Establish development regulations to help protect Oklahoma City’s water resources through standards that:
- Require buffers, setbacks, and vegetation conservation requirements to protect riparian and littoral zones and filter waterborne pollutants from development activities and storm water runoff. Buffer widths should be based on water quality function and wildlife habitat needs.
- Encourage natural drainage systems and methods for onsite infiltration and onsite sediment retention.
- Require new developments to maintain or decrease the site’s pre-development runoff rate.
- Allow low-impact development design features such as pervious pavement, rain gardens, landscaped parkways, and alternative curbing designs.
- Reduce the amount of impervious surfaces allowed in buffer zones around Environmentally Sensitive Areas.
- Restore watershed features such as forest, wetlands, and natural stream channels.