Stormwater Resource Plan

The Santa Clara Basin Stormwater Resource Plan (SWRP) is a planning document that identifies and prioritizes local and regional Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) projects that can be implemented to improve local surface water quality through enhanced stormwater management. The SWRP addresses the area of the Santa Clara Basin within the boundaries of Santa Clara County. This area drains to San Francisco Bay and encompasses 13 local cities and towns, and four major sub-watersheds, including Coyote Creek, Guadalupe River, West Valley, and Lower Peninsula watershed areas, in addition to the Baylands area.

The Plan provides a prioritized list of potential multi-benefit GSI project opportunities and strategies for implementation of these and future project opportunities. GSI project opportunities fall into three categories:

1.   Low Impact Development (LID): For purposes of the SWRP, LID projects are stormwater capture facilities that treat runoff generated from a publicly-owned parcel on that parcel.
2.   Regional stormwater capture: These regional projects capture and treat stormwater from off-site sources such as off-site surface runoff and diversions from storm drains, channels, culverts, and streams.
3.   Green streets: These street projects are stormwater capture opportunities in the public right-of-way that capture runoff from the street and adjacent areas that drain into the street.