Stormwater

Font Size: + -

Feedback Print

Stormwater is rainwater or melted snow that runs off streets, roofs, lawns and other sites. It either soaks into exposed soil and vegetation or runs over impervious surfaces until it drains into a body of water. In our area, stormwater ultimately flows into Coos Bay.

The existing storm drain system owned and maintained by the City of Coos Bay includes approximately 48 miles of gravity piping and three stormwater pumping stations. Stormwater collected from within the City is typically piped from developed areas, such as neighborhoods, and discharged into the nearest natural water body, such as local streams, ditches, sloughs, or lakes. The Water Quality team works to keep this water flowing by maintaining culverts and ditches, cleaning catch basins, and removing debris.

When stormwater runs over the ground, lawns, streets, and other surfaces, it can pick up debris and pollutants such as leaves from vegetation, trash from litter, bacteria from animal waste, oil from streets, and phosphorous and nitrogen from fertilizers. Without treatment, all of this ends up in our streams and bay.

Keep Storm Drains and Streets Clear

The catch basins in our streets catch and move rainwater downstream to the bay. Help keep fallen leaves and yard debris out of streets and storm drains to prevent flooding. Putting your leaves into the street is prohibited by Coos Bay Municipal Code 8.30.070 (9).

The City of Coos Bay has over 1,900 catch basins throughout the City and over 85 miles of paved roadway to keep clean. The City's street sweeper plays an important role in removing leaves and debris from the streets before they go into the storm drain system. The street sweeper runs everyday and helps with cleaning of the downtown areas and high traffic areas such as bridges. The street sweeper's maximum speed when not cleaning is 30 mph. When running all day, it makes six dump runs to deposit its collected material at a city-owned designated location.

The street sweeper does an important job, but it can't take care of all the leaves and debris by itself. You can help by keeping leaves out of the street and removing leaves and debris from catch basins near your property.

Keep Pet Waste Out of Stormwater

Scoop it. Bag it. Trash it.

Dog poop is more than just a squishy, smelly nuisance! It puts kids, adults, pets and wildlife at risk. Pet waste is full of harmful fecal coliform bacteria that can make us really sick. When it rains, the bacteria from pet waste washes into the catch basins and ultimately into Coos Bay, where the pollutants negatively affect the water quality.

Please remove pet waste from your yard and dispose of it with trash. When walking your dog in town, please pick up any poop in a bag and put it in the trash. City parks have poop bags for use; please use them or your own bag to properly dispose of dog poop. Doing so keeps our streets and parks cleaner and helps our water quality.

Oil & Water Do Not Mix

Please be sure to fix any oil leaks promptly and always check for any leaks. According to the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), used motor oil is the largest single source of oil pollution in our receiving waters. Oil does not dissolve in water and lasts a long time. Oil and other petroleum products are toxic to people, wildlife and plants. One pint of oil can make an oil slick larger than a football field.

To help reduce water pollution, the City has constructed two "green" parking lots that have treatment components installed to both help treat stormwater prior to it entering the bay and also help reduce the stormwater runoff volume leaving the parking lots.

EPA-stormwater

FAQs

Expand/Contract Questions and Answers

If the street sweeper is coming by anyway, can I blow/sweep my leaves into the street so the sweeper can clear them?
No. Putting your leaves into the street is prohibited by Coos Bay Municipal Code 8.30.

Please do not rake or blow leaves and other yard debris into the streets where they can get into the storm drain system. If you hire landscaping companies, please contact them and make sure that they are not doing so. Leaves on the street create standing water, making it much more difficult for the streetsweeper to work. This also causes the sweeper tank to fill up faster, taking twice as long to complete an area for cleaning.

The storm drains in your street catch and move rainwater to the Bay and away from your property. The City is constantly cleaning out catch basins. If leaves and other debris cover the catch basins the system can simply not be effective in moving water as designed, and there are multiple places that regularly experience flooding. Flooding occurs in these areas and can cause very unsafe roadway conditions. Free-flowing storm drain systems help convey the water to the Bay as designed.
What can I do with leaves?
Putting your leaves into the street is prohibited by Coos Bay Municipal Code 8.30. Do not blow, rake, or sweep leaves into the street. Leaves can be turned into beneficial compost or shredded with a mower to provide essential nutrients for a lawn and help reduce the need for fertilizer. Shredded leaves can also be used as mulch on gardens and in flower beds, around trees and shrubs. Adding 2-3” layer of shredded leaves to the beds (ensuring that the mulch is not directly touching the stems and trunks of plants) can help retain moisture in the soil, stays cool, and limits weed seed germination. Leaves are a great source of high-carbon material for any compost pile.
What should I do about a clogged storm drain?
If you can do so safely, use a rake or shovel to remove leaves and debris from the top of the storm drain. Be careful of street traffic and water flow while doing so. Work from the curb and be sure to be out of the street.

Contact the Public Works Department at 541-269-8918 to report a clogged storm drain. Please provide the street and location, i.e. nearest address or cross street.

If the flooding is an emergency, such as a being a danger to traffic, immediately call 9-1-1.
Why can’t leaves go into the storm drain? They're biodegradable.
Leaves are biodegradable, but they clog the stormwater system. It usually takes leaves two to six months to decompose, and can be as long as two to three years if they are piled deep. If they are in the storm drain system, leaves will cause blockages and back up the water to create flooding. Large clumps of leaves can also snag other debris such as rocks, trash, and dirt to create a larger blockage and clog lines. Putting your leaves into the street is prohibited by Coos Bay Municipal Code 8.30.

City of Coos Bay

FIND A SERVICE

HOW DO I…

Keep Storm Drains and Streets Clear

Scoop it. Bag it. Trash it.

Everything Drains to the Bay

Stormwater

Keep Storm Drains and Streets Clear

Keep Pet Waste Out of Stormwater

Oil & Water Do Not Mix

FAQs

If the street sweeper is coming by anyway, can I blow/sweep my leaves into the street so the sweeper can clear them?

What can I do with leaves?

What should I do about a clogged storm drain?

Why can’t leaves go into the storm drain? They're biodegradable.