GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING RESOURCES

†To obtain Power Point versions of PDFs marked with a dagger, please contact the CCCWP at cleanwater@pw.cccounty.us or 925-313-2360.

*To obtain Word or Excel document versions of documents marked with an asterisk, please contact the CCCWP at cleanwater@pw.cccounty.us or 925-313-2360

The latest Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit (MRP 3.0) Provision C.3.j. requires Bay Area municipalities to implement their Green Infrastructure (GI) Plans. The previous Permit (MRP 2.0) required municipalities to develop these GI Plans to outline how Low Impact Development drainage design will be included in storm drain infrastructure.

In 2023 and 2024, CCCWP Permittees held a series of workshops to review the most up-to-date and most relevant GI planning and design resources in the region and to develop an updated resource inventory for Contra Costa Permittees to use when implementing their GI Plans.

The following resources may be useful during GI project planning, design, construction, and maintenance. Please note that these resources may need to be further adapted for local conditions; you will need to check with your local jurisdiction’s stormwater representative with questions.

Planning Guidance

Stormwater C.3 Guidebook
Contra Costa Clean Water Program
Ninth Edition, 2024

Green Infrastructure Design Guide
San Mateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program
Second Edition, 2020

Green Infrastructure Design Guide

San Mateo Countywide Sustainable Streets Masterplan
San Mateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program
January 2021

Sustainable Streets Master Plan

Green Infrastructure Feasibility Analysis Guidebook for Planned Roadway Projects
County of San Mateo
June 2022

SFPUC Asset Protection Standards (Asset Protection Standards | SFPUC.org)
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
May 2017

Guidance for Sizing Green Infrastructure Facilities in Street Projects
Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association (BASMAA)
June 2019

NOTE: Reduced sizing can only be used for road reconstruction projectsthat follow requirements outlined in MRP 3.0 Provision C.3.b.ii (5)(c), or that are non-regulated projects under C.3.b.
San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board staff provided conditional acceptance of this BASMAA guidance in a June 21, 2019 letter (PDF)

Design and Engineering Guidance

The CCCWP adopted a set of GI Typical Design Details in Spring 2024. The CCCWP set is based on details developed by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and the County of San Mateo, with some adaptations for Contra Costa Permittees. CCCWP GI Typical Design Details are included in the CCCWP Stormwater C.3 Guidebook, Appendix F. PDF and AutoCAD DWG files of the adopted details can be found on the C.3 Guidebook webpage.

CCCWP Green Infrastructure Typical Design Details
Contra Costa Clean Water Program
April 2024

Green Infrastructure (GI) Project Planning and Design

Here are some useful guidance manuals, design examples, and engineering details:

Bay Area Municipal Stormwater Collaborative (BAMSC, formerly BASMAA) website
- Committees Programs & Projects – BASMAA, includes various GI details and resources:
  - Urban Greening Typical Green Infrastructure Details (2017)
  - Guidance for Sizing Green Infrastructure Facilities in Street Projects (2017)
  - Note that reduced sizing can only be used for road reconstruction projects that follow requirements outlined in MRP 3.0 Provision C.3.b.ii (5)(c), or that are non-regulated projects under C.3.b.
Contra Costa Clean Water Program (CCCWP)
- Contra Costa Stormwater C.3 Guidebook (CCCWP, 2022)
Central Coast Low Impact Development Institute (LIDI)
- Central Coast LIDI Bioretention Standard Details and Specifications (Central Coast LIDI | centralcoastlidi.org) (CASQA and LIDI, 2017)
- Central Coast LIDI Complete Street/Green Street Checklist (PDF)
National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)
- NACTO Urban Street Stormwater Guide (NACTO | nacto.org)
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)
- SFPUC Stormwater Management Requirements and Design Guidelines (PDF) (SFPUC, May 2016)
  - Appendix B: Green Infrastructure Typical Details and Specifications (PDF) (SFPUC, September 2016)
Other
- San Mateo County Sustainable Green Streets and Parking Lots Design Guidebook (PDF)
- University of Arizona Green Infrastructure for Southwestern Neighborhoods (Water Resources Research Center | wrrc.arizona.edu) (University of Arizona, 2012)

Maintenance of Green Infrastructure Facilities

City of San Jose Green Stormwater Infrastructure Field Guide

Archive – Older References

Green Infrastructure Plan Preparation

Fact Sheet and Update for Municipal Staff — Preparing Green Infrastructure Plans (PDF)
Green Infrastructure Planning and Implementation Workshop, September 26, 2018
- Flyer (PDF)
- Agenda and Presentation Slides (PDF)†
Green Infrastructure Plan Template (PDF)*
Green Infrastructure Planning Tasks, Roles, and Timeframes (PDF)
Presentation Template: Developing a Green Infrastructure Plan for… (PDF)

Permittee Shared Resources for Green Infrastructure Plan Preparation

Staff and consultants who prepared Permittees’ local Green Infrastructure Plans assisted each other by sharing draft text, references, and other resources.

Draft generic text for Plan sections (PDF)* addressing Provision C.3.j.i.(2)(a), (“a mechanism… to prioritize and map areas for potential and planned projects…”; this text describes the development of project lists through the Contra Costa Watersheds Storm Water Resources Plan), and addressing Provision C.3.j.i.(2)(d), (“A process for tracking and mapping completed projects, public and private, and making the information publicly available; also addresses C.3.j.iv.). This text was prepared by Geosyntec Consultants for the City of Walnut Creek.

Public Outreach

CCCWP’s outreach efforts to promote Green Infrastructure have included the following:

Presentation to the American Public Works Association (PDF)† Northern California Chapter Conference, November 6, 2019
Presentation to the Contra Costa City/County Engineering Advisory Committee (PDF)†, January 17, 2019
Presentation to Contra Costa Planning Directors (PDF)†, January 11, 2019
Presentation to the California Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA) Quarterly Meeting, May 10, 2018
Presentation to Contra Costa Planning Directors (PDF)† at the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, May 10, 2018
Presentation on Green Infrastructure Planning as part of CCCWP’s April 24, 2018 C.3 Workshop for Municipal Staff and Land Development Professionals
Presentation to the East Bay Municipal Engineers, November 9, 2016

Early Implementation/No Missed Opportunities

Guidance for Identifying Green Infrastructure Potential in Capital Improvement Projects (PDF) (Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association Development Committee, May 6, 2016)

Policies to Support Green Infrastructure Implementation

Example Municipal Policies to Support Green Infrastructure Implementation (PDF)*