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Many acronyms and abbreviations are used in the technical resources sections of our website. Below are some that are commonly used when talking about the stormwater program.
ADD – Area Development District
BMP – Best Management Practice
Cabinet – Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
CAP – Communicate All Promises (Program)
CWEP – Commonwealth Water Education Project
DEA – Division of Environmental Analysis
DPW – Department of Public Works
EPA – Environmental Protection Agency
EPSC – Erosion Prevention & Sediment Control
FHWA – Federal Highway Administration
FOG – Field Operations Guide
GIS – Geographic Information System
GWPP – Groundwater Pollution Protection
HPF – Herbicides, Pesticides and Fertilizers
IMS – Interactive Mapping System
KDOW – Kentucky Division of Water
KEEC – Kentucky Environmental Education Council
KEEN – Kentucky Engineering Exposure Network
KEPSC – Kentucky Erosion Prevention & Sediment Control
KPDES – Kentucky Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
KYR10 – KPDES stormwater permit for construction activities
KYG50 – KPDES stormwater permit for highway support facilities
KYTC – Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
MCM – Minimum Control Measure
MEP – Maximum Extent Practicable
MS4 – Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System
NPDES – National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
NOV – Notice of Violation
POTW – Publicly Owned Treatment Works
PRIDE – Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment
PY – Permit Year
QLP – Qualifying Local Program
sMS4 – Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System
SPCC – Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures
SWAC – Stormwater Advisory Committee
SWQMP – Stormwater Quality Management Plan
UK-TC – University of Kentucky Transportation Center
USACE – United States Army Corps of Engineers
What is the relationship between MS4 communities and KYTC?
KYTC partners with most MS4 communities in Kentucky to implement practices that protect our waterways. Through these partnerships, KYTC provides statewide stormwater resources to partner communities. Partner communities implement these resources at a local level.
What are KYTC’s responsibilities?
KYTC’s responsibilities are included in their Individual Stormwater MS4 Permit (currently being written by KDOW). The Stormwater Quality Management Plan (SWQMP) articulates how permit requirements will be met over the 5 year permit term.
What resources do I have available to help me?
KYTC has resources available to assist District MS4 coordinators work with partner communities to assist in implementation of the stormwater program. Many of these resources are included at the end of this section.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Who has to participate in this program? Why?
The Environmental Protection Agency defined the communities that are designated as large MS4s pursuant to 40 CFR 122.26(b)(4); medium MS4s pursuant to 40 CFR 122.26(b)(7); and small MS4s as defined by 40 CFR 122.26(b)(16). Unless qualified for a waiver, small MS4s also include but are not limited to systems operated by federal, state, tribal, and local governments, including state departments of transportation…pursuant to 40 CFR 122.32(a). The Kentucky Division of Water enforces the MS4 program in Kentucky and defines who must participate.
How and why is KYTC involved?
KYTC is involved pursuant to 40 CFR 122.32(a), which requires state transportation departments to participate in the MS4 program.
What is DEA’s role in the program?
The role of Division of Environmental Analysis (DEA) is to provide environmental guidance concerning KYTC projects and activities. The DEA facilitates KYTC’s mission of performing activities in an environmentally sound manner by ensuring that planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance projects and activities that are implicated by the MS4 program are performed in accordance with federal, state, and local environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
DEA performs these responsibilities through the review and preparation of environmental documents, contracts, and any actions made necessary by federal, state, and local environmental laws, regulations, and policies. DEA provides a single point of contact to the general public and to Cabinet Employees for environmental guidance, information, and concerns.
What is the KYTC highway project manager’s role in the program?
Project managers are to coordinate the development of highway plans with local government requirements. There are two perspectives to these requirements: water quantity (flooding) and water quality. Where there is an MS4 jurisdiction, the community may have post-construction water quality requirements that have to be met. Projects should be coordinated with local programs early on the project’s course of development to identify and incorporate project needs into the design.
What is the Division of Design’s role in the program?
The Division of Design provides training for highway project delivery designers who prepare plans to meet KPDES permit requirements; identifies structural and non-structural management strategies appropriate for state highways; and supports a BMP plan preparers workshop for highway projects in the six year plan.
What is the Division of Maintenance role in the program?
The Division of Maintenance manages facilities to meet stormwater permit requirements for discharge of stormwater that may have come in contact with highway de-icing materials, manages highway maintenance projects that may require stormwater controls, develops inventory of post-construction BMPs built after March 10, 2003, and conducts review to assess the need for O&M plans; assesses whether changes are necessary to facilitate implementation of long-term operations and maintenance activities for highway BMPs; and updates manuals to allow O&M activities to be communicated and enabled at the staff level. In addition, the Division is now responsible for annual facilities reports to be submitted to KDOW per Comprehensive Statewide Individual Stormwater Management Permit summarizing monitoring results.
What is the Division of Construction’s role in the program?
The Division of Construction is responsible for establishing protocols for construction project compliance with regard to MS4 jurisdictions; qualifying KYTC employees as inspectors; and providing training for highway project and maintenance project plans regarding KPDES permit requirements.
Is it KYTC’s role to assess MS4?
It is the role of KYTC’s central office to assess the KYTC MS4 program. However, KYTC does not have the authority to assess the efficacy of the MS4 community’s programs.
Can stormwater system maintenance be incorporated into an interlocal agreement?
Yes.
Who is KYTC responsible for compliance to?
KYTC is required to report to the Kentucky Division of Water regarding the KYTC MS4 program. As a permittee, we are obligated to perform activities and tasks as outlined in the KYTC program matrix. If a community requests assistance as we have outlined in the matrix and we fail to provide it, we can be found to be out of compliance for that community program and for the KYTC program. EPA provides guidance to the Kentucky Division of Water and regulated MS4s regarding MS4 program requirements.
How do I work with cities that aren’t MS4’s?
All communities may have local ordinances that address the management of stormwater to prevent flooding. Project managers should coordinate projects with local jurisdictions and identify stormwater management requirements to address these concerns. This should be done early in project development so concerns can be incorporated in the design of the project.
What other entities is KYTC partnered with in this effort?
KYTC is partnered with the MS4 communities, Kentucky Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control (KEPSC), Kentucky Transportation Center (T2), and the Kentucky Stormwater Association (KSA).
Who is responsible for the program at the community level and how do I contact them?
A list of partner community contacts is available through the Local Contact link of the website.
Who are the other KYTC MS4 District Coordinators and how can I contact them?
A list of District contacts is available through the KYTC Environmental Coordinators link of the website.
Who do I contact if a problem arises?
The person to contact when a problem arises will depend on the type of problem. Typically, issues should be routed through the KYTC project manager at construction sites, and to the Division of Environmental Analysis for MS4 partner questions.
When and why should an MS4 be contacted?
An MS4 should be contacted when a problem arises, during permit roll-out, when new KYTC materials are available for workshops, meetings, interlocal agreements, construction issues, and maintenance issues.
When and why would an MS4 contact me?
An MS4 is likely to contact KYTC when there are problems with KYTC projects, to attend local Stormwater Advisory Committee (SWAC) meetings or public meetings, for KYTC materials, regarding interlocal agreements, mapping data, and the Environmental Handbook.
What happens after a local election or staff turnover occurs?
The KYTC district office should contact the MS4 community to obtain the contact information for the new community’s MS4 representative. The district office should provide the contact information to the Division of Environmental Analysis so that records and the website can be updated.
What do I have to do with encroachment permits?
The MS4 Coordinator in each district office should coordinate with the individual responsible for the encroachment permitting and should maintain all paperwork regarding the encroachment permit for the annual MS4 report.
What local MS4 meetings am I required to attend?
The MS4 District Coordinator is required to attend SWAC meetings, public official meetings impacting the MS4 program, and any meetings to which the coordinator is invited. The MS4 District Coordinator should maintain documentation of all meetings that the coordinator or his/her representative attends and all meetings that KYTC hosts that are related to the MS4 program.
Am I going to be providing training?
Possibly. The permit provides that the district offices may provide trainings with DEA.
MCM 1 and MCM 2 – Public Education, Outreach and Involvement
What role do KYTC districts have in MCM 1 and MCM 2 training?
A MS4 District Coordinator is responsible for relaying supplies from the KYTC central office to MS4 communities. It will then be the responsibility of the MS4 communities to distribute these materials to schools, businesses, and target audiences within the community.
DEA and KYTC Districts will provide training on educational materials to MS4s. Contacts to obtain educational materials are provided through this website and the DEA.
Do I need to maintain website information?
The KYTC MS4 Program website is maintained by the DEA. Local MS4 program information, such as contact information, should be identified by the district and sent to the DEA. MS4 District Coordinators are responsible for the district’s annual compliance reports for submittal on an annual basis to the DEA. The annual compliance report is updated to the website by the DEA. Activities and correspondence with communities should be well documented throughout the year to facilitate the compilation of the district annual compliance report.
Who will contact schools and elected officials for outreach and education? Who will program be delivered to?
A MS4 District Coordinator is responsible for relaying information and materials from the KYTC central office to MS4 communities. It will then be the responsibility of the MS4 communities to distribute these materials to schools, businesses, and target audiences within the community.
MS4 District Coordinators and the DEA are responsible for providing training to MS4s to utilize and distribute educational materials.
MCM 3 – Non-Stormwater Discharge Detection and Elimination
What is the KYTC perspective on MCM 3?
KYTC recognizes that state highways are only a small part of the drainage system and that MS4 communities are required to perform stormwater system mapping and illicit discharge screening as part of their general stormwater permit. KYTC encourages MS4 communities to complete the mapping of state highway stormwater infrastructure in conjunction with their regular mapping activities. This will allow for a single system map to be created and used by the community to detect and eliminate illicit discharges.
Each KYTC district should establish a protocol for managing illicit discharge detection and elimination (IDDE). The district’s protocol should be agreed to by the district and local jurisdictions. In addition to mapping their stormwater system, communities conduct dry weather screening to identify potential illicit discharges that are illegally entering the storm sewer system. MS4 District Coordinators should work with MS4 communities to eliminate illicit discharges.
What is the role of KYTC districts in stormwater infrastructure inventory?
The KYTC districts are responsible for coordinating with MS4 communities during mapping and inventory efforts and providing available data to MS4s at their request. Stormwater system infrastructure and drainage mapping data available for existing state highways and new KYTC projects should be made available as requested by the community to facilitate stormwater infrastructure inventory in the community. The district must establish either through written agreement or other understanding that the separate storm sewer system that is owned by KYTC is mapped within the local jurisdiction program. Districts are to confirm that the state highway drainage system is mapped and that it is updated as projects add to or modify the system.
What should I do when I find an illicit discharge?
An illicit discharge is any illegal or non-stormwater discharge into the stormwater conveyance system. If the discharge is due to KYTC activities, contact the responsible department(s) to identify for removal. If the discharge is occurring on municipal property, notify the MS4 community in which the discharge has occurred. If the ownership of the infrastructure where the illicit discharge is occurring is unknown, contact the MS4 community and resolve.
Documentation of identified illicit discharges, communication with the local community, and resolution of tracking/eliminating the illicit discharge should be kept and recorded in the annual compliance report.
What should I do when an MS4 community notifies me of an illicit discharge that involves state highway right of way?
The illicit discharge should be promptly eliminated following the protocols for managing illicit discharges that are established by each district. The district’s protocol should be agreed to by the district and local jurisdictions. If the discharge is due to KYTC activities, contact the responsible department(s) to identify for removal. MS4 District Coordinators should work with MS4 communities to track the source and eliminate the illicit discharge.
How can KYTC assist an MS4 community in maintaining stormwater maps?
It is a KYTC District responsibility to coordinate with MS4 communities and provide available mapping data to communities upon request. As new roadways are built or as digital mapping data becomes available, this may be provided to MS4 communities upon request to maintain the stormwater system map so that communities are not burdened with remapping and subsequent remapping field activities.
MCM 4 – Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control
How does this program relate to KEPSC? Who has to take the course? Do I have to check for KEPSC?
The Kentucky Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control (KEPSC) qualified inspector course was established in 2007 to assist developers, contractors, and governmental agencies like KYTC with complying with the Kentucky Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (KPDES) General Stormwater Permit for Construction. The course provides information and tests individuals through a qualifying exam to properly inspect construction sites and document inspections as required by the KPDES General Stormwater Permit for Construction. This permit is required for all construction and land disturbance activities across the state.
The KYTC is required through the KYTC Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction (2008) to participate in the KEPSC program and requires KYTC staff responsible for construction site inspections to be qualified through the KEPSC program. In addition, KYTC staff are responsible for completing the following training:
- Right of way inspectors should be qualified through Grade Level II Training.
- KYTC highway contractors must have personnel that are KEPSC qualified inspectors.
- KYTC personnel responsible for administering or monitoring encroachment permits are encouraged to attend the KEPSC Introductory course.
- KYTC maintenance activities that disturb one or more acres of land must have maintenance personnel who are KEPSC qualified inspectors.
- The MS4 District Coordinator and other KYTC personnel should take the KEPSC Introductory course.
More information about KEPSC is available on the program’s website at www.kepsc.org.
How do I respond to unsatisfactory construction site stormwater management practices?
To resolve stormwater management issues at KYTC construction sites, the following KYTC personnel should be contacted in this order: the resident engineer, District Construction Branch Manager, and Division of Construction in Frankfort.
For unsatisfactory construction site stormwater management in MS4 community jurisdiction, the MS4 community should be contacted to resolve the issue. If the community fails to resolve the issues, the DEA should be contacted for resolution with the community or KDOW.
Construction site stormwater management issues failing a satisfactory resolution may be reported to the Kentucky Division of Water (KDOW).
How do local construction requirements relate with KYTC requirements?
At a minimum, the KYTC must comply with all standards set by the Kentucky Division of Water (KDOW).
MCM 5 – Post-Construction Stormwater Management
How do local post-construction requirements relate with KYTC requirements?
At a minimum, the KYTC must comply with all standards set by Kentucky Division of Water (KDOW).
As a partner, KYTC is responsible for coordinating with MS4 communities on requirements for projects during project development and prior to line and grade to determine additional post-construction requirements that are specific to stormwater management practices in the community.
At what time does the highway project manager need to contact the local community?
The local community should be contacted during project development at preliminary line and grade to consider any local regulatory requirements for flood abatement and water quality considerations.
What tools are available to keep track of karst or other environmentally sensitive features?
KYTC’s Environmental Viewer is available to facilitate the identification of karst and other environmentally sensitive features in or adjacent to KYTC projects.
What is required by the Karst policy and what does it address?
The Karst Policy was developed as a standard Best Management Practice (BMP) for stormwater management for all KYTC projects. It consists of a series of seeded swales and detention ponds to manage the flow of stormwater from the KYTC right of way.
MCM 6 – Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping
What role do I have in tracking compliance of the stormwater permit for facilities?
The MS4 District Coordinator is responsible for tracking compliance of established protocols and documenting these for the annual stormwater compliance report. This includes activities associated with the stormwater permit for facilities (KYG 50), Groundwater Protection Plans (GWPPs), training as part of KYTC environmental programs and documentation of inspection reports.
What role do I have in facility BMP plans?
The Environmental Handbook for Management of Highways and Maintenance Facilities is available as a reference for facility BMP plans. The following are roles that KYTC personnel have in facility BMP plans:
- DEA – provides guidance regarding the preparation of Facility management plans for groundwater, stormwater, and SPCC plans.
- District TEBMS for maintenance are responsible for managing resources needed for implementation and compliance with facility management plans.
- District maintenance engineers – are responsible for the preparation and implementation of facility management plans.
- Facility superintendents are responsible for management of facilities and crews in accordance with facility management plans.
- Crews are responsible for following procedures outlined in facility management plans.
What tools are available for facility operation and maintenance?
The Environmental Handbook for Management of Highways and Maintenance Facilities is available as a reference for facility operations and maintenance activities. The Environmental Handbook is used as a reference to respond to KDOW standing environmental protocols.
KYTC’s Environmental Viewer is available to facilitate the identification of karst and other environmentally sensitive features in or adjacent to KYTC projects, facilities, or maintenance areas.
What goes in an annual report?
The KDOW has established an MS4 Compliance Inspection checklist that should be used as a reference for documenting activities associated with each of the minimum control measures.
MS4 District Coordinators are responsible for compiling an annual stormwater report consisting of the following three sections:
- General Information including all district and MS4 contacts and Acronyms.
- Program Evaluation giving an executive summary on the status of the program.
- Narrative Report including a breakdown of the Minimum Control Measures (MCMs) and what steps have been taken to meet these MCMs.
Other Resources
Communities with regulated Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) have the opportunity to partner with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), which implements its own stormwater program. KYTC has compiled or developed many materials for the purpose of sharing resources with Partner Communities and facilitating stormwater program implementation in Kentucky. Resources are organized by Minimum Control Measures (MCMs).
What resources are available?
Public Education & Outreach, Public Involvement & Participation (MCM 1 & 2)
- United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). If a project includes a drainage way, then a permit may be required by the USACE.
- 2008 Stormwater Survey. In 2008, KYTC in partnership with Kentucky MS4 Communities, developed a survey to assess the knowledge, attitude, behaviors and educational venues of Kentucky residents with respect to stormwater. The following report and support data document the results of the survey.
- EPA Non-Point Source Outreach Toolbox. This EPA managed database is a searchable compilation of resources from across the nation specifically for stormwater education. Most materials may be downloaded and customized to suit local needs.
- EPA Stormwater Program. This EPA webpage provides the basics on the Stormwater Program.
- Public Service Announcements (PSAs). Television and radio PSAs are now available on our website, http://stormwater.ky.gov!
- Bluegrass Partnership for a Green Community. Projects & teams are organized around the following initiatives: green buildings, reduce-reuse-recycle, green purchasing, environmental education, transportation, outreach & communication, water & stormwater, foods and sustainability, and green space & sustainability.
- Bluegrass PRIDE. Bluegrass PRIDE (Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment) provides environmental resources and information to schools, community groups, local governments and citizens in Central Kentucky.
- Bluegrass Rain Garden Alliance. A group supporting the need for rain gardens and other stormwater management tools.
- Environmental Education in Kentucky. This website allows you to locate organizations and events across the Commonwealth. “EEinkentucky” is a one stop resource for teachers and all citizens who want a simple and straightforward way to discover environmental education opportunities in the Commonwealth.
- Kentucky Division of Water
- Kentucky Educational Television (KET)
- Electronic Field Trip to a Watershed. Takes students to urban and rural settings across Kentucky to see how water from rain and snow is collected and funneled into common waterways—and how human activities affect the quality of water everywhere.
- Raindrops to Rivers. This Professional Development Resource uses authentic video of Kentucky classrooms to showcase high quality instruction on watersheds and nonpoint source pollution. Also included are links to Kentucky Core Content and Program of Studies, lesson materials, and additional resources.
- Kentucky EXCEL (KY Excellence in Environmental Leadership). The Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection (DEP) is pleased to introduce its voluntary environmental leadership program, Kentucky Excellence in Environmental Leadership, known as KY EXCEL. KY EXCEL offers a nonregulatory approach that allows the department to work cooperatively with all of Kentucky’s citizens to recognize and reward the many voluntary efforts conducted each year. KY EXCEL’s objectives are simple. The program wishes to encourage individuals, organizations and businesses to complete voluntary projects that improve Kentucky’s environment. In addition, KY EXCEL desires to facilitate a process that allows participants to increase their environmental commitment, thus reducing their environmental footprint.
- Adopt-A-Stream Programs. Partnering with Schools. Many Adopt-A-Stream programs partner with schools to develop interdisciplinary classroom curricula and activities. Through the program, teachers and students adopt a waterway, perform chemical, physical, and biological testing to determine water quality, and perform habitat restoration. Participating in such an interdisciplinary program gives classroom learning a real-life application, enhances students’ problem-solving capabilities, and provides community recognition of the students’ efforts. Teachers can select projects and activities that best match their students’ capabilities and the materials and resources available. The national Adopt-A-Stream organization , as well as numerous agencies nationwide, can provide teacher’s guides for developing a classroom Adopt-A-Stream program. Some schools find it valuable to enlist a co-sponsor, such as a community group or private organization, to aid them in their efforts. Co-sponsors vary in their involvement with the students. Some activities that co-sponsors can undertake include meeting with students to demonstrate community support for their efforts, helping to select an appropriate waterway, providing special information about the waterway, accompanying students on field trips, helping to prepare news releases and articles about the program, providing funds (if necessary), and helping to prepare a written report that compiles all of the data from schools in the watershed. Students and community members can then use this report as a focal point around which to plan strategies for involvement and actions for the coming year.
- Adopt Your Watershed. EPA is building a voluntary, national catalog of organizations involved in protecting local water bodies, including formal watershed alliances, local groups, and schools that conduct activities such as volunteer monitoring, cleanups, and restoration projects. You can search the EPA database by state and then by city to find local groups.
- World Water Monitoring Day. World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) is an international outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world. Held annually between September 18 and October 18, the program engages communities in monitoring the condition of local rivers, streams, estuaries and other water bodies. Since its inception in 2002, more than 80,000 people have participated in 50 countries.
- Enviroscapes. Website for manufacturer of realistic, three-dimensional models of watersheds, landfills, wetlands and more. An effective demonstration tool for students interested in learning about point sources and non point sources of water pollution. Enviroscape Models Available for Loan in Kentucky
- Hydrology of Kentucky
- After the Storm.
- Brochure (Spanish)
- DVD order. This “free” DVD contains a Television program about watersheds that was co-produced by EPA and The Weather Channel.
- KYTC Inspection Checklists were developed for facilities staff and are available for use by partner communities:
- EPA Outreach
- KYTC Environmental Coordinators. Contact list by disctrict of the KYTC Coordinators.
Illicit Discharge Detection & Elimination (IDDE) (MCM 3)
- Through its partnership with MS4 communities, KYTC offers available mapping data from highway projects. Local communities can inquire about available data through their KYTC District office.
- Illicit discharges identified along KYTC highways should be reported to the KYTC District office for resolution.
- The KYTC Environmental Viewer is a tool that was developed to identify environmentally sensitive features near maintenance projects. The following guidance is available to support the use of this tool:
Construction Site Runoff Control (MCM 4)
- KEPSC Local Program Information Sheets
- KPDES General Stormwater Permit for Construction (KYR10). Stormwater runoff from construction related site disturbance throughout the Commonwealth is regulated under KYR10. The permit regulates disturbances of one or more acres or disturbances that are less than one acre but are part of a larger common plan of development or sale that is of one or more acres.
- USACE Permits. Permits may be needed from the US Army Corps of Engineers:
- Kentucky Construction Site Best Management Practices (BMPs) Planning and Technical Specifications Manual. The Technical Specifications Manual includes information on the selection, installation and maintenance of erosion prevention and sediment control BMPs.
- Kentucky Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control Field Guide. Parts: 1, 2 & 3. The Field Guide is a condensed version of the Technical Specifications Manual to facilitate use on construction sites.
- Kentucky Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control (KEPSC) Training. The KEPSC Program is a training program for understanding, implementing and inspecting erosion prevention and sediment control BMPs at construction sites. The KEPSC website includes a list of Kentucky Qualified Inspectors through their course.
- Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) Contractors.
- KYTC Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction (2008). Division 200 – Earthwork, includes sections (212) on Erosion Control and (213) Water Pollution Control that address erosion prevention and sediment control objectives and requirements specific to KYTC.
- KYTC Highway Design Manual. KYTC guidance on highway design and procedures.
- Division of Design BMP Plan Template
- Design Memorandums. KYTC issues Design Memorandums to issue and announce policy decisions. Examples of Design Memorandums that stormwater considerations for KYTC projects include:
- BMP Plan Template. Best Management Practices (BMP) Plan Template for Highway Construction Activities.
- Erosion Prevention & Sediment Control (EPSC) Vendors
- Kentucky BMP Technical Manual:
- DOW Field Guide Part 1
- DOW Field Guide Part 2
- DOW Field Guide Part 3
Post-Construction Stormwater Management (MCM 5)
- KYTC addresses long-term stormwater management through the design process:
- KYTC Highway Design Manual. KYTC guidance on highway design and procedures.
- Design Memorandums. KYTC issues Design Memorandums to issue and announce policy decisions. Examples of Design Memorandums that stormwater considerations for KYTC projects include:
- BMP Plan Template. Best Management Practices (BMP) Plan Template for Highway Construction Activities.
Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations/Pollution Prevention (MCM 6)
Sediment is the number one pollutant impairing streams in Kentucky. Resources in this section are available to assist you in permitting stormwater runoff from construction sites and preventing sediment-laden stormwater runoff from leaving a construction site.
What regulations must be considered prior to site disturbance?
Regulations dictating management of land disturbing activities should be reviewed at the local level and state levels in your area.
- United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). If a project includes a drainage way, then a permit may be required by the USACE.
- Federal Clean Water Act. The Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972 was enacted to restore and limit further degradation of our nation’s waterways. Stormwater runoff is regulated through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program, which grants permits for stormwater discharges. In Kentucky, the Kentucky Division of Water (KDOW) is authorized to administer the NPDES program, or the Kentucky Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (KPDES) program, which issues discharge permits.
- KPDES General Stormwater Permit for Construction (KYR10). Stormwater runoff from construction related site disturbance throughout the Commonwealth is regulated under KYR10. The permit regulates disturbances of one or more acres or disturbances that are less than one acre but are part of a larger common plan of development or sale that is of one or more acres. This permit can only be used for discharges to waters that are not on the Impaired Waters list as impaired for sediment and for which an approved TMDL has been developed, a Cold Water Aquatic Habitat and Exceptional Water, an Outstanding National Resource Water, or an Outstanding State Resource Water.
- Antidegradation. The KDOW has determined to include within the KYR10 General Permit additional protection requirements for construction activities discharging to “High Quality Waters” (waters otherwise requiring antidegredation review) such that compliance with certain special requirements result in no significant degredation in the receiving waters due to the permitted construction activity. Land disturbance activities are subject to antidegradation review by KDOW, which may require an individual permit and/or enhanced Best Management Practices (BMPs) to minimize degradation and prevent the permanent lowering of water quality.
- Local Stormwater Regulations. Site disturbance within an MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) regulated jurisdiction (i.e. municipalities, counties, Kentucky Department of Transportation, universities, etc.) have plan review, inspection, and enforcement authority per their MS4 permits. Land disturbance activities within these jurisdictions must comply with local regulations, ordinances and site disturbance standards. Note that MS4 regulated jurisdictions may have the authority to regulate all site disturbance, including sites under one acre.
- Recent News and Regulation Updates. Federal, state and local regulations for construction site stormwater runoff are periodically reviewed and updated. As we become aware of pending and draft permits and stormwater regulations affecting Kentucky, they will be posted on our News page.
What guidance is available to manage stormwater runoff from construction sites?
Technical resources for erosion prevention and sediment control (EPSC) of storwmater runoff at construction sites and the implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) is available to engineers, contractors or developers to manage stormwater runoff.
- Kentucky Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control Field Guide. Parts: 1, 2 & 3. The Field Guide is a condensed version of the Technical Specifications Manual to facilitate use on construction sites.
- Kentucky Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control (KEPSC) Training. The KEPSC Program is a training program for understanding, implementing and inspecting erosion prevention and sediment control BMPs at construction sites. The KEPSC website includes a list of Qualified Inspectors through their course.
- Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) Contractors.
- KYTC Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction (2008). Division 200 – Earthwork, includes sections (212) on Erosion Control and (213) Water Pollution Control that address erosion prevention and sediment control objectives and requirements specific to KYTC.
- KYTC Highway Design Manual. KYTC guidance on highway design and procedures.
- Design Memorandums. KYTC issues Design Memorandums to announce policy decisions. Examples of Design Memorandums that contain stormwater considerations for KYTC projects include:
- BMP Plan Template. Best Management Practices (BMP) Plan Template for Highway Construction Activities.
- Kentucky BMP Technical Manual:
Materials have been developed specifically for Kentucky that meet Core Content requirements. Additional materials developed through the Environmental Protection Agency and others address a variety of stormwater issues that are relevant to the classroom and are effective in engaging students.
Kentucky Resources
- Stormwater Education Toolkit for Schools. Information, resources and lessons for a variety of target audiences. KYTC makes copies of the digital toolbox available upon request by partner communities.
- Stormwater Education Toolkit for MS4s. KYTC makes copies of the digital toolbox available upon request by partner communities.
- Bluegrass Partnership for a Green Community. Projects & teams are organized around the following initiatives: green buildings, reduce-reuse-recycle, green purchasing, environmental education, transportation, outreach & communication, water & stormwater, foods and sustainability, and green space & sustainability.
- Bluegrass PRIDE. Bluegrass PRIDE (Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment) provides environmental resources and information to schools, community groups, local governments and citizens in Central Kentucky.
- Bluegrass Rain Garden Alliance. A group supporting the need for rain gardens and other stormwater management tools.
- Environmental Education in Kentucky. This website allows you to locate organizations and events across the Commonwealth. “EEinkentucky” is a one stop resource for teachers and all citizens who want a simple and straightforward way to discover environmental education opportunities in the Commonwealth.
- Kentucky Association for Environmental Education. Established in 1976, the Kentucky Association for Environmental Education (KAEE) is one of the country’s oldest associations supporting environmental education. KAEE’s mission is to build a sustainable environment through education. KAEE members include K-12 teachers, nonformal educators, government and agency personnel, university instructors, and private citizens. KAEE offers an annual conference in September and workshops throughout the year for professional development.
- Kentucky Department of Education
- Kentucky Division of Water
- Kentucky Educational Television (KET)
- Electronic Field Trip to a Watershed. Takes students to urban and rural settings across Kentucky to see how water from rain and snow is collected and funneled into common waterways—and how human activities affect the quality of water everywhere.
- Raindrops to Rivers. This Professional Development Resource uses authentic video of Kentucky classrooms to showcase high quality instruction on watersheds and nonpoint source pollution. Also included are links to Kentucky Core Content and Program of Studies, lesson materials, and additional resources.
- Kentucky Environmental Education Council. The Kentucky Environmental Education Council was established to improve Kentuckians’ understanding of their environment. Although KEEC’s major focus is primary and secondary education, the Council also works with colleges and universities, businesses, local governments, private organizations and citizens. KEEC’s goal is to provide citizens with the knowledge they need to make their own informed decisions about their environment. Includes links to instructional resources.
- Kentucky Green and Healthy Schools. The Kentucky Green and Healthy Schools (KGHS) Program is a voluntary effort to empower students and staff with the tools needed to take action and make their school operate at peak efficiency by using environmentally friendly practices. The program extends into the community encouraging environmentally-friendly practices at home, work and play. Water resource protection is one area of study and action. See a list of participating schools at this website.
- Kentucky Project WET. Correlations to KY Core Content and more…
- Kentucky’s Wonderful Commonwealth of Water. K-12 Curriculum.
- Enviroscape Models Available for Loan in Kentucky. The Enviroscape is an interactive 3-D watershed model that simulates stormwater runoff and impacts from point and non-point sources. Kentucky has several available that may be loaned for presentations.
- Kentucky EXCEL (KY Excellence in Environmental Leadership). The Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection (DEP) is pleased to introduce its voluntary environmental leadership program, Kentucky Excellence in Environmental Leadership, known as KY EXCEL. KY EXCEL offers a nonregulatory approach that allows the department to work cooperatively with all of Kentucky’s citizens to recognize and reward the many voluntary efforts conducted each year. KY EXCEL’s objectives are simple. The program wishes to encourage individuals, organizations and businesses to complete voluntary projects that improve Kentucky’s environment. In addition, KY EXCEL desires to facilitate a process that allows participants to increase their environmental commitment, thus reducing their environmental footprint.
- Kentucky Geological Survey
- Kentucky Green Team Online Film Festival. An initiative designed to highlight sustainable environmental practices. First Lady Jane Beshear asked Green Team members to send in their suggestions on how we can inspire, teach, and encourage others to take steps to improve our world’s environment. The winning submission, to host an online film festival in which Kentuckians could submit a film educating the public on energy conservation, was inspired by Syandene Evans, a freshman at Henry Clay High School in Lexington.
- University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service
- Earth Day Resources
- Kentucky Water Awareness Month. The Kentucky Water Awareness Month 2009 Packet Materials are available online. The packet includes information on stormwater, groundwater, and watersheds, and includes publications, fact sheets, promotional items, radio scripts, and activities. Please feel free to adapt and use the packet information to meet your programming needs.
- Living Along a Kentucky Stream. A practical guide for landowners with streams on or near their property. The publication provides simple Do’s and Don’ts for maintaining healthy streams and being good stream stewards. A teaching guide and packet are also available. This packaged program provides information about Kentucky’s streams, their importance to our state, and the actions you can take to protect this precious natural resource. Access to teaching guide, stream component quiz and answer key, stream stewardship discussion, crossword puzzle and answer key, and program evaluation.
National and International Events and Programs
- Adopt-A-Stream Programs. Partnering with Schools. Many Adopt-A-Stream programs partner with schools to develop interdisciplinary classroom curricula and activities. Through the program, teachers and students adopt a waterway, perform chemical, physical, and biological testing to determine water quality, and perform habitat restoration. Participating in such an interdisciplinary program gives classroom learning a real-life application, enhances students’ problem-solving capabilities, and provides community recognition of the students’ efforts. Teachers can select projects and activities that best match their students’ capabilities and the materials and resources available. The national Adopt-A-Stream organization , as well as numerous agencies nationwide, can provide teacher’s guides for developing a classroom Adopt-A-Stream program. Some schools find it valuable to enlist a co-sponsor, such as a community group or private organization, to aid them in their efforts. Co-sponsors vary in their involvement with the students. Some activities that co-sponsors can undertake include meeting with students to demonstrate community support for their efforts, helping to select an appropriate waterway, providing special information about the waterway, accompanying students on field trips, helping to prepare news releases and articles about the program, providing funds (if necessary), and helping to prepare a written report that compiles all of the data from schools in the watershed. Students and community members can then use this report as a focal point around which to plan strategies for involvement and actions for the coming year.
- Adopt Your Watershed. EPA is building a voluntary, national catalog of organizations involved in protecting local water bodies, including formal watershed alliances, local groups, and schools that conduct activities such as volunteer monitoring, cleanups, and restoration projects. You can search the EPA database by state and then by city to find local groups.
- Children and Nature Awareness Month
- Global Youth Service Day – April 24-26th
- National Environmental Education Week. National Environmental Education Week, made possible by Canon, promotes environmental literacy and stewardship among over 3.5 million students annually by creating a full week of environmentally-themed lessons and activities for students in K-12th grade classrooms, home schools, nature centers, zoos, museums and aquariums. Each year, thousands of educators from across the country use EE Week’s online resources to incorporate environmental learning into their classrooms in an educational week-long prelude to Earth Day. Registration for EE Week is free.
- North American Association for Environmental Education. NAAEE is the national professional association for environmental education. NAAEE members promote professional excellence in nonformal organizations, K-12 classrooms, universities (both instructors and students), government agencies, and corporate settings throughout North America and in over 55 other countries. Since 1971, the Association has created opportunities for its members to improve their skills in creating and delivering programs and services that teach people how to think, not what to think.
- World Water Monitoring Day. World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) is an international outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world. Held annually between September 18 and October 18, the program engages communities in monitoring the condition of local rivers, streams, estuaries and other water bodies. Since its inception in 2002, more than 80,000 people have participated in 50 countries.
School Curriculum Materials and Lessons
- Green Teaching Resources. K-12 resources from Waste Management and powered by Discovery Education
- Kentucky Water Awareness Month. The packet includes information on stormwater, groundwater, and watersheds, and includes publications, fact sheets, promotional items, radio scripts, and activities. Please feel free to adapt and use the packet information to meet your programming needs.
- Kentucky’s Wonderful Commonwealth of Water (K-12)
- Lamotte Lesson Plans (Water Quality)
- Lamotte-developed lesson plans. These Lesson Plans are provided to help organize an existing curriculum, allowing the teacher to spend more time on hands-on activities that meet key classroom learning objectives and improve student achievement.
- Teacher-developed lesson plans. The following lesson plans were developed by educators for use with LaMotte products.
- Macro Mania
- Mammoth Cave National Park
- National Curriculum
- Rain Garden Grants and Lesson Plans for Schools. Lessons and activities to facilitate rain garden education. Whether you are building a rain garden at your school or simply incorporating rain gardens into your current curriculum, these activities can act as helpful resources. Each activity is aligned to Kentucky core content 4.1 and can be adapted to grades K-12. The Bluegrass Rain Garden Alliance offers a $500 grant to help a school in Central Kentucky build their own demonstration rain garden! Elligible counties include Franklin, Scott, Harrison, Nicholas, Bourbon, Clark, Montgomery, Fayette, Clark,Powell, Estill, Madison, Jessamine, Garrard, Lincoln, Boyle, Mercer, Woodford, and Anderson.
- Splashing in Kentucky: An Educator’s Guide to Nonpoint Source Water Pollution . A variety of lessons and content information for K-12 teachers.
- Stormwater Education Toolkit for Youth. Click on “Publications” and view links to a Water Festival Manual, student activities, lesson plans, student worksheets, and educational resources.
- Student Word Search
- Surveys and Evaluation. A sample collection of educational stormwater surveys.
- Water Environment Federation for Students. Check out this web page to download WEF’s materials and curricula for educating various age groups. Also provides information in Spanish.
- Environmental Resource Guides, Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention
- Water Science for Schools. The U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Water Science for Schools web site offering information on many aspects of water, along with pictures, data, maps, and an interactive center where you can give opinions and test your water knowledge.
- Water Sourcebooks. The Water Sourcebooks contain 324 activities for grades K-12 divided into four sections: K-2, 3-5, 5-8, and 9-12. Each section is divided into five chapters: Introduction to Water, Drinking Water and Wastewater Treatment, Surface Water Resources, Ground Water Resources, and Wetlands and Coastal Waters. This environmental education program explains the water management cycle using a balanced approach showing how it affects all aspects of the environment.All activities contain hands-on investigations, fact sheets, reference materials, and a glossary of terms. Activities are organized by objectives, materials needed, background information, advance preparation, procedures, and resources. All parts of the program may be printed and copied.
Stream Monitoring
- Adopt-A-Stream Programs. Partnering with Schools. Many Adopt-A-Stream programs partner with schools to develop interdisciplinary classroom curricula and activities. Through the program, teachers and students adopt a waterway, perform chemical, physical, and biological testing to determine water quality, and perform habitat restoration. Participating in such an interdisciplinary program gives classroom learning a real-life application, enhances students’ problem-solving capabilities, and provides community recognition of the students’ efforts. Teachers can select projects and activities that best match their students’ capabilities and the materials and resources available. The national Adopt-A-Stream organization , as well as numerous agencies nationwide, can provide teacher’s guides for developing a classroom Adopt-A-Stream program. Some schools find it valuable to enlist a co-sponsor, such as a community group or private organization, to aid them in their efforts. Co-sponsors vary in their involvement with the students. Some activities that co-sponsors can undertake include meeting with students to demonstrate community support for their efforts, helping to select an appropriate waterway, providing special information about the waterway, accompanying students on field trips, helping to prepare news releases and articles about the program, providing funds (if necessary), and helping to prepare a written report that compiles all of the data from schools in the watershed. Students and community members can then use this report as a focal point around which to plan strategies for involvement and actions for the coming year.
- Adopt Your Watershed. EPA is building a voluntary, national catalog of organizations involved in protecting local water bodies, including formal watershed alliances, local groups, and schools that conduct activities such as volunteer monitoring, cleanups, and restoration projects. You can search the EPA database by state and then by city to find local groups.
- Izaak Walton League of America—Save Our Streams Program. Save Our Streams (SOS) is a national watershed education and outreach program. Citizen involvement in watershed protection and conservation activities has proven to have measurable, positive results on the quality of our nation’s waters. Today, more than ever, citizen involvement is critical to the protection and restoration of America’s waters. Recognizing the importance of the work you do, we provide tools and resources to help you conserve local waterways.
- Kentucky Water Watch. The Kentucky Water Watch program is run by the Division of Water in support of all volunteer monitoring efforts statewide. The Water Watch program is dedicated to helping you protect Kentucky’s streams, rivers, lakes and wetlands. The Water Watch program accomplishes its goals through volunteer monitoring, community education initiatives and community leadership and action.
- Key to Macroinvertebrate Life in the River. An 11×17-inch key to help identify river critters.
- Stroud Water Research Center. Through rigorous research, education and public outreach, the Stroud Water Research Center, seeks to advance our global knowledge and stewardship of fresh water ecosystems. Driven by the philosophy that understanding the science of fresh water is fundamental to our ability to protect the integrity of this finite and vital resource, Stroud seeks to disseminate its research findings to its peers in the scientific and educational communities, as well as businesses, landowners, policy makers and individuals, to enable informed decision making that effects water quality and availability in our local communities and the world around us. They accomplish their goals through the pursuit of both basic and applied scientific research, as well as through educational programs, which serve audiences ranging in age from elementary school children to adults in continuing education programs.
- Volunteer Water Monitoring. This EPA site is a good place to start if you want to begin a volunteer water monitoring program. The site provides methods, a national newsletter, a listserv, conferences and related links.
- Wonderful, Wacky Water Critters. A detailed, illustrated guide to critters commonly found in many waterways. Written for young readers. Describes insects included in river key (see Key to Macroinvertebrate Life in the River) above.
- World Water Monitoring Day. World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) is an international outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world. Held annually between September 18 and October 18, the program engages communities in monitoring the condition of local rivers, streams, estuaries and other water bodies. Since its inception in 2002, more than 80,000 people have participated in 50 countries.
Volunteer Programs
- Adopt-A-Stream Programs. Partnering with Schools. Many Adopt-A-Stream programs partner with schools to develop interdisciplinary classroom curricula and activities. Through the program, teachers and students adopt a waterway, perform chemical, physical, and biological testing to determine water quality, and perform habitat restoration. Participating in such an interdisciplinary program gives classroom learning a real-life application, enhances students’ problem-solving capabilities, and provides community recognition of the students’ efforts. Teachers can select projects and activities that best match their students’ capabilities and the materials and resources available. The national Adopt-A-Stream organization , as well as numerous agencies nationwide, can provide teacher’s guides for developing a classroom Adopt-A-Stream program. Some schools find it valuable to enlist a co-sponsor, such as a community group or private organization, to aid them in their efforts. Co-sponsors vary in their involvement with the students. Some activities that co-sponsors can undertake include meeting with students to demonstrate community support for their efforts, helping to select an appropriate waterway, providing special information about the waterway, accompanying students on field trips, helping to prepare news releases and articles about the program, providing funds (if necessary), and helping to prepare a written report that compiles all of the data from schools in the watershed. Students and community members can then use this report as a focal point around which to plan strategies for involvement and actions for the coming year.
- Adopt Your Watershed. EPA is building a voluntary, national catalog of organizations involved in protecting local water bodies, including formal watershed alliances, local groups, and schools that conduct activities such as volunteer monitoring, cleanups, and restoration projects. You can search the EPA database by state and then by city to find local groups.
- National Service Learning Clearinghouse
- Volunteer for Change: A Guide to Environmental Community Service
- World Water Monitoring Day. World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) is an international outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world. Held annually between September 18 and October 18, the program engages communities in monitoring the condition of local rivers, streams, estuaries and other water bodies. Since its inception in 2002, more than 80,000 people have participated in 50 countries.
The radio show All Things Considered recently released a two-part series on stormwater pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. They do a great job in explaining the impact of polluting activities on a watershed. You can read it or listen to it from the links below.
Read part one here, focusing on agriculture, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121565792.
Read part two here, focusing on urban areas, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121588652.
 Let’s celebrate the successes that Kentucky’s Phase II MS4 communities have with their stormwater education and participation programs.
If you have a successful program or idea that you would like to share, please send a brief description of your program to kytc.stormwater@ky.gov , along with photos, so that we can add it to the success stories.
 Many teachers across the Commonwealth were trained by Environmental Educators on the available tools and teaching methods for stormwater quality and environmental responsibility. Stormwater Education Toolkits are now being used to implement education programs across our state.
 Girl and Boy Scouts label storm drains The City of Hopkinsville labeled storm drains to let residents know that the drain connects to local streams. Have you noticed storm drain labels in your neighborhood?
KYTC in partnership with KDOW will be facilitating two educational workshops for MS4 communities. Illicit Discharge Detection Elimination training and Post-Construction Stormwater Management training is planned for 2010. Check back soon for more details.
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