
What are best management practices?
Stormwater comes from rain or melting snow that does not soak into the ground. As it flows, stormwater runoff collects and transports potential pollutants that can harm our rivers, streams, lakes, and coastal waters.
To protect these resources, communities, construction companies, industries, and others, use stormwater controls, known as best management practices (BMPs). These BMPs filter out pollutants and/or prevent pollution by controlling it at its source.
The Riverside County Design Handbook for Low Impact Development Best Management Practices
The Design Handbooks for Low Impact Development Best Management Practices (LID BMP Design Handbooks) were developed by the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, for use on development projects in Riverside County, as a supplement to be used in conjunction with the Riverside County Water Quality Management Plans (WQMPs) for the Santa Ana, Santa Margarita, and Whitewater River watersheds.
These manuals provide design and maintenance guidance for a suite of BMPs that have been accepted for use within Riverside County. However, before selecting particular BMPs for use on your site, it is necessary to consult the WQMP applicable to your project – based on the watershed permit area it is located within, and to consult the applicable local jurisdiction.
Please Note: This handbook utilizes Microsoft Excel worksheets to aid in calculating VBMP and QBMP, and for designing and documenting your design for each BMP. The PDF files linked below include the Excel files as embedded attachments. If your version of Acrobat does not support attachments then please download the zip files below to access the excel sheets.