Towards Cleaner Water

The City of Salinas’ Urban Watershed Management Program is an integrated effort involving municipal departments, Federal, State, and other local agencies, as well as the public. Program staff seek to protect water resources by reducing or eliminating contaminants from entering our local creeks, the Salinas River, and eventually the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Pollution Prevention Reporting (831) 758-7233
 

Urban Runoff

The surface water from our yards, driveways, and streets which flow through storm drains is the single greatest source of pollution to our creeks and the Monterey Bay. Unlike sewage and industrial discharges, urban runoff cannot always be treated adequately before it reaches the bay. By reducing the quantity and improving the quality of runoff, we can lower levels of harmful bacteria, toxins, and other forms of pollutants affecting our creeks and the bay. Reducing urban runoff and amount of pollutants discharged are essential for the health and safety of our community. Urban runoff is a national, as well as local concern. In 1990, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set forth regulations governing storm water discharges under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Program (NPDES). In California, the NPDES Stormwater Program is administered by the State Water Resources Control Board through its nine regions. The City of Salinas lies within the Central Coast Region of the State Water Board and works with the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board with regards to the Federal Clean Water Act and the NPDES program.