The City's surface water utility diverts rain water (stormwater) runoff to minimize flooding and erosion. Stormwater infrastructure includes inlets to collect stormwater on streets, pipes, and urban streams to move the water through the community to be discharged into the Willamette River.
The challenge for the stormwater utility is to balance the need for flood control with the desire to maintain urban streams for fish and wildlife habitat. The revenue to support these services comes almost exclusively from user fees charged on the monthly City utility bill.
Running for a single week from September 16 – 22, Oregon’s Get There Car Free Challenge is a timely reason to reduce drive alone car trips by taking transit, walking, biking, ridesharing, using micromobility options, and/or working remotely for the chance to win prizes.
Corvallis is a compact, well-planned city with an extensive network of bike lanes, shared use paths and sidewalks to connect you to your destination by walking, riding or rolling. We support alternative forms of transportation and sustainable infrastructure that has resulted in a city transportation choice where 11% of Corvallis residents commute by bicycle and 12% commute by walking to their destination.
The City of Corvallis Stormwater Program is a facet of Corvallis Public Works that educates and engages Corvallis citizens and businesses in improving water quality through pollution prevention best practices and stewardship of local waterways. The City Stormwater Program goals include:
The City of Corvallis Stormwater Master Plan recommends policies, activities, and programs formulated to improve water quality, address existing and future conflicts between flooding and development, and preserve and enhance valuable natural resources, including stream and floodplain systems. It is intended to guide upgrades and expansion of the stormwater conveyance system and to guide stormwater management within the City over the next 20 years.
Call Before Digging — call 811 — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Planning to dig? Perhaps you will be putting in a new flower border, planting a tree, or placing fence posts. All residents, contractors or anyone planning to dig must call to request the location of underground utilities 48 hours before digging. This is a requirement of Oregon law: Sections 1 to 5 and 7, Chapter 691, Oregon Laws 1995.
As winter begins, so does the risk of frozen water pipes. Frozen water pipes can be more than an inconvenience. Since water is not compressible, and increases in volume as it freezes, it can lead to a burst, broken, or cracked pipe. Not only will this lead to a potentially costly waste of water, but it could also cause water damage inside your home.
A few simple steps can help you avoid frozen pipes:
