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[[file:Check it out.png|150px|thumb|alt=image|<font size=3>[https://www.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=9af02c9b2a994e56910cce1dbba400c4 The City of Austin, MN, has created this neat web-based story map about stormwater and MS4.]</font size>]]
 
[[file:Check it out.png|150px|thumb|alt=image|<font size=3>[https://www.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=9af02c9b2a994e56910cce1dbba400c4 The City of Austin, MN, has created this neat web-based story map about stormwater and MS4.]</font size>]]
  
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<th><center><font size=3>'''Green Stormwater Infrastructure design strategies and practices for climate resilience'''</font size></center></th>
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<td style="background-color:#d5fdf4;">'''Practices to consider'''
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*[https://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php?title=Green_Stormwater_Infrastructure_design_strategies_and_practices_for_climate_resilience#Planning_GSI_Systems_for_climate_change Planning GSI systems for climate change]
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*[https://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php?title=Green_Stormwater_Infrastructure_design_strategies_and_practices_for_climate_resilience#Enhancing_infiltration_and_detention Enhancing infiltration and detention]
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*[https://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php?title=Green_Stormwater_Infrastructure_design_strategies_and_practices_for_climate_resilience#Enhancing_interception_and_evapotranspiration Enhancing interception and evapotranspiration]
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*[https://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php?title=Green_Stormwater_Infrastructure_design_strategies_and_practices_for_climate_resilience#Selecting_climate_resilient_vegetation Selecting climate resilient vegetation]
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*[https://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php?title=Green_Stormwater_Infrastructure_design_strategies_and_practices_for_climate_resilience#Preserving_natural_areas Preserving natural areas]
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*[https://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php?title=Green_Stormwater_Infrastructure_design_strategies_and_practices_for_climate_resilience#Enhancing_harvest_and_reuse Enhancing harvest and reuse]
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*[https://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php?title=Green_Stormwater_Infrastructure_design_strategies_and_practices_for_climate_resilience#Combining_grey_and_green_practices Combining grey and green practices]
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*[https://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php?title=Green_Stormwater_Infrastructure_design_strategies_and_practices_for_climate_resilience#Sequencing_GSI_in_treatment_trains Sequencing GSI in treatment trains]
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*[https://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php?title=Green_Stormwater_Infrastructure_design_strategies_and_practices_for_climate_resilience#Implementing_real-time_controls_.28Dynamic_Design.29 Implementing real-time controls (dynamic design)]
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<td style="background-color:#eaf3ff;">Cities or other local units of government may have ordinances or regulations that promote or hinder implementation of practices that improve climate resilience. For example, tree preservation and replacement ordinances promote resilience, while restrictions on infiltration may hinder resilience.
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The municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) stormwater program is designed to reduce the amount of <span title="any particulate matter that can be transported by fluid flow and which eventually is deposited as a layer of solid particles on the bed or bottom of a body of water"> '''sediment'''</span> and pollution that enters surface and ground water from storm sewer systems. Public entities that own or operate an MS4 play a key role in preventing or reducing the negative impacts stormwater <span title="the portion of rainfall or snowmelt not immediately absorbed into the soil that drains or flows off the land and becomes surface flow"> '''runoff'''</span> has on our valuable water resources.
 
The municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) stormwater program is designed to reduce the amount of <span title="any particulate matter that can be transported by fluid flow and which eventually is deposited as a layer of solid particles on the bed or bottom of a body of water"> '''sediment'''</span> and pollution that enters surface and ground water from storm sewer systems. Public entities that own or operate an MS4 play a key role in preventing or reducing the negative impacts stormwater <span title="the portion of rainfall or snowmelt not immediately absorbed into the soil that drains or flows off the land and becomes surface flow"> '''runoff'''</span> has on our valuable water resources.
  

Revision as of 14:08, 1 May 2024

Information: We recently updated this page and will continue to work on information about MS4 stormwater management. If you have suggestions, we welcome comments using the comment box at the bottom of most pages in the manual.
Information: NOTE: Minnesota uses the term Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP) for MS4 stormwater, while several states and EPA may use the term Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP). These terms refer to the same thing.
icon for MS4 stormwater
Green Stormwater Infrastructure design strategies and practices for climate resilience
Practices to consider
Cities or other local units of government may have ordinances or regulations that promote or hinder implementation of practices that improve climate resilience. For example, tree preservation and replacement ordinances promote resilience, while restrictions on infiltration may hinder resilience.

The municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) stormwater program is designed to reduce the amount of sediment and pollution that enters surface and ground water from storm sewer systems. Public entities that own or operate an MS4 play a key role in preventing or reducing the negative impacts stormwater runoff has on our valuable water resources.

Proper stormwater runoff management in urbanized areas is especially important for restoring and protecting surface waters. Urbanized areas are more likely to have activities that contribute pollutants to stormwater runoff, like applying anti/deicing mixtures to roads; fueling vehicles; grease, oil, and other spills; landscaping; and using pesticides and fertilizers. Urbanized areas have a large amount of impervious surfaces, or surfaces that rain and snowmelt cannot pass through, such as streets, driveways, rooftops, parking lots and sidewalks. Stormwater runoff from these surfaces travels faster and in higher amounts, damaging rivers, streams, and wetlands; destroying aquatic habitats; increasing the amount of pollutants that enter surface waters; and limiting groundwater recharge.

2020 MS4 General Permit


MS4 stormwater permit


Previous permits


Minimum Control Measures

When seeking to manage a Municipal Storm Sewer System (MS4), an effective Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP) has six different components known as Minimum Control Measures (MCMs).


Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)

Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) are EPA approved amounts of pollutant loading that can occur and have a water body meet water quality standards. Follow this link to learn more about them along with guidance and resources.

Tools and resources


MS4 audit guidance

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandates the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to evaluate MS4 permittees for compliance with the MS4 General Permit. The MPCA does this through compliance audits. To find out more information about the audit process see the pages below:


MPCA MS4 technical assistance


Other resources and documents