New York State Stormwater Management Design Manual
2022 Draft
DEC is making the final draft of the New York State Stormwater Management Design Manual (PDF, 21 MB) available for public review and comment.
NOTE: The period for public review and comment has been extended to December 18, 2022.
The current version of the Design Manual, dated January 2015, is referenced in the DEC's SPDES General Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Construction Activity (GP-0-20-001) and provides the standards and specifications for the selection, design, installation, and maintenance of stormwater management practices (SMPs). Where post-construction stormwater controls are needed, the Owner/Operator of a construction project subject to GP-0-20-001 must use the Design Manual, or the equivalent, to develop a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). Nearly 1,500 construction projects per year are authorized under the general permit with the majority requiring post-construction controls.
Since the initial version of the Design Manual in 2001, it has been periodically updated to incorporate advancements in technology, add new SMPs, and address issues/questions identified by stakeholders (e.g. privates sector consultants, other governmental agencies, etc.) that use the document.
The following is a summary of the changes in the final draft of the Design Manual:
- New chapter for stormwater management practices in urban areas
- Updated rainfall and climate guidance to improve the resiliency of the post-construction stormwater management practices
- Enhanced guidance for Pollutants of Concern (Phosphorus, Nitrogen, Pathogens, Floatables and Silt/Sediment).
- Enhanced guidance for practices (infiltration, bioretention filters)
- Enhanced guidance for green infrastructure with poor site conditions
- Added new practices
- Clarification of the Water Quality volume sizing criteria for Redevelopment projects
- Standard details for the stormwater management practices and green infrastructure practices
- Added Stormwater Management Design Examples
- Added Stormwater Management and Green Infrastructure Practice maintenance chapter required by the EPA
- Updated infiltration testing information
This project is an Unlisted Action under the State Environmental Quality Review Act. A Negative Declaration is on file for the New York State Stormwater Management Design Manual. A coordinated review was not performed in accordance with 6NYCRR Part 617.6(b)(4).
Written comments on the draft Design Manual will be accepted by fax or mail until December 18, 2022. The comments shall be submitted to the contact below. Comments can also be submitted electronically to Stormwater_info@dec.ny.gov. If submitting comments by e-mail, please include "Comments on the 2022 Draft Design Manual" in the subject line.
Contact Information:
Emanuel Olff
518-402-8111
Emanuel.Olff@dec.ny.gov
2015 Design Manual
The New York State Stormwater Management Design Manual provides designers with a general overview on how to size, design, select, and locate stormwater management practices at a development site to comply with State stormwater performance standards. This manual is a key component of the Phase II State Pollution Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) general permit for stormwater runoff from construction activities from all sizes of disturbance.
The 2015 updates include the addition of pond safety provisions in Chapter 6, updated isohyet (precipitation) maps in Chapter 4 and clarification of sizing criteria in Chapters 3, 4, 9, and 10 to be consistent with recent changes to Construction General Permit (GP-0-15-002).
This manual was originally prepared for DEC by the Center for Watershed Protection and made available to the Empire State Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society for distribution.
The New York State Stormwater Management Design Manual is available for download at this site. Alternatively, the document may be purchased as a paper copy by sending an order form (on the right column of this page) to the Empire State Chapter Soil and Water Conservation Society.
Individual chapters and Appendices are made available for separate downloads. A compiled version provides a complete set of all chapters and appendices organized in a print ready format. Please note: this particular download is recommended for those with a fast internet connection. If you have questions, please email us.
2015 Stormwater Management Design Manual by Chapter
The 2015 Stormwater Management Design Manual can be downloaded in sections from the table below.
| Name | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cover | 81 kB | Cover Page |
| Acknowledgments & Preface | 35 kB | Acknowledgments & Preface |
| Chapter 1 | 54 kB | Introduction |
| Chapter 2 | 1101 kB | Impacts of New Development |
| Chapter 3 | 231 kB | Stormwater Management Planning |
| Chapter 4 | 1.3 mB | Unified Stormwater Sizing Criteria |
| Chapter 5 | 5.5 mB | Green Infrastructure Practices |
| Chapter 6 | 3.6 mB | Performance Criteria |
| Chapter 7 | 246 kB | SMP Selection Matrices |
| Chapter 8 | 3.1 mB | Stormwater Pond Design Example |
| Chapter 9 | 78 kB | Redevelopment Projects |
| Chapter 10 | 1.3B | Enhanced Phosphorus Removal Standards |
| References | 50 kB | References |
| Glossary | 138 kB | Glossary |
| Appendix A | 127 kB | Guidelines for Design of Dams |
| Appendix B | 166 kB | Hydrologic Analysis Tools |
| Appendix C | 150 kB | SMP Construction Specifications |
| Appendix D | 615 kB | Infiltration Testing Requirements |
| Appendix E | 84 kB | Plan Review Checklist |
| Appendix F | 146 kB | Construction Inspection Checklist |
| Appendix G | 132 kB | Maintenance Inspection Checklists |
| Appendix H | 247 kB | Landscaping Guidance/ Plant Lists |
| Appendix I | 218 kB | Cold Climate Sizing Example |
| Appendix J | 245 kB | Geomorphic Assessment |
| Appendix K | 1.5 mB | Miscellaneous Details. For smaller downloads of this chapter, go to smaller downloads. |
| Appendix L | 103 kB | Critical Erosive Velocities |
| Section Dividers | 38 kB | Section Dividers |
