SAW MILL RUN: A CASE STUDY FOR MANAGING THE ISSUES OF STORMWATER RUNOFF

ACROSS MUNICIPAL BOUNDARIES

Ruthann L. Omer. P.E. – Gateway EngineersLisa Werder Brown - Economic Development South/Saw Mill Run

AIA CREDIT INFORMATION

• Credit(s) earned on completion of this course will be reported to AIA CES for AIA Members.

• Certificates of Completion for both AIA members and non-AIA members are available upon request

• Questions related to specific materials, methods,& services will be addressed at the conclusion of this presentation.

• This course is registered with AIA CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product.

COPYRIGHT MATERIALS • This presentation is protected by US and International

Copyright laws.• Reproduction, distribution, display and use of the

presentation without written permission of the speaker if prohibited.

• Economic Development South/Saw Mill Run Watershed• The Gateway Engineers, Inc.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

• Like most urban streams, Saw Mill Run is plagued by stormwater runoff and the resulting impacts of flooding and sewage overflows. In an effort to manage the impacts of runoff and overflows for the 12 separate municipalities in the watershed, Economic Development South (EDS) created the Saw Mill Run Watershed Association.

• During this session, you will hear how these organizations embarked on an ambitious collaboration for the mutual benefit of the watershed communities that addresses the issue of stormwater runoff and sewage overflows across jurisdictional boundaries. In addition, you will learn what a watershed is and some insights on how to deal with the challenges of developing sites along streams and waterways.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

– Define a watershed and a flood plain.– Understand EDS as an organization and how EDS benefited from collaboration with

AIA.– Discuss how this collaboration of the municipalities mutually benefited the watershed

communities by addressing the issue of stormwater runoff and sewage overflows across jurisdictional boundaries.

– Understand the major steps in creating an Integrated Watershed Plan – Understand how to deal with the challenges of developing sites along streams and

waterways.

AGENDA • Who is EDS?• Why create a watershed group - historical issues?• Unique Relationship• Creating the Saw Mill Run Watershed Association

(SMRWA)• SMRWA’s Role in PWSA’s Integrated Watershed

Management Plan• Current Projects

WHO IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SOUTH?

• An innovative collaboration of neighborhoods working together to strengthen our communities through real estate, marketing and business development, and transportation and environmental projects.

• EDS was the first multi – municipal CDC in Pennsylvania, making it one of the largest Economic Development Corporations in Western PA.

• Encompasses the neighborhoods and communities extending south from the Liberty Tunnels to the Borough of Jefferson Hills.

• Represents approximately 110,000 residents of Allegheny County.

MUNICIPALITIESCOUNCILS & BOARDS

• Baldwin Township• Brentwood Borough• Borough of Jefferson Hills• Castle Shannon Borough• Dormont Borough• Mt. Oliver Borough• Municipality of Bethel

Park• Municipality of Mt.

Lebanon• Pleasant Hills Borough• TJ School District• Whitehall Borough• City of Pittsburgh:

Carrick, Overbrook

• Glenn Jonnet, P.E.• Jennifer Slagle, P.E.• Ruthann L. Omer,

P.E.• Jason Stanton, P.E.• Wayne McVicker,

P.E.• Kurt Todd, P.E.• Jean Statler, P.E.• Stacey Graff, P.E.• Bryan Flaugh, P.E.• PWSA

ENGINEERS

• Rob Zahorchak • George Zboyovsky• Manager for Jefferson

Hills• Thomas Hartswick• Benjamin Estell• Bill McCartney• Rick Hopkinson• Jim Leventry • Manager for

Mt.Lebanon• Deborah Englert• Mayor William Peduto, • Councilwoman Natalia

Rudiak• Councilwoman Theresa

Kail-Smith• Councilman Bruce

Kraus

MAYORS, MANAGERSCOUNCIL MEMBERS

DEVELOPMENT ALONG SAW MILL RUN & TRIBUTARIES

• Rt. 51 / Rt. 88 Multimodel TOD• Carrick Dairy District• Berg Place• 212 Brownsville Road HEDC

office• Melrose Building• Bio-swale Baldwin/Whitehall High

School• Small Business Development• Neighborhood Partnership

Program (NPP)• Carnegie Mellon Traffic Study

• Pleasant Hills Cloverleaf Landscape Green Program

• Riverfront Development Jefferson Hills

• Overlay District Brentwood / Whitehall• Special Zoning District in Bethel Park • Rt. 51 Branding Committee• Tri-Borough Trail Development• Bike Way Committee• Jefferson Regional Foundation Work• Penn State Center• PA American Water Outreach

Program

WHAT IS A WATERSHED?

• A contiguous land area that drains to a common point • A geographic boundary, not a political unit• Encompasses all water systems– Storm Water– Sanitary– Water Supply

WHAT IS A SEWERSHED?

• A contiguous land area that drains to a common point • Encompasses all water systems– Storm Water– Sanitary– Water Supply– Sewage Can Be Pumped

WHAT IS A SEWERSHED?

WHY CREATE A WATERSHED GROUP?

WHY CREATE A WATERSHED GROUP?

WHY CREATE A WATERSHED GROUP?Frequent flooding along the stream and its tributaries has caused:• Disinvestment in the existing properties• Transportation and traffic issues• Basement backups • Degraded water quality • Eroded and damaged riparian areas • Negative perception of the streamAll of these issues have inhibited economic development in the partner communities and neighborhoods

IT MAKES SENSE TO COLLABORATE AND TACKLE WATER RELATED ISSUES WATERSHED WIDE

• Partnering on MS4 Program – Inlet Inspection– Testing Prioritized Outfalls– Educational Materials – Public Outreach

• Flood Plain Management• Development and

Redevelopment Along Saw Mill Run and Its Major Tributaries

• Addressing TMDL’s– Sampling– Monitoring– Joint Reporting– Meeting with DEP– Cohesive Plan of Action

WHAT IS AN MS4 PROGRAM?

• Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System• Program started in 2003• Stormwater Management within your Urbanized Area• Minimum levels of enforcement• Program became stagnant• Revised in 2012• Current Permit– NOI (Notice of Intent due in 2017)– Expires in 2018

MINIMUM CONTROL MEASURES

• Public Education & Outreach• Public Involvement & Participation• Illicit Discharge, Detection, and Elimination (IDD&E)• Construction Site Runoff Control• Post Construction Stormwater Management (PCSM)• Pollution Prevention & Good Housekeeping

FLOOD PLAIN MANAGEMENT

• Flood Plain – An area that becomes inundated with water in the event of a flood. (i.e. a 100 year flood plain is an area that becomes flooded when a 100 year storm occurs).

• Floodway - the channel and adjacent shore areas under water during a flood, especially as determined for a flood of a given height.

TMDL

• What Is It?– Total Mean Daily Load

• Why Do We Care?– State Standard That Must Be Met

• How Will It Effect Development?– Potential Revised Ordinance– Additional Stormwater Management

A WATERSHED ASSOCIATION CREATED BY A CDC?

Given Saw Mill Run’s impact on its surrounding communities, EDS realized that creating a watershed association would allow us to address the many common issues in a collaborative, coordinated way. A grant from PWSA allowed us to take the first step.

Saw Mill Run is open from the West

End to Route 88, making it the

longest free flowing stream in the

city of Pittsburgh. The stream is 22

miles long and drains a land area of

almost 20 square miles. 12 separate

and unique communities are

located in the Saw Mill Run

Watershed, including more than 14

City of Pittsburgh neighborhoods.

THE SAW MILL RUN WATERSHED

Maps Courtesy USACOE

WATERSHED MUNICIPALITIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS

• Baldwin Township• Bethel Park• Brentwood• Castle Shannon• Dormont• Greentree• Mt. Lebanon• Mt. Oliver• City of Pittsburgh• Scott Township• Whitehall

• City of Pittsburgh Neighborhoods Banksville Beechview Brookline Carrick Duquesne Heights Hilltop Neighborhoods

• Allentown• Beltzhoover• Bon Air• Knoxville

Mount Washington Overbrook Ridgemont West End

SAW MILL RUN WATERSHED, PWSA, AND INTEGRATED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN

WHAT IS AN INTEGRATED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN?

• Build Partnerships

• Characterize the watershed

• Finalize goals and identify solutions

• Design and implementation program

• Implement the watershed plan

• Measure progress and make adjustments

BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS

• Identify the partners

• Meetings

• Site visits

• Challenges

• Opportunities

• Collaborations

CHARACTERIZING THE WATERSHED • Relevant and historical data

• Land Use

• Waterbody and watershed conditions

• Identify the pollutant sources

• Waterbody monitoring

REMAINING KEY STEPS

• Finalize goals and identify solutions

• Design and implementation program

• Implement the watershed plan

• Measure progress and make adjustments

BUILDING A WATERSHED ORGANIZATION

KNOWLEDGE GAPS

• Stream

• Communities

• History

• Policies

Our mission is to improve and restore the health and vitality of the streams and communities in the Saw Mill Run Watershed through education, stewardship, and advocacy. We inspire our communities by providing environmental leadership, engaging citizens in direct action, and partnering on key issues that affect the well-being of the watershed.

People have a sense that nature is something you have to get in your car and drive for hours to see. It can be an eye opening experience for folks when they see that nature is right there – in their neighborhoods, backyards, and alleys – if they only know what to look for.

PUBLIC OUTREACH - CITIZEN SCIENCEOrganized research in which members of the public engage in the process of scientific investigations: asking questions, collecting data, and/or interpreting results.–Developing a Mobile App– The Watershed Stewards–Data Collection –Data Analysis

VISION

The Saw Mill Run Watershed Association envisions a very different Saw Mill Run. We see great potential for turning Route 51 into a Green Boulevard. Instead of stormwater that floods our streets and homes with polluted water when it rains, the water will flow into the green areas, where it will absorb slowly into the ground. Trees will intercept rain and snow melt, clean the air and offer habitat for birds and small mammals. Grasses and native plants will absorb runoff, filtering the water as it recharges the stream and ground water. Trails will offer places for citizens to commune with a re- imagined and restored Saw Mill Run!

GREEN BOULEVARD

The Saw Mill Run valley, from Temperanceville to Fairhaven and possibly beyond, offers a park and parkway opportunity which should not be neglected until commercial development becomes a serious stumbling block to its realization. It is an interesting valley of varying width and form, enclosed by high, steep banks, occasionally wooded; in some parts it is wide enough only for a drive, while in others large, flat meadows make ideal places for play. And Saw Mill Run itself, when it is no longer used as an open sewer, will be an additional element of park value.

- Frederick Law Olmsted

PARTNERSHIPS PWSA ALCOSAN USACOE CITY OF PITTSBURGH ALLEGHENY COUNTY GTECH ALLEGHENY LAND TRUST PENN STATE CENTER

NEXT STEPS • Outreach and Education • Events • Stream Cleanups• Watershed Days, • Citizen Engagement • Visual Assessments• Continue to work with Municipalities on WQ, Flooding, and

Smart Growth Strategies• Sustain Momentum on the Green Blvd

REVIEW • Frequent flooding in the Saw Mill Run Watershed has

contributed to disinvestment in the watershed communities• The watershed communities are required to address water

quality issues in the stream• Economic Development South has collaborated with PWSA

to create a watershed association to:– Work with the municipalities on shared issues and solutions– Help implement the IWMP– Continue to assist communities in improving water quality in the

stream while working to increase opportunities for Smart Growth.

THIS CONCLUDES THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS CONTINUING EDUCATION SYSTEMS COURSE

Photos courtesy of Tim HindesMaps courtesy of Gateway Engineers and the US Army Corps of Engineers

Ruthann L. Omer. P.E. – Gateway Engineers – romer@gatewayengineers.comLisa Werder Brown - Economic Development South/Saw Mill Runlbrown@economicdevelopmentsouth.org