WHAT WE DO
The Louisiana Stormwater Coalition (LSC) is a volunteer-led, grassroots organization focused on one goal: advocating for permanent funding for stormwater management programs across the state. Our co-founders, Dr. Jeff Kuehny, Kelly Hurtado, and Renee Verma, are committed to showing how these programs can be successfully implemented.
Our advocacy work is making an impact:
In 2021, we successfully passed SCR 24, which launched a statewide feasibility study and identified four main demonstration sites: LSU AgCenter Burden Wetlands, Bayou Fountain, Capitol Lake, and Monte Sano Bayou. Our ultimate goal is to use these projects as a model and publish a public manual on how to create a stormwater management program in Louisiana.
In 2022, we helped pass local-option state legislation that lets communities declare stormwater a utility. This is a game-changer, providing a reliable funding stream for programs that tackle flooding and water pollution. In 2023, this legislation was amended (HB 409, Act 319) to require a one-time public vote to approve a stormwater management fee.
We believe that a permanent funding model is the only way for Louisiana cities to effectively:
Reduce Litter: Keep streets clean with anti-litter education, improved recycling practices, and enforcement.
Prevent Flooding: Keep flood-causing sediments, trash, and pollution out of our waterways. This involves investing in new infrastructure, regular stormwater drain maintenance, and specialized equipment like litter-catching booms and green infrastructure projects designed to take in and absorb stormwater.
WHAT WE KNOW
Louisiana is ranked #1 in rainfall in the United States — we live with large amounts of water and litter so we must manage as one.
Water has no boundaries; Louisiana parishes must work together to prevent flooding and litter.
When you see litter on the street, you know there is a massive litter problem in the watershed.
When large amounts of rain, litter, and pollutants mix, they cause drainage issues, clog storm drains, lead to flooding, and harm wildlife.
Loose garbage is the enemy — litter on the street heads straight into storm drains during heavy rainfall and flows into our rivers, lakes, bayous, and wetlands.
To reduce litter on the streets and in watersheds, please BAG YOUR GARBAGE and tie it tight, and DO NOT OVERFILL your bins!
Single-use items and plastics are predicted to double by 2050 (Reuters, Plastic consumption on course to nearly double by 2050 - research, February 26, 2023)
Litter is a vicious cycle, no matter how much litter we pick up. Permanently funded stormwater management programs provide a reliable source of funding to help put programs, equipment, and systems in place to address issues.
Stormwater management programs focus on improving water quality and helping cities comply with the Clean Water Act and MS4 permits.
Many communities with established stormwater management programs have earned good Community Rating Systems (CRS) rankings, which is directly related to affordable insurance rates.
Litter comes from many sources — not just people. Solid waste and recycling best practices, as well as proper handling and transportation, are key to keeping our streets and watersheds clean.
The best stormwater programs are those with a two-pronged approach: 1) attack litter on the streets with anti-litter education and public awareness campaigns and staff dedicated to effective solid waste management as well as litter enforcement and fines. 2) capture flood-causing sediments, pollution and litter before they enter watersheds with infrastructure projects and improvement, drainage maintenance, and the strategic purchase, placement, and maintenance of stormwater equipment such as booms, band-a-longs, and hydrodynamic separators. Green infrastructure projects designed to “take-in” or hold and absorb stormwater diverting it from homes and businesses are also important stormwater program elements.
Closing the loop on pollution in the watersheds with stormwater equipment will help us protect our wildlife, reclaim Sportsman's Paradise, and keep litter out of the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico.
Stakeholder outreach, public education, accountability and transparency, are critical first steps to creating a successful stormwater management program. Define and understand the problem, devise a solution and determine a simple stormwater fee that reflects the needs and political realities of your community.