San Mateo Co. Fair To Promote Green Infrastructure For Bay

From The City of San Mateo: During the San Mateo County Fair, the San Mateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program (SMCWPPP), or FlowstoBay, will be promoting green infrastructure to handle heavy rains and clean up urban runoff before it reaches the Bay or Ocean. FlowstoBay is a program of the City/County Association of Governments, whose members include the County and the 20 cities and towns in San Mateo County.

After a record wet year, including San Jose’s devastating flood and numerous storm-related incidents around the Bay Area, San Mateo County agencies are seeing the value of green infrastructure as a way to mitigate future flooding and to improve water quality in the Bay.

C/CAG has developed a Countywide Stormwater Resource Plan (SRP) detailing large regional stormwater capture and infiltration opportunities, and “green streets” that incorporate special landscaping to capture and treat runoff. The SRP can be viewed here: http://ccag.ca.gov/srp/. Green infrastructure can substantially reduce the overall amount of water entering local storm sewers or surface waters and reduce flooding-related impacts. It is also effective at removing pollutants from stormwater runoff, thereby protecting local creeks, the Bay, and the ocean.

In December, the Cities of San Mateo and Redwood City were recommended to receive approximately $1.2 million in state grant funds to build five green street and parking lot projects to minimize stormwater flow and pollution reaching storm drains and the Bay. Also, the Town of Atherton and the City of South San Francisco are considering larger-scale regional stormwater retention projects that would capture and clean stormwater from local neighborhoods in underground filtration systems.

C/CAG Chair and Redwood City Council Member, Alicia Aguirre, is excited to see increased efforts to capture and manage stormwater. “Redwood City has experienced serious flood impacts within our community. Green infrastructure can play an important role in minimizing the likelihood of future flood events in our city.”

While these larger green infrastructure projects are being planned, FlowstoBay also wants San Mateo County residents to know that everyone can do their part through efforts such as collecting water in rain barrels and cisterns, creating rain gardens, and using permeable pavement in place of concrete or asphalt to help prevent stormwater from flowing into surface waters or overburdening storm sewers.

"Green infrastructure and natural systems are effective ways to manage stormwater much more sustainably," said Matthew Fabry, Manager of C/CAG’s FlowstoBay Program. “In the coming years, there is more work to do to help our communities implement green infrastructure solutions, and to make this a regular part of the county’s stormwater management approach, but we are off to a great start. Please come visit us during the County Fair to learn more about what you can do to be part of the solution.”

Fair participants can visit the environmental booth to learn about newly planned green infrastructure projects in the County and how green infrastructure not only helps mitigate flooding, but is also critical to keeping our water clean and healthy.

Image Via Pixabay