The following may help you become more accustomed to frequently encountered phrases found in NPDES stormwater related articles and materials.īMPs (Best Management Practices): In environmental regulation, Best Management Practices are defined as "source control" and "that practice which is used for a given set of conditions to achieve satisfactory water quality and quantity enhancement at a minimum cost." More simply put, BMPs refers to many practices or types of controls. If you were told to improve your BMPs, to be careful of what is discharged to the MS4, or that the highest percentage of pollutants are conveyed with something called the First Flush. Cleaner water then flows into larger receiving waters such as rivers, streams or lakes.Creation of a stormwater management program has resulted in a vocabulary of terms and words which may be unfamiliar. Stormwater drainage channels can help treat water and remove contaminants. These features act as the first filtration or settling area for sediment sand debris from the infrastructure runoff. The streambeds of these waterways have riprap or vegetative bases which control water flows. Another form of conveyance system are step pools, elevated water pools engineered to fill from the top and overflow into the next pool below, thus slowing water speeds and filtering pollutants. Since these retaining walls face tough water application conditions, they may also be further reinforced by geogrid. Stormwater channels are typically formed in canal shapes or with steep streambanks, which are lined with retaining wall blocks to prevent erosion and scouring. This area is wrapped in a filter fabric to prevent fines from migrating into the clean drainage areas. It is always recommended that the drainage pipes in the retaining wall and clean gravel backfill remain a minimum of 12 inches (300 mm) above the high water mark for any water application, including stormwater drainage channels. Surface runoff comes mostly via street gutters and underground piping systems, where water is lead to these centralized drainage channels. Additionally, the blocks are perfectly suited to create weirs along these waterways which control water flows. Our blocks serve as excellent, secure and long-lasting reinforced stream banks for critical drainage systems. MagnumStone retaining walls perform the same water conveyance functions for projects of any size or complexity. This waterway helps mitigate flooding and erosion by conveying water for miles until it reaches its outlet to receiving waters in this case, that is the Pacific Ocean.īut not all drainage channels have to be iconic, world-renowned systems, of course. Rightfully, people often associate stormwater drainage channels with images of the famous Los Angeles River, which is a perfect example. While household rainfall conveyance systems are an excellent solution for gardens and soil via infiltration, stormwater conveyance systems and drainage channels help control larger volumes of water which have the potential to wipe out infrastructure.ĭrainage systems are imperative to massive urban areas, primarily functioning as erosion control structures and flood protection. The importance of conveyance systems is rooted in conservation. These critical drainage channels are frequently lined with riprap (large stone) to slow runoff and filter out sediments and debris. The reason for that is when dealing with massive, intermittent quantities of rapid-moving water, retaining walls provide much-needed strength and durability. The banks of these waterways are frequently embedded with low-absorption, weatherproof retaining walls on each side. After the runoff’s arrival at the storm drain or inlet’s graded stream banks and streambed, it commonly flows downstream to a safer aquatic destination.ĭuring severe storms, stormwater conveyance systems receive, contain and funnel water away from pipes and street gutters. Runoff is intentionally directed toward these drainage and conveyance channels, which are built to withstand large volume storm surges. Storm drains are large, permanent, constructed swales or canals with many contributing water sources. When thinking of “Stormwater Management Systems”, storm drain canals – with street gutters as the main source of water – typically come to mind.
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