Stormwater Runoff from construction activities can have a significant impact on water quality. As stormwater flows over a construction site, it can pick up pollutants like sediment, debris, and chemicals and transport these to a nearby storm sewer system or directly to a river, lake, or coastal water.

Polluted stormwater runoff can harm or kill fish and other wildlife. Sedimentation can destroy aquatic habitat, and high volumes of runoff can cause stream bank erosion. Debris can clog waterways and potentially reach the ocean where it can kill marine wildlife and impact habitat.

Numerous studies have shown that the amount of sediment transported by stormwater runoff from construction sites with no controls is significantly greater than from sites with controls.

In addition to sediment, construction activities yield pollutants such as pesticides, petroleum products, construction chemicals, solvents, asphalts, and acids that can contaminate stormwater runoff.

During storms, construction sites may be the source of sediment-laden runoff, which can overwhelm a small stream channel’s capacity, resulting in streambed scour, stream bank erosion, and destruction of near-stream vegetative cover.

Where left uncontrolled, sediment-laden runoff has been shown to result in the loss of in-stream habitats for fish and other aquatic species, an increased difficulty in filtering drinking water, the loss of drinking water reservoir storage capacity, and negative impacts on the navigational capacity of waterways.

Numerous sediment and erosion control BMPs are available to prevent water quality degradation.

Restore The Rivers  * 3088 Country Club Blvd. * Orange Park, FL 32073

Phone 904-327-1202   *  

Info@restoretherivers.com  *  www.restoretherivers.com  

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