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GRDA offering training on stormwater construction inspections

Oct 10, 2022

Image of a construction site with failing erosion control. A free workshop, offered by GRDA later this month will cover best practices for proper erosion control.

The Grand River Dam Authority is offering a free training for contractors, municipal staff and anyone who has responsibility for inspecting and/or installing erosion and sediment control on construction sites. The training will be held on October 25, 2022, at the GRDA Ecosystems and Education Center in Langley from 9am – 3:30pm, with lunch provided. An online option will also be available. To register visit https://bit.ly/3S9mfm0.

The training will cover what to include in a stormwater pollution prevention plan, who has the responsibility to inspect, how to properly install best management practices, how to conduct an inspection and a brief overview of the history of stormwater regulation and applicable laws.

Erosion from agriculture land, stream or shoreline erosion, yards with no or limited grass and constructions sites causes sediment to flow into waterways during a rain event causing sedimentation in our lakes, rivers, and streams. The best way to prevent erosion is to ensure soil is always covered, either by vegetation or other type of cover. If that is not possible, as it often is on a construction site, the best way to prevent sediment from leaving the site is to install best management practices such as silt fence, compost filter socks or sediment basins.

To help ensure erosion doesn’t leave a construction site, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality requires construction sites that disturb one or more acres of land to have a stormwater pollution prevention plan and obtain a stormwater construction permit (OKR10). If you are building on agriculture land, such as a new barn that will disturb one or more acres of land then the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry requires a stormwater construction permit be obtained from them.

“Not only does sediment reduce the holding capacity of our lakes, but it can also carry nutrients with it, resulting in increased algal blooms,” said Darrell Townsend, vice president of GRDA’s ecosystems and watershed management department. “While during this time of drought we aren’t seeing runoff happening, it is important that contractors are prepared for when the rain does return to reduce any impacts to our waterways.”

For more information on the training contact GRDA’s Jeri Fleming at jeri.fleming@grda.com or 405-334-6343.