Watershed Management

This program is part of a nationwide effort to control the harmful effects of pollutants from urbanized areas on our nation’s waters. Continued development of land creates more hard surfaces (impervious areas) like roads, parking lots, sidewalks, and rooftops. When rain or snow falls onto vegetated land, most of it seeps into the ground, however, when this stormwater lands on hard surfaces, the runoff picks up sediment, nutrients, road salts, heavy metals, bacteria, oil and other pollutants that deteriorate the water quality of lakes and streams.

The City of Lincoln and the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District developed a Clean Water Program to identify the actions needed to improve the quality of stormwater runoff from developed (post-construction) areas to meet, at minimum, state standards.