When it rains—stormwater happens! What to do with all that water can be a problem (but also an opportunity). Another concern is the quality of runoff before it is returned to a stream.
Why worry about stormwater?
There are many reasons for us to care about stormwater. Most important—nearly all of that runoff goes right back into a stream! The benefits of Salem's stormwater program include managing floods, minimizing erosion, and protecting our rivers and streams for salmon and steelhead, and for uses that include drinking water, swimming, and other recreation.
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Salem Stormwater Management Plan
Values and Guiding Principles—June 2005
The following values were initially adopted by Salem's Stormwater Advisory Committee to guide planning:
- Promote proactive environmental stewardship.
- Preserve and enhance stream corridors.
- Balance water quantity and water quality considerations.
- Seek cost-effective solutions.
- Educate and involve the public.
- Meet/Exceed regulatory requirements.
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Best Management Practices
State and Federal regulations that protect rivers and streams require "the best control technology can provide" to the "maximum extent practicable" also called "best management practices" (BMPs). Salem's stormwater plan incorporates dozens of BMPs:
- Stormwater detention and control facilities.
- Stormwater treatment options.
- Operational measures such as street sweeping and catch basin cleaning.
- Illicit discharge prevention.
- Industrial stormwater discharge controls.
- Construction site erosion controls.
- Public outreach and education.
How do we pay for stormwater?
Salem residents and businesses currently pay for stormwater services through their bi-monthly utility rates. Approximately 16 percent of your utility bill (water and sewer) pays for the stormwater program. The current charge is about $18 of a typical household's bi-monthly bill.
Facts and Figures
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A few details about Salem's stormwater system:
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Streams in City (miles) |
66 |
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Ditches (miles) |
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Drainage |
13 |
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Roadside |
72 |
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Storm Pipes (miles) |
440 |
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Detention Basins |
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Public |
52 |
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Private |
578 |
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Stormwater Structures |
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Catch Basins |
14,120 |
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Cleanouts |
2,200 |
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Manholes |
4,450 |
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Stormwater Tips
Help do your part to keep our local streams clean. Your actions DO make a difference!
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1. |
Keep streams free of debris and trash. |
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2. |
Sweep sidewalks and driveways rather than using the hose to remove debris. |
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3. |
Use the minimum amount of detergent (low phosphate is best) to wash your car. Wash the car on grass or gravel, or take it to a carwash that cleans and recycles the wash water. |
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4. |
Clean up after your pets. |
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5. |
Keep your car in good working order to avoid leaks. Don't work on your car where oil or grease can wash into the gutter. |
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6. |
Build paths and driveways out of pervious materials such as gravel. |
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7. |
Replant bare slopes and unvegetated areas with native species.* |
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8. |
Use lawn and garden fertilizers and chemicals wisely. |
*Click here for more information on Salem's native species.
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Watershed Councils
Volunteers are finding solutions that work in each watershed, through local watershed councils. The councils—Claggett, Glenn-Gibson, Pringle—and Friends of Mill Creek, are nonprofit, citizen-based organizations formed to protect Salem's urban waterways and promote awareness and education on watershed issues. Their projects include stream bank cleanup, tree planting and habitat restoration, pollution prevention, and public information and education. The City of Salem supports the councils' work to address stormwater problems, watershed-by-watershed.
For More Information ...
To find out more or to get involved in the Stormwater Management Plan, contact Heather Dimke, phone 503-588-6211; e-mail jnottage@cityofsalem.net, or you can visit the website.