Cape Girardeau's Water Quality Impact
Take the Clean Creeks Questionnaire to get involved with our program, influence the program’s direction, as well as measure and map the impact you have on our community creeks. Be sure to come back to the map to see your impact shown! When you’re done, learn more about the program below.
The updated Stormwater Management Permit Application is now online.
Please review the changes before your next submittal.
Questions about a project? Contact the Community Development Department for a pre-design meeting.
Permits, Forms & Compliance Resources
Find helpful forms, checklists, and guides for managing stormwater, construction, and floodplain compliance. These resources make it easy to apply for permits, complete inspections, and follow best practices for clean and responsible development.
Engineering Services & Information
Interactive Flood Hazard Map
View up-to-date flood zone information and assess property risk using the city’s interactive flood hazard mapping tool.
Missouri Gateway for Environmental Management (DNR ePermitting)
Access online DNR services to submit information and stay updated on current activities.
Cape Girardeau's Water Quality Impact
Take the Clean Creeks Questionnaire to get involved with our program, influence the program’s direction, as well as measure and map the impact you have on our community creeks. Be sure to come back to the map to see your impact shown! When you’re done, learn more about the program below.
Cape Girardeau's Water Quality Impact
Water that comes from rain or snow melt that doesn’t soak into the ground becomes stormwater. Stormwater has the potential to pick-up pollutants from streets, sidewalks, and parking lots and deposit them in surface waters. Unlike wastewater, stormwater is not treated by the City in a large treatment facility. Instead, hundreds of smaller treatment structures and methods are used throughout the City. Some of these treatment structures are under parking lots of new businesses, hidden in the landscaping of those businesses, or in the open spaces of a subdivision. Whether treated or untreated, Cape Girardeau’s stormwater, and the pollutants it carries, ends up in our many creeks. Sediments, trash, and chemicals can harm the aquatic life in our creeks and the Mississippi River, which is the drinking water source for many communities downstream.
Homeowners and residents can make small changes to help improve and protect water quality, but when all our community efforts are put together we can ensure our native plants and wildlife have what they need to thrive in and around our neighborhoods for years to come.
Typical activities that can cause harm to our creeks and streams are:
- Washing your car with detergent and chemicals, then allowing water to run down the street drain.
- Performing vehicle maintenance on the street and allowing oil and substances to flow in the street drain.
- Disposing of garden waste in drains, or accumulating leaves and yard clippings in gutters or driveways.
- Dropping litter where it can be washed down outdoor drains during a rain.
- Hosing dirt, soil and other waste from your driveway or sidewalk in to a street drain.
- Leaving behind pet droppings that can be carried to the stormwater system.
Developers
Building and development can have a substantial short and long-term impact on local water quality and the ability of our creeks and streams to harbor life. The Community Development Department seeks to be a partner in building our community while protecting its natural resources.
Stormwater Management Permit
Stormwater Management Permits assure that runoff during and after construction is adequately controlled. Stormwater Management Plans and Permits are required for any development for which no improvement plans have been approved, and developers must obtain a stormwater permit before a building permit is issued. The current fee is $100 for a Grading/Fill Permit and $200 for a Stormwater Permit. Both permits utilize the same application, just be sure to check the correct box for your project and include the correct fee.
Floodplain Development Permit
A Floodplain Development Permit must be obtained prior to the erection, addition or alteration of any building, structure or obstruction located in a flood hazard area, and prior to any grading or filling. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides flood hazard area maps.
Refer to the table below for MDNR Requirements
| MDNR Land Disturbance Permit Required? | |
Less than one acre (< 1 acre) | One acre or more (≥ 1 acre)
| |
Land disturbance by a developer (or a contractor working on their behalf), regardless of type of development (initial, commercial, residential) | Yes, if part of a larger common plan of development or sale with cumulative disturbance of one or more acres including individual residential lots in order to improve the lot for sale | Yes |
Land disturbance by an individual to reside on themselves (or a contractor working on their behalf) | No | Yes |
Contractors
Part of the City of Cape Girardeau’s commitment to the community is ensuring the regulations passed down by the State and Federal Government are followed. Inspections occur at both commercial and residential sites to ensure water quality is protected. City inspectors are available to answer questions before issues arise.
- It may help you to see our Site Inspection Checklist.
Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan
Project sites are a bustle of activity and can be difficult to manage without a clear plan. The Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) is a document prepared by the engineers and design professionals of a construction site that gives the site operator or general contractor all the information they need to successfully protect water quality throughout construction. Within the SWPPP are Best Management Practices (BMPs) that both keep your site’s waste and materials under control but also keep you compliant with regulations.
Use these Standard Drawings throughout planning and bid phases to ensure you are prepared for success on your site.
Check out the Clean Construction Brochure and Overview for helpful tips.
Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4)
Cape Girardeau is one of many communities, nationwide, that are required to protect water quality through the use of a Stormwater Management Plan as directed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). That plan is divided into 6 sections or Minimum Control Measures (MCMs).
- Public education and outreach – We reach you at home or work with information on how to keep Cape creeks clean.
- Public involvement and participation – Where you give us input on what is important to you regarding stormwater and ask you to join the effort in protecting water quality.
- Illicit discharge detection – When we, as a community, identify and eliminate pollutants that are entering our stormwater system or our creeks.
- Construction site stormwater runoff control – Keeping mud, dirt, and construction waste out of our streets and streams.
- Post-construction stormwater management in new development and re-development – Ensuring new construction is effectively treating stormwater for pollutants now and in the future.
- Pollution prevention, good housekeeping for community operations – Establishing good policy and procedures to ensure we are doing what we are able, to prevent stormwater pollution.
