Protecting Our Streams

Protecting the city's natural resources is vital to our economy and community.  The Engineering, Stormwater, and Streets & Drains Department staff conduct the following activities routinely to identify and eliminate pollution in the community:

• Inspection of city-owned stormwater infrastructure to ensure they are working properly and to identify/eliminate unauthorized connections or discharges to streams or rivers

• Mapping stormwater infrastructure with GPS equipment as required in our small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (small MS4 permit) program

• Conducting inspections of private stormwater systems and ponds at commercial establishments, provide owners with findings, and give them a time-line to repair/eliminate problems that are impacting our waterways

• Water monitoring in our streams to track down problems and ensure compliance with the North Augusta Water Quality Baseline Assessment

• Walking down our streams and creeks to identify unauthorized discharges to them

• Conducting special studies in certain priority areas to improve water quality

• Prioritizing drainage basins and working together to guide development with water quality in mind, see the North Augusta Water Quality Manual to alleviate potential further impacts during construction and post construction

• Responding to citizens that alert us to problems by inspecting, identifying and eliminating unauthorized discharges in neighborhoods

In addition to these on-the-ground activities to protect our natural resources, there are city, state and federal regulations providing natural resource protection for our community.  Locally, the North Augusta Planning Department, City Council, and Planning Commission drafted and adopted the North Augusta Comprehensive Plan in 2005 to help identify and protect our natural resources. The commission devoted a full chapter of the plan to our ecosystems in the section entitled Natural Resources. From the plan, the City Development Code.