This "Draft Final Report" presents the preliminary recommendations for the Tucson Stormwater Management Study (TSMS), Phase II, Stormwater Master Plan.
These preliminary recommendations address the five major components of the Stormwater Master Plan: (1) Preservation of Naturally Vegetated Watercourses, (2) Flood Hazard Studies, (3) Stormwater Quality Investigations, (4) Stormwater Capital Improvement Projects, and (5) Miscellaneous Capital Projects.
A prioritized list for each of these five major components has been developed as the foundation for the Stormwater Master Plan.
Riparian habitat along naturally vegetated watercourses within the City of Tucson has been identified and tabulated as a part of the Stormwater Master Plan. Watercourse segments containing approximately 98% of this riparian habitat have been recommended for preservation as naturally vegetated watercourses. Since no administrative policy, City Ordinance, zoning regulation, or land acquisition program currently exists which guarantees the preservation of these naturally vegetated watercourses, possible strategies for implementing a preservation program have been developed as a part of the Stormwater Master Plan.
Due to high levels of social acceptability, environmental compatibility, and economic feasibility, nonstructural stormwater management measures, such as the purchase of flood insurance as part of the National Flood Insurance Program, have been emphasized whenever and wherever practicable to do so.
Accordingly, the potential flooding of approximately 1808 homes within the City has been addressed not by structural flood-control measures; but rather by a recommendation that flood insurance be purchased by individual homeowners (or purchased by renters for home contents) as protection against large monetary losses resulting from flood damages.
As a part of adopting a comprehensive approach to nonstructural stormwater management, it is proposed that detailed Flood Hazard Studies be conducted by the City for those areas where flood insurance is recommended. Such studies are proposed in order to better define the extent of flooding potential along approximately 41 miles of watercourses within the City, as well as to provide public education for affected property owners and residents.
Stormwater Quality Investigations have been identified as one possible way to address both existing and future stormwater quality concerns within the City.
Stormwater Quality Investigations may consist of one or more of the following items: (1) stormwater quality sampling; (2) more detailed land-use characterizations; (3) investigations into specific chemical/material usage at facilities within each watershed; (4) identification of existing BMPs; and (5) evaluation of the potential impacts of stormwater runoff on the quality of the ground water within the regional aquifer.
Other possible techniques include Best Management Practices (BMPs) and New-Development Controls, which could be utilized to both protect and enhance stormwater quality.
A total of 47 Stormwater Capital Improvement Projects have been prioritized for the purpose of developing a series of 5-year Stormwater Capital Improvement Programs.
Preliminary Programs have been crafted based on (1) comparative rankings determined by the Stormwater Capital Improvement Project Prioritization Committee; (2) an assessment of the relative benefits and costs of each Project; (3) the overall cost of each Project; and (4) geographic distribution (Ward location) within the City of Tucson.
Estimated costs of the Stormwater Capital Improvement Projects have been further refined from the preliminary costs utilized for the analysis, evaluation, and ranking of stormwater management alternatives conducted as a part of Task 9 of the TSMS, Phase II.
Other proposed Miscellaneous Capital Projects have been grouped into three categories: (1) roadway culverts; (2) potential localized ( spot ) projects; and (3) grade-control structures.
This Draft Final Report is a preliminary version of the Final Report, and does not include all elements of the TSMS, Phase II, Stormwater Master Plan.
Individual stormwater management plans for each watershed, based on the five major components of the Stormwater Master Plan, will be presented in the Final Report.
Recommendations necessary for the successful implementation of the Stormwater Master Plan, including new or revised policies and ordinances, will also be presented in the Final Report.
Finally, other recommendations regarding future Phase III and Phase IV activities for the TSMS will be included in the Final Report as well.
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