Local Community Participation in General Permit

Rouge River Watershed

Current river restoration and protection activities in the Rouge River watershed are largely guided by the new, innovative watershed-based NPDES general permit ("General Permit") for municipal storm water discharges which was issued on July 31, 1997 by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). Under the General Permit, the Rouge communities formed seven major subwatershed "Storm Water Management Areas" from the original 11 subwatersheds delineated in the Rouge Remedial Action Plan (RAP) in 1989. The Rouge River Storm Water Management Areas are:

• Lower 1 Rouge River Subwatershed
• Lower 2 Rouge River Subwatershed
• Middle 1 Rouge River Subwatershed
• Middle 3 Rouge River Subwatershed
• Main 1-2 Rouge River Subwatershed
• Main 3-4 Rouge River Subwatershed
• Upper Rouge River Subwatershed
• Ecorse Creek Watershed

Rouge storm water management areas:

:: Click here for a more detailed picture of
Rouge Stormwater Management ::

:: Click here for the Rouge River watershed base map ::

Each subwatershed has established a Subwatershed Advisory Group (SWAG). An initial activity of each SWAG was to coordinate submission of applications for coverage under the General Permit. In the Rouge River Watershed, 46 out of the 48 communities are included within the federal NPDES Phase II storm water regulations. To date, MDEQ has issued 41 Certificates of Coverage under its voluntary storm water general permit to communities or agencies in the Rouge watershed. 

In each SWAG, the communities or public agencies with storm water management responsibilities have begun implementation of two plans which were required to be submitted at the time of application for coverage under the General Permit. Illicit Discharge Elimination Plans (IDEP) have the goal of eliminating raw sewage discharges and includes addressing failing septic systems and improper connections of sanitary sewers to storm drains and open waterways. Public Education Plans (PEP) are designed to inform residents and businesses what actions they should take to protect the river.

The Rouge SWAGs are now focusing on the other two elements to permit compliance:

• Cooperative development of a Watershed Management Plan to resolve water quality concerns which includes: short and long term goals for the watershed, delineation of actions needed to achieve the goals, estimated benefits and costs of management options, implementation of a public participation process providing opportunity for the public to participate in the development of the watershed management plan.
  
  
• Development of Storm Water Pollution Prevention Initiatives which includes evaluation and implementation of pollution prevention and good housekeeping practices and the evaluation and implementation of BMPs to minimize impacts of new development and redevelopment by each permittee.

The SWAGs have been developing watershed management plans for their subwatersheds, identifying missions and visions, goals and objectives, and a preliminary list of storm water management activities to be implemented. Following is a summary of information about each Rouge SWAG and links to additional information about each SWAG.

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