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<br />CW Stanford "Eco-Classroom" -Stormwater Background Information <br />Introduction <br />The eight grade science teachers approached Orange County staff involved in Stormwater <br />and water quality issues, regarding an outdoor or. "eco" classroom. Water quality and <br />Stormwater runoff pollution are part of the science curriculum, and the teachers saw a <br />need for "hands-on" learning. <br />There is a great opportunity to create an outdoor classroom centered on improving water <br />quality. The area on Stanford property under consideration has several benefits. These <br />include: <br />• A stream and forested riparian buffer; <br />• Receives a great deal of stormwater runoff from the school building, parking lots <br />and even the Orange High football stadium; <br />• Is accessible from the entrance driveway and bus parking lot; <br />• Contains a variety of mature trees <br />Stormwater Runoff and Water Quality <br />By focusing on water quality issues initially, staff can hopefully take advantage of <br />available grants through the state's Clean Water Management Trust Fund, and the federal <br />EPA's 319 grants given to water quality improvement projects. This can include not only <br />stormwater retro-fits for water quality, but walking trails and maybe even an <br />amphitheatre to more easily teach about water quality. The outdoor classroom can then <br />be easily adapted to other curriculum areas. <br />To help understand why there is funding available in this area, it is helpful to understand <br />the following key points about stormwater runoff. <br />• Impervious surface increases the amount and velocity of stormwater runoff; <br />• Impervious surface includes roads, rooftops, driveways, parking lots, etc.; <br />• More stormwater runoff and higher velocity increases the risk of erosion; <br />• Increased Stormwater runoff raises the likelihood of flooding while decreasing the <br />amount of water that soaks (infiltrates) into the ground.; <br />• Less infiltration leads to less groundwater, worsening the effects of drought; <br />• As Stormwater flows across impervious surfaces or exposed soil, it picks up <br />various pollutants, such as oil, grease, excess nutrients, bacteria, trash and <br />sediment; <br />• Polluted stormwater runoff flows into storm drains and through ditches where it is <br />discharged, untreated, into streams, rivers, and lakes; <br />• Stormwater runoff pollution adversely impacts aquatic ecosystems and drinking <br />water supplies; <br />Page 1 of 4 <br />