CC Newsletter - 03/11/04 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

fencing and roads at the three new gardens in Eugene Parks--two new community gardens sites at Alton Baker and Skinner Butte parks and Eugene Stream Team's new native plant nursery, located adjacent to the new Alton Baker community gardens. The irrigation crew came in first and dug trenches and installed irrigation faucets and water lines last fall and winter. In the last month, the turf and grounds crew has installed over 1,600 lineal feet of fence around the perimeter of the gardens and between the native plant nursery and Alton Baker community gardens. The natural resource maintenance crew is now taking advantage of the reprieve from the rain to build access roads to the gardens. Finally, as the major construction work winds down, parks crews can finish the job by performing general site clean-up and creating garden plots. Troy Kreger, community gardens manager, anticipates that an additional 50-60 plots will be ready to rent in May or June at the new community gardens at Skinner Butte and Alton Baker parks. In the meantime, plots at the four other community gardens throughout Eugene will be available for rent beginning next week, and anyone interested in a plot at the new sites can place their name on a waiting list. To register for a garden plot or sign up for the waiting list, visit the Parks and Open Space office at 1820 Roosevelt Boulevard, on Wednesday, March 17, from noon to 7 p.m. or any day thereafter during normal business hours, from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about the community gardens program, contact Program Manager Troy Kreger at 682-4845. For more information about the construction of the community gardens, contact Turf and Grounds Supervisor Rob Hallett at 682-4935 or Natural Resource Maintenance Supervisor John Clark at 682-4826. City's New Stormwater Permit Comes with Stiffer Requirements On March 2, 2004, the City's National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater permit was reissued by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The permit authorizes the City to discharge stormwater from the municipal stormwater system, according to certain conditions and limitations determined by the federal Clean Water Act. The City of Eugene was originally issued an NPDES stormwater permit in 1994 and has maintained full compliance with the NPDES stormwater permit since. There are substantial differences between the City of Eugene's original and new stormwater permits, including significant changes related to program focus, monitoring, data analysis, and reporting, as described below: Program focus: The new permit addresses the anticipated establishment of total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) for the Willamette River and Amazon Creek and its tributaries. The TMDL is the total amount of a pollutant that can be discharged into the water without causing an in-stream violation of a particular water quality standard. The Willamette River and Amazon Creek and its tributaries are variously listed as "water quality limited" for temperature, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, and toxics. Even though a final TMDL has not yet been established by the DEQ for the Willamette River and Amazon Creek, Eugene must evaluate stormwater's contribution of these pollutants as well as determine whether the City's program is effective in addressing these pollutants. This focus on the TMDL process will require a higher level of monitoring and evaluation. Monitoring: Under the new permit, Eugene is required to monitor the quality and characteristics of discharged stormwater; evaluate pollutant sources; assess the chemical, biological, and physical effects of stormwater runoff on receiving waters; characterize stormwater runoff; evaluate long-term water quality trends; and monitor to document the effectiveness of the stormwater program. While the City already has a monitoring program, it will be necessary to carefully evaluate the existing program and make modifications to the parameters analyzed, frequency of monitoring, and locations of monitoring activities to meet the new permit conditions. Data analysis and reporting: Unlike the previous permit, reporting requirements under the new permit, change significantly from year-to-year. Substantial data monitoring and program documentation are required in each year's report, and the second and fourth year reports require specific elements, such as a comprehensive review of the program, identification of improvements, analysis and assessment associated with a permit renewal submittal, and public involvement processes. These changes will entail significantly greater staff time to collect data, conduct assessments and evaluations, and coordinate the reporting process. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 March 17, 2004