The Stormwater Management Manual will undergo an update

The Stormwater Management Manual will begin to undergo an update following the Feb. 18 public hearing, where the Board of Mesa County Commissioners unanimously approved a $297,482 agreement with Wright Water Engineers, Inc. to align the manual with current industry standards.

The update of the 2007 manual version will be a collaborative effort between Mesa County (40%), the City of Grand Junction (40%), the City of Fruita (10%), the Town of Palisade (5%), Mesa County Valley School District 51 (5%), and the contractor to ensure we are using the latest best practices to manage stormwater across our communities. 

The manual is a shared guide to promote public health, safety, and general welfare and minimize losses due to flooding through the adoption of policies, procedures, standards, and criteria for storm drainage.

This update will replace outdated techniques with more effective, modern approaches. For example, one goal is to use rainfall data from Mesa County rather than the Front Range for water quality capture volume to save developers, Mesa County, and municipalities money. 

Once a working draft of the updated manual is available, it will be posted online for public review, allowing community members to ask questions and provide feedback. Additionally, two public meetings will be held to engage developers and residents in the update process.

Please stay tuned for more information on opportunities to give feedback as the process develops.