Johnson County Stormwater Management Program strives to improve water quality in lakes and streams
August is Water Quality Awareness Month, a month to reflect on all the ways we can protect our most valuable natural resource: water.
When rain falls in neighborhoods, the stormwater flows downhill, into storm drains and eventually into natural bodies of water – streams, lakes and rivers. So, anything that’s on the ground ends up in our water! This includes trash and other pollutants like pet waste, oil and lawn chemicals. We care about protecting and improving water quality in our streams because it makes it easier to treat for drinking water, safe for recreation and it sustains our local ecosystems.
Johnson County’s Stormwater Management Program is devoted to protecting the quality of water in our lakes and streams. The program partners with the 20 cities in the county to provide stormwater management services. This includes funding projects to reduce flood risk, protect water quality, replace degraded infrastructure and more. There are steps we can all take as residents, too, to keep our waterways clean.
Johnson County’s role in protecting water quality
Stormwater interns Reed Eason (left) and Adele Van Lieshout (right) played a key role this summer in monitoring streams and stormwater infrastructure.
In Johnson County, stormwater pollution is our biggest concern when it comes to water quality. Stormwater pollution occurs when stormwater cannot soak into the ground because of surfaces like sidewalks, roads, driveways, roofs and buildings. Pollution like trash, sediment, pet waste, bacteria, nutrients and chemicals can be picked up with stormwater as it runs off through these surfaces.
The Stormwater Management Program devotes significant funding to preventing stormwater pollution and protecting our water quality. In 2026, they allocated around $2 million for water quality focused efforts. The program funds these types of projects and more:
- Stream buffer restoration
- Prairie and wetland restoration
- Residential rain gardens, native plantings and rain barrels
- K-12 watershed education
- Training programs for contractors/staff who maintain green infrastructure and inspect construction sites for erosion control
- Household hazardous waste programs for safe disposal of potential pollutants
The Stormwater Management Program also relied on the help of stormwater interns Adele Van Lieshout and Reed Eason this summer to monitor water quality in our local waterways. They performed hundreds of inspections of stormwater infrastructure such as:
- Outfall inspections: checking for issues like discharge and sediment buildup in storm pipes and drains
- BMP/GSI inspections: ensuring green stormwater infrastructure such as detention ponds are properly capturing runoff and properly vegetated
What you can do to protect our water quality
Stormwater staff are working hard to protect the quality of our water, and they encourage residents to act as well. There are simple steps you can take to slow stormwater runoff and keep pollutants from entering our lakes and streams. Check out Stormwater Management’s new Streamside Residents Guide, which features helpful information for residents with backyard streams and creeks.
Even seemingly harmless household chemicals and waste in your yard can be sources of pollution. Remember, if it’s on the ground it’s in the water!
- Dispose of hazardous chemicals properly, never pouring them down storm drains
- Limit use of fertilizer, which can run off into streams and cause nutrient pollution
- Pick up and throw away pet waste, which can carry harmful bacteria into streams
- Install a stormwater management project such as a rain barrel, rain garden, native tree or native plant
Through the Contain the Rain program, the county funds cities’ stormwater cost-share programs, reimbursing 50% of the cost of stormwater management projects. Projects like rain barrels store stormwater for use in your lawn or garden, preventing household chemicals from running off into nearby lakes and streams.
The program ends Nov. 1, but it’s never too early to start thinking about a project for next year. Contain the Rain will reopen in spring 2027.