Stormwater Program

Quick Info Grand River: Yours To Protect Green Car Care Tips Green Home Tips Green Lawn And Garden Tips

The City of Walker’s storm sewer system is designed to prevent flooding by carrying excess rainwater away from streets, homes, and businesses. Because the system contains no treatment mechanism, it also serves the unintended function of carrying urban pollution straight into our lakes and streams.

Rain combined with urban pollutants creates storm water pollution. These pollutants include: oil, automobile fluids, brake pad shavings, paint and construction debris, yard and pet wastes, pesticides, sedimentation, and litter. Simply put, anything that enters the storm sewer system will end up in the local creeks and ultimately the Grand River.

Each time it rains, tremendous amounts of polluted urban runoff enters our streams untreated, leaving toxic chemicals in our creeks and river and tons of trash along their banks. Urban runoff contaminates our streams and rivers, harms aquatic life and increases the risk of flooding by clogging storm drains and catch basins. Overall, storm water pollution cost this country millions of dollars per year.

Locally, stormwater flows to Indian Mill Creek, Tallman Creek, York Creek, Portfleet Creek and Sand Creek via the storm sewer system. Indian Mill Creek is a State designated Trout Stream.  All streams located within the City of Walker are part of the Lower Grand River Watershed.

These Best Management Practices (BMPs) will ensure cleaner lakes and streams and a cleaner City of Walker:

• Rain Gardens

• Landscaping, Gardening & Pest Control

• Food Service Industry

• Automotive Maintenance & Car Care

• Heavy Equipment & Earth Moving Activities

• Detention Pond Maintenance

• Home Repair & Remodeling

• Illicit Discharges or Connections

We have also made these Citizen's Guide available in PDF format:

• Fertilizer

• Native Plants

• Stormwater

Stormwater Permit Program

With a finite water resource and a growing population, the need to carefully and cooperatively manage and protect the City of Walker’s rivers and streams has become a priority.

In March of 2003, the Walker City Commission adopted chapter 67 of the Walker Code of Ordinances, more commonly referred to as the Stormwater Ordinance. Following a countywide effort, the City of Walker enacted this environmental legislation to further improve the stormwater quality within our region.

A stormwater permit is required of every development that goes through the Planning Commission process. Copies of the Stormwater permit applications and ordinance are available at City Hall or online in the Stormwater Forms & Documents Section.

For more information regarding the Stormwater Permitting Program, please contact Bonnie Broadwater at (616)791-6327.

Stormwater Forms and Documents

Stormwater Ordinance
Stormwater Ordinance Amendment (09-566)
Stormwater Permit Packet
Stormwater Zones Map
Kent County Development Drainage Rules
Flood Insurance Rates Map #10 (PDF file)
Flood Insurance Rates Map #15

Stormwater Contacts

Spill Response:
City of Walker Fire Department - 911
City of Walker Public Works - (616)791-6854
Department of Environmental Quality – (800)292-4706

Recycling and Household Hazardous Waste Disposal:
Kent County: Department of Public Works, Resource Recovery - (616)336-2501

To Report Illegal Dumping:
City of Walker Police Department - 911
City of Walker Engineering Department – (616)791-6327

To Report a Drainage Problem:
City of Walker Public Works - (616)791-6854
City of Walker Engineering Department – (616)791-6327

Helpful Related Links

Kent County Drain Commission - The mission of the Kent County Drain Commission is to establish, improve and maintain stormwater drainage for the public safety, health, convenience, and welfare of the citizens of Kent County and also to be an effective and efficient steward of our natural and fiscal resources.

Kent County Road Commission - The Kent County Road Commission web site provides information about the road system in Kent County. Also, included are links to local townships and city web pages.

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality - The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) web site is your link to information regarding the environment of Michigan. Information is available about wetlands, surface waters, environmental assistance programs, and much more. You can also find phone numbers, addresses, and web links to the different divisions of the MDEQ.

Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute - The Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute (WRI) is based at Grand Valley University and its mission is to preserve, protect, and improve our natural resources through research and public education. WRI also partners with schools and community groups to provide education and technical resources.

Grand Valley Metropolitan Council - The Grand Valley Metropolitan Council (GVMC) is an alliance of governmental units in the Grand Rapids, Michigan metropolitan area that are appointed to plan for the growth and development, improve the quality of the community's life, and coordinate governmental services.

REGIS - REGIS is a multi-participant Geographic Information System providing information in a graphical format for the use by local and county government agencies and their constituents. An example of the information available would be the location maps for the established county drains in Kent County.

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
Phase II Program Public Education Plan (PEP)

Adopt-A-Stream Information
Home*A*Syst Information
Kent County Recycling/Household Hazardous Waste Information
Illicit Discharge Interactive Demonstration
After the Storm