Keeping Soil on the Site: Construction Runoff and Our Shared Responsibility
By Ogden Valley Watershed Action Group
On Wednesday, September 16, join Carl Adams, Storm Water Specialist with the Utah Division of Water Quality at the Ogden Valley Branch Library at 6:30 p.m. to discuss construction stormwater expectations, erosion and sediment controls, and the public's appropriate stewardship role.
During a summer storm, water can move quickly across Ogden Valley. It runs from rooftops, roads, driveways and disturbed ground into ditches, irrigation channels, culverts and natural drainages. From there, it may reach a local stream, the Ogden River or Pineview Reservoir.
When water flows across exposed soil, it can carry sediment with it. Sediment is a natural part of our landscape, but accelerated erosion can move more soil, and move it more quickly, than would occur naturally.
Construction is only one potential source of sediment, along with roads, streambank erosion, agriculture, wildfire and other disturbances. Construction sites require careful runoff management because removing vegetation, grading slopes and exposing soil can make even a relatively small area vulnerable to erosion.
Why sediment matters
Excess sediment can cloud water, cover aquatic habitat and accumulate in streams and reservoirs. It can also carry nutrients and other pollutants that attach to soil particles. Phosphorus, for example, can move with eroded sediment and is one of the nutrients that can help fuel algal blooms in freshwater reservoirs such as Pineview.
Once sediment leaves a construction site, recovering it can be difficult or impossible. The central goal of construction stormwater management is therefore straightforward: keep soil on the site and prevent polluted runoff from reaching roads, ditches, storm drains and waterways.
What responsible construction looks like
Construction stormwater controls are commonly called best management practices, or BMPs. These may include:
Installing a BMP, however, is only the beginning. Controls must be appropriate for the site, installed correctly, inspected and maintained. They may need to be repaired or adjusted as grading progresses, drainage patterns change or storms occur. Stormwater management can be surprisingly complicated, even for people trained in construction BMPs.
Who is responsible?
Primary responsibility rests with the construction site operator. Depending on the size and nature of a project, an operator may be required to obtain state stormwater permit coverage, prepare a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan and regularly inspect and maintain the site's controls.
The Utah Division of Water Quality administers construction stormwater permits and retains state oversight authority. Ogden Valley City, as a new small municipal separate storm sewer system (small MS4) permit holder, must also develop a local construction runoff program. This includes reviewing plans, conducting inspections, receiving information from the public and enforcing the City's adopted stormwater requirements.
As Ogden Valley City develops its new program, clear communication among City officials, staff, engineers, contractors, developers and residents will be important.
Information about Ogden Valley City's stormwater program, including plans, ordinances, contacts and reporting resources, is available at ogdenvalley.gov/stormwater-management-program-ms4.
Why involve the public?
Effective stormwater protection depends on contractors, government agencies and an informed public each carrying out an appropriate role.
Federal stormwater rules require small MS4 programs to provide public education and opportunities for involvement. EPA guidance notes that informed communities can support stormwater programs, understand how to protect local waters and contribute useful ideas. For construction runoff specifically, programs must also receive and consider information submitted by the public. EPA describes this as recognizing "the crucial role that the public can play in identifying instances of noncompliance."
Because construction sites and weather conditions continually change, public observations can be useful. They are information, however, not findings that a violation occurred. Residents should not enter construction sites, confront workers or act as inspectors. If sediment appears to be leaving a site, note the date, time, weather and location. Photographs may be helpful when taken safely from a lawful public location.
For concerns within Ogden Valley City, the City's reporting process is generally the best place to start. The City can determine whether review or follow-up is appropriate. Questions involving state construction stormwater permits may also be directed to the Utah Division of Water Quality.
The same stewardship principle applies at home. Landscaping, driveway work and small excavation projects can also send soil into roads and ditches. Protecting exposed soil, keeping soil piles away from drainageways and promptly stabilizing disturbed areas can help.
Learning together
Construction and development will continue to be part of Ogden Valley. Protecting water quality does not require treating builders as adversaries or asking residents to become regulators. It requires contractors to manage disturbed soil responsibly, government agencies to provide consistent oversight, and the public to understand what it sees and communicate concerns constructively.
OVWAG's role is education, outreach and public involvement. It does not conduct inspections or enforce stormwater requirements. OVWAG helps community members understand how water and sediment move, how activities on the land can affect water quality, and what people can do to protect local waterways. The September 16 presentation offers residents, contractors, developers and City officials an opportunity to hear directly from a state stormwater specialist and ask questions. To learn more, visit ovwag.com.
Keeping soil on the site protects the streams, rivers and reservoirs that connect our community. It is a shared goal that works best when everyone understands their part.
Contractors, developers, City representatives and community members are encouraged to attend.
By Ogden Valley Watershed Action Group
On Wednesday, September 16, join Carl Adams, Storm Water Specialist with the Utah Division of Water Quality at the Ogden Valley Branch Library at 6:30 p.m. to discuss construction stormwater expectations, erosion and sediment controls, and the public's appropriate stewardship role.
During a summer storm, water can move quickly across Ogden Valley. It runs from rooftops, roads, driveways and disturbed ground into ditches, irrigation channels, culverts and natural drainages. From there, it may reach a local stream, the Ogden River or Pineview Reservoir.
When water flows across exposed soil, it can carry sediment with it. Sediment is a natural part of our landscape, but accelerated erosion can move more soil, and move it more quickly, than would occur naturally.
Construction is only one potential source of sediment, along with roads, streambank erosion, agriculture, wildfire and other disturbances. Construction sites require careful runoff management because removing vegetation, grading slopes and exposing soil can make even a relatively small area vulnerable to erosion.
Why sediment matters
Excess sediment can cloud water, cover aquatic habitat and accumulate in streams and reservoirs. It can also carry nutrients and other pollutants that attach to soil particles. Phosphorus, for example, can move with eroded sediment and is one of the nutrients that can help fuel algal blooms in freshwater reservoirs such as Pineview.
Once sediment leaves a construction site, recovering it can be difficult or impossible. The central goal of construction stormwater management is therefore straightforward: keep soil on the site and prevent polluted runoff from reaching roads, ditches, storm drains and waterways.
What responsible construction looks like
Construction stormwater controls are commonly called best management practices, or BMPs. These may include:
- Stabilized construction entrances
- Silt fence, wattles and berms
- Protection around storm drains and culverts
- Covered soil piles and erosion-control blankets
- Sediment basins and prompt stabilization or revegetation
Installing a BMP, however, is only the beginning. Controls must be appropriate for the site, installed correctly, inspected and maintained. They may need to be repaired or adjusted as grading progresses, drainage patterns change or storms occur. Stormwater management can be surprisingly complicated, even for people trained in construction BMPs.
Who is responsible?
Primary responsibility rests with the construction site operator. Depending on the size and nature of a project, an operator may be required to obtain state stormwater permit coverage, prepare a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan and regularly inspect and maintain the site's controls.
The Utah Division of Water Quality administers construction stormwater permits and retains state oversight authority. Ogden Valley City, as a new small municipal separate storm sewer system (small MS4) permit holder, must also develop a local construction runoff program. This includes reviewing plans, conducting inspections, receiving information from the public and enforcing the City's adopted stormwater requirements.
As Ogden Valley City develops its new program, clear communication among City officials, staff, engineers, contractors, developers and residents will be important.
Information about Ogden Valley City's stormwater program, including plans, ordinances, contacts and reporting resources, is available at ogdenvalley.gov/stormwater-management-program-ms4.
Why involve the public?
Effective stormwater protection depends on contractors, government agencies and an informed public each carrying out an appropriate role.
Federal stormwater rules require small MS4 programs to provide public education and opportunities for involvement. EPA guidance notes that informed communities can support stormwater programs, understand how to protect local waters and contribute useful ideas. For construction runoff specifically, programs must also receive and consider information submitted by the public. EPA describes this as recognizing "the crucial role that the public can play in identifying instances of noncompliance."
Because construction sites and weather conditions continually change, public observations can be useful. They are information, however, not findings that a violation occurred. Residents should not enter construction sites, confront workers or act as inspectors. If sediment appears to be leaving a site, note the date, time, weather and location. Photographs may be helpful when taken safely from a lawful public location.
For concerns within Ogden Valley City, the City's reporting process is generally the best place to start. The City can determine whether review or follow-up is appropriate. Questions involving state construction stormwater permits may also be directed to the Utah Division of Water Quality.
The same stewardship principle applies at home. Landscaping, driveway work and small excavation projects can also send soil into roads and ditches. Protecting exposed soil, keeping soil piles away from drainageways and promptly stabilizing disturbed areas can help.
Learning together
Construction and development will continue to be part of Ogden Valley. Protecting water quality does not require treating builders as adversaries or asking residents to become regulators. It requires contractors to manage disturbed soil responsibly, government agencies to provide consistent oversight, and the public to understand what it sees and communicate concerns constructively.
OVWAG's role is education, outreach and public involvement. It does not conduct inspections or enforce stormwater requirements. OVWAG helps community members understand how water and sediment move, how activities on the land can affect water quality, and what people can do to protect local waterways. The September 16 presentation offers residents, contractors, developers and City officials an opportunity to hear directly from a state stormwater specialist and ask questions. To learn more, visit ovwag.com.
Keeping soil on the site protects the streams, rivers and reservoirs that connect our community. It is a shared goal that works best when everyone understands their part.
Contractors, developers, City representatives and community members are encouraged to attend.