Emergency Burn Ban In Effect 10/26/24 - An emergency burn ban is now in effect for all Connecticut State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management areas, prohibiting the use of all outdoor grills, firepits, and campfires, and the kindling and use of flame outdoors. DEEP and local agencies are working to contain several active fires across the state. Please avoid all affected State Parks and Forests, as well as the blue-blazed Mattabesett Trail. The Enduro Trail in Voluntown and portions of North Stonington within the Pachaug State Forest are closed at this time. Rocky Neck State Park is also closed until further notice due to a brush fire. Please note that today's forest fire danger report remains at a 'very high' or 'extreme' level. More information about the current fire danger, burn ban and recommended safety measures can be found here

Connecticut Stormwater Quality Manual

--Updated Guidance Now Published--

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Connecticut Council on Soil and Water Conservation have collaborated to prepare the revised for the Connecticut Guidelines for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control and the Connecticut Stormwater Quality Manual (below). The effective date for these guidance documents is March 30, 2024. The full adoption of these documents will be phased, please see the details provided in Chapter 1. During the phased in adoption of the revised manual the 2004 version will also remain available below. As of September 30, 2024 the 2004 version will no longer be hosted online.

The revisions to these documents include:

 

  • Reformatting the Stormwater Quality Manual to focus on function
  • Updating the 90th percentile water quality storm and design storms with more recent data.
  • Including the Environmental Protection Agency’s performance curves to aide in evaluating the appropriate selection and sizing of best management practices for site-specific conditions.
  • Incorporating updated Low Impact Development guidance into the body of the document to be consistent with permit requirements
  • Adding workflow processes and checklists to streamline site design to meet a variety of stormwater quality programs and promote site design to preserve on site assets.
  • Updating technical design details.
  • Updates to provide better consistency between the two guidance documents.

Updated Stormwater Quality Manual

The Connecticut Stormwater Quality Manual provides guidance on the measures necessary to protect the waters of the State of Connecticut from the adverse impacts of post-construction stormwater runoff. This manual focuses on site planning, source control, and stormwater treatment practices and is intended for use as a planning tool and design guidance document by the regulated and regulatory communities involved in stormwater quality management.

View the Full Connecticut Stormwater Quality Manual

Or choose one or more of the specific sections to download separately: