Stormwater Management for Park District

Since 2015, EKI has provided environmental consulting services to the East Bay Regional Parks District (EBRPD or Park District) in the East Bay region of California. EKI has completed projects related to site assessment and characterization, remediation planning, database management, and stormwater management and compliance.

After the closure of the Anthony Chabot Markmanship Range (ACMR), EKI developed and implemented the stormwater management program to comply with the Industrial General Permit (IGP) with the help of Park District and legal counsel. The Compliance strategy focused on mitigating risk from lead contamination from ACMR’s operations and included construction of catch basin risers and a pump system that promoted infiltration of stormwater and reduction of overall runoff, thereby avoiding the need for construction, operation and maintenance of a treatment system. EKI supported EBRPD in on-going monitoring and compliance under the IGP until successfully advocating with the Water Board to transfer stormwater oversight to the Water Board’s site cleanup group in 2023. Since 2023, EKI has provided as-needed stormwater services including maintenance of Best Management Practices (BMPs) and coordination with the Park District’s fuels management biochar program at ACMR.

For a former lead acid battery disposal site, Point Isabel, that was capped and converted into a public-use open space park, EKI provided stormwater compliance support. From 2018 until early 2025, EKI managed the stormwater compliance following the substantive requirements of the IGP, including Stormwater Prevention Plan (SWPPP) implementation, monitoring, BMP implementation, and strategy planning. EKI prepared a non-industrial pollutant source determination advocating that the total suspended solids (TSS) in the stormwater originated from park trails, not industrial contamination (i.e., underlying lead impacted soil). In early 2025, based on multiple years of data indicating no significant lead impacts in the stormwater, the Park District notified the Water Board that it would discontinue stormwater sampling.

EKI also provides project management and stormwater compliance support to EBRPD for the Tilden South County Corporation Yards. EKI coordinates with Mapistry to maintain up to date SWPPPs, implement BMP improvements, perform data QA/QC and SMARTS uploads, and assist with completion of the Annual Evaluation and Annual Report.

Outcome

EKI continues to support EBRPD comply with the IGP, implement BMPs and maintain SWPPPs for stormwater management in several areas on the Park District’s site.