Norman committee recommends stronger stormwater protections, new studies and funding steps

Amanda Nairn, chair of the stormwater subcommittee and an AIM steering committee member, told the Norman City Council study session on Feb. 27 that the group completed an update to the city’s 2009 stormwater master plan focused on water-quality protection, flood risk and capital needs.

The subcommittee recommended requiring larger stormwater treatment volumes for areas that drain to Lake Thunderbird, preserving existing Water Quality Protection Zone (WQPZ) widths in the development reserve area, expanding monitoring and condition assessments, and advancing studies and funding strategies to pay for remaining capital projects.

The plan update matters because much of Norman’s urban development sits in the Canadian River watershed, where confined stormwater paths, aging infrastructure and rising impervious area have increased flooding and erosion risks. The Lake Thunderbird watershed, by contrast, faces priorities tied to drinking-water protection and preserving riparian habitat, presenters said.

Nairn noted completed work since the 2009 plan, including a Water Quality Protection Zone ordinance adopted in 2011 and a fertilizer ordinance adopted in 2013, as well as capital projects…