Boone County News Release

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City and County awarded grant for stormwater project

February 9, 2012

The City of Columbia Public Works Department is a beneficiary of a stormwater grant. In March 2011, Boone County Public Works Department received an Environmental Protection Agency grant, through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, to study urban stormwater retrofits in the Hinkson Creek and Bear Creek watersheds. The total project cost is $1,236,266. The study area includes an industrial site owned and operated by the City of Columbia.

Public Works Operations at the Grissum Building and Water and Light Power Plant properties (between Business Loop and I-70), will be retrofit with stormwater controls to improve water quality in Bear Creek. Stormwater runoff carries pollutants (oil, grease, excess nutrients, sediment, and metals) to our creeks and streams where it impacts water quality. Pollutants in our creeks and streams affect all animal life from crawdads to fish to mammals. These pollutants then travel to our rivers where they can affect drinking water and the water we use for recreation. By treating the water closer to its source, we keep our waterways cleaner.

Stormwater retrofits, such as raingardens, bioretention cells, pervious pavement and detention remove pollutants from the “first flush” rainfall and encourage stormwater to infiltrate into the ground instead of running off. New landscaping areas to be constructed around the Grissum and Power Plant properties are specially designed stormwater controls that serve the very important role of removing pollutants from the stormwater runoff. In collaboration with Boone County Resource Management, staff will monitor runoff and pollution reduction from the retrofits to provide information to the engineering and development community for implementation in other locations.

Throughout the three year grant, City staff will be constructing various types of stormwater controls on the City property, improving the quality of stormwater runoff from the site, and providing education and outreach for a total project cost of $463,000. Of that, $211,745 will be used to purchase materials and supplies. City staff, equipment and volunteers will provide the required in-kind match through construction and outreach activities. Multiple City departments are contributing to this effort including Public Works, Water & Light, Parks and Recreation, and the City Channel.

The US Environmental Protection Agency Region 7, through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, has provided partial funding for this project under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. (G11-NPS-12). More information about the project is available online at www.GoColumbiaMo.com (search:GoGrissum319).

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