Stormwater control measures (SCMs), also known as BMPs, or best management practices, are measures taken to control rainwater runoff into streams and lakes. As rainwater flows off pavement, rooftops, or even lawns, it carries pesticides, fertilizers, oil, and sediment. SCMs prevent those pollutants from reaching our lakes and streams. They may include actions that an ordinary citizens can take,  such as not using too much fertilizer,  cleaning up an oil spill on the driveway, or cleaning up a pet's waste.

For A&O, they include specific  structures designed by an engineer to filter out the pollutants before they reach streams. These structures may include bio-retention gardens,vegetation strips, or grassy swales. These use plants in the structures to slow the flow of stormwater to a controlled rate and filter out the pollutants. Another type of SCM A&O is familiar with is the level spreader, a type of SCM that dissipates the energy of water flowing down hill, which controls erosion.

SCMs have been an integral part of Alpha & Omega's work since our founding. Our experts examine the impacts of property development to conservation areas, wetlands, riparian buffers, landscape buffers, floodplains, easements, utilities, building setbacks, and roadway constraints on specific sites. We use a "hands-on" approach to assess each project for the most efficient and cost-effective erosion control, ensuring all projects meet or exceed local, state or federal erosion control requirements as specified by the Clean Water Act. Long-term maintenance is also a critical element of every design.

Example Projects