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Stormwater Management
Managing Stormwater in Our Community
About Stormwater
Stormwater can pose a risk to our water resources. Pollutants in stormwater can impact lakes, streams, and rivers. Our community has adopted programs to control stormwater pollution.
Who Manages Stormwater Runoff?
The traditional approach to stormwater management focused on flood control. Today, Coralville manages both water quality and quantity by using practices that infiltrate more rainfall and reduce the volume of stormwater runoff. Residents, businesses, and builders and developers also have a role to play.
Grants Available
Residents can apply for a grant to help install stormwater management practices on their property like rain gardens, soil quality restoration, and more.
Stormwater in Coralville
The City of Coralville proper consists of 12 square miles of mostly urban land uses. There are approximately 17 miles of streams, 1.5 miles of river, 7 regional stormwater ponds, and 900 infiltration-based stormwater practices (rain gardens, porous paving, infiltration trenches, green roofs, stormwater planter boxes, and soil quality restoration practices).
Where Does the Water Go?
All of the streams and ponds drain into the Iowa River. The Clear Creek Watershed and its tributaries (Biscuit, Muddy, Oakdale, and Un-named) collect 70% of the stormwater runoff in Coralville. The remaining 30% is conveyed to the Muddy Creek Watershed (and its tributary Altana Creek).
| Stream Name | Linear Ft. | Miles |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa River | 8,366 | 1.6 |
| Clear Creek | 35,343 | 6.7 |
| Biscuit Creek | 5,350 | 1 |
| Muddy Creek | 12,849 | 2.4 |
| Oakdale Creek | 7,432 | 1.4 |
| Un-named (west land use) | 11,440 | 2.2 |
| Altana Creek | 16,472 | 3.1 |
| Total | 97,252 | 18.4 |
What Is Stormwater Runoff?
Stormwater runoff is rainfall or snowmelt that runs off impervious surfaces like roads, buildings, and compacted soils. Stormwater runoff is collected and conveyed through storm sewers directly into streams, rivers, and lakes without being treated.
The Problem
Pollutants accumulate on impervious surfaces between rainfall events. Frequent, small rains wash pollutants into streams, rivers, and lakes. These pollutants negatively impact water quality.
As communities grow, impervious areas increase. Greater impervious surfaces cause the volume and rate of stormwater runoff to increase. This can result in flooding, stream channel degradation, and increased water pollution in our surface waters.
Learn More
Get help from the City when installing stormwater management practices on your property.
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Awareness, Responsibility, & Construction Sites
Prevent stormwater pollution, learn how pollutants are managed at construction sites, and report a stormwater concern.
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City Stormwater Regulations
See Coralville's requirements for the City's stormwater management program.
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Helpful Resources
Find guides to help you learn about and manage stormwater.
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Post-Construction Stormwater Ordinance & Redevelopment Policy
Learn about the ordinance that addresses how stormwater is managed on new development and re-development in our community.
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See Coralville's requirements for the City's stormwater management program.
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Forms, Permits, & Resources
Get the Construction Site Runoff Permit (CSR), Final Stormwater Managerment Plan Checklist, inspection fees, and other resources.
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Post-Construction Stormwater Ordinance & Policy for Redevelopments
View the ordinance that addresses how stormwater is managed on new development and re-development in our community, and the policy that provides post-construction stormwater requirements for redevelopment projects.
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