Stormwater Management
Moreland Hills is
located in the Chagrin River Watershed which is part of the Lake Erie
watershed. A watershed is an area or ridge of land that feeds all the water
running under it and draining off it into different rivers, lakes or seas. Many
residents in our village use Lake Erie as their drinking water supply. We need
to keep our watershed healthy and productive, because it keeps us healthy and
productive.
The first step in storm water
management is understanding where all the water we use every day ends up.
Water from inside our home's plumbing system goes directly into the sewer
system and then to a treatment plant where it is cleaned and released into our
streams and rivers. Homeowner septic systems perform this task in the absence
of a sewer system. Water that we use in our yards and driveways seeps into the
ground and finds its way into storm sewers or streams.
Stormwater is rain or
melting snow and ice that flows across land surfaces to the nearest storm
sewer, ditch, stream or lake. As it travels
along, stormwater collects dirt and pollutants such as litter, debris
oils, pesticides fertilizers and pet waste. The initial pulse
of stormwater from a rain storm contains the greatest volume of water
and highest level of pollutants and goes directly to our watershed without the
benefit of a treatment plant. This pulse is often referred to as the
"first flush.” Homeowners can avoid contributing pollutants to this
first flush by eliminating pesticides, using organic fertilizers, avoid dumping
phosphate contaminated water (such as car washing cleaners) over hillsides and
by removing pet waste from lawns and public hiking trails.
Learn more about what you can do
to manage stormwater and decrease pollution from the Chagrin River
Watershed Partners, www.crwp.org. Their website provides
detailed information about using rain barrels, disconnecting downspouts,
managing backyard streams, and landscaping practices, such as rain gardens
and tree and shrub planting. They will do on-site consultations free of charge
to help homeowners with flooding and storm water management, stream bank
or hillside erosion, wetland verification, and pond maintenance. They can be
reached at 440-975-3870.
Please click the link "program information" for information about the Great Lakes Commission Streambank Stabilization Cost Share Program. Program Information
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The Village is
currently working with the Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District
to educate our residents about stormwater management. Their
stormwater education theme for 2020 is Lake Erie Starts Here.
Visit their site
for quarterly conservation tips, stormwater education, programs
and events, and resources at: http://www.cuyahogaswcd.org/programs and http://cuyahogaswcd.org/programs/stormwater-education
Crimes
Against the Creek
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Dumping anything other than water down the storm
drain or in the creek isn’t just a bad idea, it’s ILLEGAL.
In areas with separate sewers, storm drains and storm
sewers flow directly to local creeks and Lake Erie. In older areas with
combined sewers, storm sewers often flow directly to wastewater treatment
plants, where pollutants can upset the water treatment process.
Many common household and automotive wastes are highly toxic
in the aquatic ecosystem. These wastes kill fish and amphibians and
drastically alter water chemistry. The most common substances that are
dumped illegally in storm drains and creeks are: paint, automotive fluids,
concrete washout, lawn chemicals, and cooking oils.
In April 2012, illegal dumping of a metal plating chemical
down a storm drain (which flows to the river) killed 31,000 fish along 3 miles
of the East Branch of the Rocky River in Cuyahoga County!
IF YOU WITNESS
ILLEGAL DUMPING, PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT 440.248.1188.
Visit www.cuyahogaswcd.org
You can help combat
stormwater pollution by shrinking your lawn! Planting native plants can improve
the curb appeal of a home, boost its resale value, all while protecting our
environment with their long root systems which hold in soil, slow stormwater
runoff and provide vital food and habitat for birds, insect pollinators and many
other species.
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CUYAHOGA SWCD EVENTS:
The following
events hosted by the Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District are
available to all Moreland Hills residents. These are great opportunities
for homeowners, students, teachers, and anyone who wants to be a part of
conservation.
NPAA – Native Plants Are Awesome – March Madness 2021 – get online and participate in the native plant competitions every Monday, Wednesday and Friday thru this month. Our staff picked their native plant to go to #1 and you decide who will be the winner on our Facebook (Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District) and Instagram (cuyahogaswcd) page. This all leads into Ohio Native Plant Month which is April and we will be highlighting a new native plant each day on our social media too (but not a competition, that’s just for this month)
Tree and seed sale – Our native plant kit and bundle sales went thru the roof and are now over. The native plant kit sale for the Fall will be up soon and I’ll let you know when it is. No bundle sales in Fall. We still have our tree sale open until March 22 and sell native seeds year round.
March 25 - Curbing the Consequences - How Trees are Taking Root for Stormwater and Climate Change – don’t miss this important presentation sponsored by the NEO PIPE workgroup (Northeast Ohio Public Involvement and Public Education)
Want to make our environment a cleaner place and prevent stormwater pollution – join our Litterati March Madness campaign!!
Learn how to be a Master Rain Gardener – Classes start April 26. Share your knowledge and become your community's expert on rain gardens. At the end of this 5-session course, you will become a Master Rain Gardener!
Poster Contest – Grades K-12 – Theme “Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities” – deadline to register your class is April 1st.
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NORTHEAST OHIO REGIONAL SEWER DISTRICT CUSTOMERS ELIGIBLE FOR FREE STORMWATER CONSULTATIONS:
Stormwater is any rainwater or melting snow or ice that
flows over the surface of the land to the nearest storm sewer, stream, or lake.
Impervious or hard surfaces like driveways, rooftops, and parking lots
all pose several stormwater problems. Runoff picks up fertilizer, oil,
pesticides, dirt, bacteria and other pollutants as it makes its way over these
hard surfaces to storm drains, ditches, and streams. Hard surfaces also make
stormwater flow faster, and the rush of stormwater flowing into storm sewer systems
when heavy rain falls can back up and cause street flooding. Excessive
stormwater runoff entering the regional stream system increases flooding and
erosion, reduces water quality, and creates costly problems to communities and
their residents. Unlike water from toilets, showers, and sinks that is
filtered through a wastewater treatment facility, anything that enters storm
sewer systems or roadside ditches goes directly into our local streams and
eventually Lake Erie.
Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District’s (Sewer District)
Regional Stormwater Management Program takes a regional approach to address
stormwater pollution, flooding, erosion and water quality problems. The
Program provides stormwater services throughout the regional stream system and
is funded by a fee on customers’ Sewer District bills. Your fees are
calculated based on the amount of impervious surface area on your property,
such as rooftops, driveways, and patios. When property owners make
changes or improvements on their properties to reduce the amount of runoff
affecting the regional stream system and storm sewers, they may be eligible for
a reduction in what they are paying, called a fee credit. Actions like
disconnecting downspouts, installing rain barrels, or planting rain gardens are
some of the ways you can better control runoff on your property and potentially
receive a fee credit.
Chagrin River Watershed Partners (CRWP) is working with West
Creek Conservancy (WCC), Tinker’s Creek Watershed Partners (TCWP), and the
Sewer District to help residential property owners manage stormwater and
increase participation in the Sewer District’s fee credit program. CRWP,
WCC, and TCWP can perform free stormwater consultations to assist interested
Sewer District customers on:
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Recommending
best stormwater control measures (rain barrels, rain gardens, downspout
disconnection, pervious pavement, etc.) for your property
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Assisting
you with the stormwater fee credit application process
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Addressing
other flooding, erosion, or water quality issues on your property
Interested residents can take this Stormwater Survey and
sign up for a free consultation. You can also schedule a consultation by
contacting Kristen Hebebrand, CRWP Project Manager at 440-975-3870 or khebebrand@crwp.org
This collaboration between the Sewer District, CRWP, and
other local watershed organizations hopes to assist Sewer District customers
with better stormwater management on their properties and work towards the
Sewer District’s goal of fewer flooding and erosion incidents, healthier
waterways, and a better quality of life for the Greater Cleveland area!
For more information on the Sewer District Regional
Stormwater Management Program’s Stormwater Fee Credit Program, visit https://www.neorsd.org/stormwater-2/stormwater-management-program/.
For general information on residential stormwater management, you can visit
CRWP’s website at https://crwp.org/.