Welcome!
This is the Engage Ann Arbor site for the city's Stormwater Comprehensive Plan.
Background
This project will incorporate and align all existing plans and studies into a single, comprehensive plan. This plan will provide a cohesive philosophy to guide staff, inform decisions, and incorporate resiliency and climate adaptation strategies as key elements in future decision-making and design.
Get Involved
The goal of the City of Ann Arbor Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan public engagement is to gather input, raise awareness, and build support for Ann Arbor’s stormwater management initiatives as well as to help in the reprioritization of existing level of service principles., as this needs to be a plan that guides the future growth and advancement for all residences of Ann Arbor.
The City and its consulting team will provide various ways to engage with the plan including: public meetings, working groups, and presentations.
Stay in the loop!
Please fill out the form on this page to stay in the loop on upcoming opportunities
Opportunities
Join a Focus Group
Check back soon for information about how YOU can be involved in future stormwater focus groups.
Learn More
A stormwater comprehensive plan will consolidate numerous existing plans and studies (such as the City’s Hazard Mitigation Plan, climate adaptation strategies, watershed planning efforts, located drainage studies, and the City’s 2017 Level of Service Study) into a single, aligned Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan to guide City staff and inform decision making and stormwater design. This Plan is the first of its kind in the Michigan, and the Great Lakes Region, and will incorporate resiliency planning into the stormwater management philosophy, including acute event strategies and planning methods as well as longer term resiliency planning methods. The purpose of this plan is to develop a strategic path forward for the City’s stormwater management efforts.
- Documenting the City’s current stormwater management practices to best inform future enhancements
- Building on the City’s current successful and strong stormwater management programs such as the tree canopy and the storm utility fining programs
- Developing a plan to address current and future challenges (e.g., climate change, funding, social justice, and water quality) and ensure resiliency planning strategies are in alignment with the A2ZERO Plan
- Continuing to support the City’s stance as a regional and national leader in stormwater and water quality
- Providing a voice for stakeholders by encouraging and incorporating stakeholder input into the process of shaping the City’s stormwater future
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Helpful Visuals
Ann Arbor's Stormwater Infrastructure
Ann Arbor's stormwater system was developed over 100 years ago to meet the needs of a smaller, drier city. Precipitation in Ann Arbor has increased more than 45% over the past 50 years, which amounts to more than 40 University of Michigan “Big House” football stadiums worth of additional water every year draining into the Huron River.
Rainfall that lands on rooftops, lawns, farms and pavement picks up whatever debris and pollutants may reside there and runs into creeks, streams, rivers and lakes. Studies of stormwater outflows have revealed concentrations of heavy metals such as dissolved copper and zinc at levels exceeding acute and chronic toxicity criteria.
Our mission is to help prevent contaminated stormwater run-off from polluting the Huron River. We work with local partners such as the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner, Huron River Watershed Council and University of Michigan Environment, Health & Safety, to protect the environment, preserve and improve the quality our city’s primary source of drinking water, and ensure the beauty of the Huron River so it continues to be enjoyed today and for generations to come.
