The Stream Visual Assessment Protocol (SVAP) was developed by the Stormwater Advisory Committee to gain a better understanding of how the MS4 Program impacts the overall quality of nearby surface streams. The SVAP is designed to provide an efficient and economical solution for monitoring required in the Storm Water Quality Management Plan (SWQMP) permit. Data gathered from the SVAP allows the community to identify locations that could potentially benefit from maintenance or remediation activities, protection measures, and to identify strategies for improving water quality throughout the community.  Results can be used to prioritize more detailed investigations and to target improvement and protection activities to achieve the greatest benefit for the resources expended.

The SVAP document provided here describes the methods used for selecting appropriate sites, performing an initial screening to establish the baseline characteristics of the stream, and data entry, as well as identifying issues, prioritizing the problems, and implementing solutions.