Conveyance

The university owns and maintains an extensive conveyance system to move stormwater safely and efficiently. This system captures nearly all the water that falls on impervious surfaces (e.g., roofs, parking lots, sidewalks, etc.) and conveys it to the Millrace and from there to the Willamette River.

Stormwater Outfalls

Approximately 90% of the stormwater runoff from campus discharges into the Millrace (yellow shaded area on the map). The Millrace is owned by the university as it transverses university property. As it leaves the university campus on the west side, its ownership changes to the City of Eugene and adjacent private property owners. There are several outfalls from the university into the Millrace, some of which the university owns, while the city owns and maintains others. Approximately 10% of the stormwater runoff from the main campus discharges into Amazon Creek through the city’s piped infrastructure (green shaded area on the map).

City of Eugene Compliance

Stormwater management at the University of Oregon is driven by compliance with City of Eugene development code and regulations and the university’s goal of protecting water quality in our watershed as outlined in the Operations and Maintenance portion of the university’s Comprehensive Environmental Policy. The University of Oregon’s main campus falls under the jurisdiction of the City of Eugene’s municipal stormwater discharge permit. The city updated its stormwater treatment requirements in 2014 to emphasize vegetated treatment, which aligns with UO’s existing vision for landscaping and education across our physical campus.

The City of Eugene’s development code and stormwater management manual dictates stormwater treatment requirements. The university registers all stormwater treatment facilities installed as part of a building with the city and they must receive regular maintenance and inspection.