersheds within the City are Morro and Chorro Basin watersheds. The Chorro Basin watershed is approximately 27,670 acres including approximately 2,300 acres of mudflats, tidal wetlands, and open water habitat. The City lies within a small portion of this watershed; approximately 0.09% of developed land is within the total watershed and 0.91% of undeveloped land is within the total watershed. Section 2 Page 1 City of Morro Bay Stormwater Management Plan The Morro Basin watershed is approximately 15,400 acres with approximately 1.77% of developed land and 0.91% of undeveloped land within the total watershed area. The smaller watersheds; Alva Paul Creek is approximately 1,125 acres and Noname Creek is approximately 280 acres. The land use percentages have not yet been determined in these smaller watersheds. In 1987 the Wallace Group completed a storm drain master atlas for the City of Morro Bay (Appendix E). The storm drain system has changed very little since this time. The drainage for the City consists mostly of overland to surface drainage ways draining into the storm drain conveyance system and then draining to the bay or ocean. Some areas of the City drain directly to the bay or ocean (i.e. Embarcadero area) or to a creek that then drains to the bay or ocean. 2.2 Local Watershed Efforts Watershed Management Approach USEPA defines the watershed management approach as having the following components: problem identification (pollutants of concern), stakeholder involvement, and integrated actions. The City of Morro Bay has complied with this definition by identifying pollutants of concern in section, 2.3 and 2.4. The City has held several stakeholders meeting and has also participated in stakeholder meetings county wide. The City’s integrated actions are within each proposed Best Management Practices (BMP) for the six minimum control measures. The watershed management approach can also encompass issues such as flood control, habitat restoration, and water supply, which are not specifically regulated by the CWA. In contrast to the traditional command and control regulatory approach, the watershed approach is characterized by collaborative planning among the various stakeholders in a watershed. The solutions derived from this approach typically take longer to develop, but are more tailored to the unique problems and characteristics of individual watersheds. As expected, each watershed has a unique combination of environmental problems, existing organizations, and restoration opportunities, requiring a patient and flexible approach to developing solutions. In an effort to achieve the watershed management approach, the City currently participates in the SLO County Partners for water quality, a group where the City collaborates with other stakeholders within the county. The city also works with Morro Bay National Estuary Program and their Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, which is discussed on the following page. Section 2 Page 2 City of Morro Bay Stormwater Management Plan Morro Bay National Estuary Program (MB NEP) After years of grassroots campaigning, Morro Bay was designated as a State Estuary in 1994 and as a National Estuary in 1995. In 2000, the Morro Bay National Estuary Program published its Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) to address the following seven priority problems for Morro Bay: . Sedimentation . Bacteria . Nutrients . Loss of freshwater flow during the dry season . Heavy metals and toxic pollutants . Loss or degradation of habitat . Loss of steelhead The CCMP includes 61 Action Plans that target the priority problems and rely on collaboration of stakeholders for funding and implementation. In addition to targeting the seven listed priority problems, the actions include Public Outreach and Education and seven actions that address Land Acquisition, Drainage, TMDLs, Urban Runoff, Stream Geomorphology and Water Quality, Volunteering Monitoring, and a Watershed Crew. The actions target the seven priority issues as well as public education and outreach. Many actions address source pollution and are consistent with California Coastal Commission’s Source Pollution Control Program. The City’s SWMP includes best management practices that are consistent with the action plans related to urban runoff. The CCMP Action Plans include: CC-4 Urban Runoff: Implement urban storm water Best Management Practices (BMPs) to reduce pollutants entering Morro Bay and its tributaries. SED-1: Increase use of management measures for road maintenance and construction activities to reduce damage to streams and the Morro Bay estuary. SED-2: Install new and maintain existing sediment traps in order to reduce the delivery of sediment to Morro Bay. BACT-2: Upgrade existing pump-out facilities (where needed), improve accessibility, and provide new pump-out facilities at additional locations where feasible, to minimize the impacts of waste discharges and improperly functioning marine sanitation devices (MSDs —vessel restrooms). BACT-3: Remove illegal moorings (and prevent future illegal occurrences) in the back bay to reduce the potential for high-concentrations of bacterial pollution in the vicinity of shellfish harvest areas. Section 2 Page 3 City of Morro Bay Stormwater Management Plan BACT-5: Decrease levels of bacteria from live aboard boats (both within and outside the City of Morro Bay limits). BACT-8: Support the establishment of an off-leash dog park and provide supplies around high-use recreational areas for the pick-up of pet waste, and promote protection of creek beds from horse trails during low flow periods. NUTR-4: Implement Best Management Practices (BMPs) to decrease fertilizer runoff from residential and other urban areas. HMT-2: Implement marina (harbor and waterfront) Best Management Practices (BMPs). HMT-3: Support the City of Morro Bay’s development and design of a new environmentally friendly boat haul-out and maintenance facility for large vessels (generally over 30 feet). EDU-1: Conduct general public outreach and education focused on the value of a healthy environment and the role of individuals in protecting the natural resources of the Morro Bay watershed. EDU-2: Develop educational materials and programs regarding marine pollution and habitat issues geared toward the commercial and recreational boating community of Morro Bay. MB NEP conducts First Flush monitoring and Urban Watch programs. The pollutants of concern identified by MB NEP are as follows: • E. Coli • Turbidity • pH • Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) • Orthophosphates • Metals (zinc, copper and nickel) 2.3 Stormwater Pollutants of Concern (POC) The City of Morro Bay analyzed existing water quality data to determine the Pollutants of Concern impacting waterbodies within the permit coverage area. Water quality monitoring data from the Central Coast Ambient Monitoring Program (CCAMP) were reviewed to determine the parameters that have been monitored and the pollutant load trends that have been reported. Next, key water quality reports and Watershed Management Plans for waterbodies within the city limits were reviewed to look for local water quality problems caused by stormwater runoff. See Table 2.1 for a listing of the water quality reports and Section 2 Page 4 City of Morro Bay Stormwater Management Plan watershed management plans that were reviewed for stormwater pollution impacts on waterbodies located within the city limits.
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