Section 10561.

The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:

(a) In many parts of the state stormwater is a source of surface water and groundwater contamination, contributing to a loss of usable water supplies, and the pollution and impairment of rivers, lakes, streams, and coastal waters.

(b) Improved management of stormwater, including, but not limited to, pollution prevention and source control, can improve water quality and increase water supplies for beneficial uses and the environment.

(c) Most of California's current stormwater drainage systems are designed to capture and convey water away from people and property rather than capturing that water for beneficial uses.

(d) Historical patterns of precipitation are predicted to change and an increasing amount of California's water is predicted to fall not as snow in the mountains, but as rain in other areas of the state. This will likely have a profound and transforming effect on California's hydrologic cycle and much of that water will no longer be captured by California's reservoirs, many of which are located to capture snow melt.

(e) Stormwater, properly managed, can contribute significantly to local water supplies through onsite storage and reuse, or letting it percolate into the ground to recharge groundwater, thereby increasing available supplies of drinking water.

(f) New developments and redevelopments should be designed to be consistent with low-impact development principles to improve the retention, reuse, and percolation of stormwater onsite.

(g) Stormwater can be managed to achieve environmental and societal benefits such as wetland creation, riverside habitats, instream flows, and an increase in urban green space.

(h) Stormwater management through multiobjective projects can achieve additional benefits, including augmenting recreation opportunities for communities, increased tree canopy, reduced urban heat island effect, and improved air quality.

(Added by Stats. 2009, Ch. 620, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2010.)