BEsT MANAGEMENT PRACTICEs HANDbooK - Tahoe BMP

4.2 POLLUTANT SOURCE CONTROLUrban land uses around the Lake Tahoe Region can generate pollutants such assediment, nutrients, heavy metals, pesticides, oil and grease, and hazardousmaterials; all which can impact surface water, groundwater, soils, aquaticecosystems, and human health.Source control BMPs are standard practices that help avoid and minimize therelease of pollutants from various land use activities into the environment.Rather than expending time and limited resources to treat pollutants that havebeen displaced into surface or ground waters, source control prevents orminimizes the pollutant loading at the source. Pollutant source control BMPsare the first line of defense to prevent pollution of surface and ground waters ofthe Lake Tahoe Region.4.2.1 ROADWAY AND PARKING LOT POLLUTANT PREVENTIONHighways, roads, and parking lots are the primary contributors of finesediment into Lake Tahoe, the leading cause of water clarity decline. Otherpollutants that accumulate on asphalt surfaces and become entrained instormwater include nutrients, salts, oil and grease, and heavy metals. Frequentand appropriate management of asphalt surfaces will provide many pollutantsource control benefits, and prevent premature clogging and failure ofdownstream infiltration and treatment based BMPs. Following properapplication and timing of abrasives and deicing agents, conducting frequentstreet sweeping, and storing snow in designated areas away from surface waterscan drastically minimize these pollutants from degrading surface and groundwaters.TRPA BMP HandbookChapter 4: BMP Toolkit2012 Page 1