Mesa County’s Stormwater Management Manual (SWMM) is undergoing an update following the February 18, 2025 public hearing, where the Board of Mesa County Commissioners unanimously approved aN agreement to align the manual with current industry standards. 

The update of the 2007 manual will be a collaborative effort between Mesa County, the City of Grand Junction , the City of Fruita, the Town of Palisade, and Mesa County Valley School District (Project Partners), and Consultant Wright Water Engineers, Inc. The project partners and Wright Water Engineers will collaborate on the update to ensure we are using the latest best practices to manage stormwater across our communities. The manual is a shared guide to promote public health, safety, and general welfare and minimize losses due to flooding through the adoption of policies, procedures, standards, and criteria for storm drainage.

This update will replace outdated techniques with more effective, modern approaches. For example, one goal is to use rainfall data from Mesa County, rather than the Front Range, for water quality capture volume to HELP developers, Mesa County, and municipalities SAVE money. 

As working draft, updated chapters of the manual are developed, they will be posted online for public review, allowing community members to ask questions and provide feedback. Additionally, two public meetings will be held to engage developers and residents in the update process.

Please stay tuned for more information and opportunities to give feedback as the process develops.