California Rain Brings Stormwater Challenges

As rainstorms flood California, the weather is presenting challenges to stormwater managers.

Parts of California are facing the threat of “rapid onset flooding,” The Washington Post reported. “Because of all of the recent precipitation, the ground is saturated and many streams, rivers and reservoirs are at capacity,” the report said.

“The expected inflow of water could have uncertain impacts on an already water-swollen state. The impacts it could have on California waterways, including Lake Oroville, could be major concerns for businesses and those living below the lake’s crippled dam spillway,” KXTV reported.

Dam safety became a focal point of the state’s water management efforts last week as the threat of crumbling infrastructure prompted evacuations.

“Two spillways at the towering Oroville Dam north of Sacramento began to crumble in the wake of heavy rains and snowmelt, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate. Though the dam — the tallest in the nation at about 770 feet — had been regularly inspected and cleared as safe, both spillways eroded when carrying relatively small amounts of water,” the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

State water regulators say “the flow of water has since slowed and the situation has stabilized,” according to the Post.

The state could improve its stormwater management efforts in various ways, according to Voice of San Diego.

For instance, California could get cities more involved with stormwater compliance. San Diego, for instance, “could require any business that opens to get the permit in place before it can obtain a business tax certificate, which is required for a business to operate. After all, why should a business be allowed to open if, on Day One, it is going to be violating the Clean Water Act?” the report said.

In addition, the state could hire more staffers to work on stormwater compliance, the report said.

To read more about how municipalities handle stormwater visit Water Online’s Stormwater Management Solutions Center.