EPA-Lessons from the Chesapeake Bay - cover image

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On May 19, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the release of the report, Stormwater Management in Response to Climate Change Impacts: Lessons from the Chesapeake Bay and Great Lakes Regions (EPA/600/R-15/087F). The report provides insights gleaned from workshops and assessments EPA and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) held with local planners on ways to further the adoption of climate change adaptation practices in stormwater management, according to the report’s abstract.

Documentation from the workshops formed the basis for assessing common challenges and opportunities across the Chesapeake Bay and Great Lakes regions. It also provided specific examples of tools, data, methods, and actions that can be used to address climate change effects, the abstract says. The report details how climate adaptation actions such as green infrastructure and low impact development can fit into decision-making processes.

EPA’s Air, Climate, and Energy (ACE) research program, located within the Office of Research and Development, prepared the report with support from ICF International. One of the goals of the ACE program is to provide scientific information and tools to support EPA’s strategic goal of taking action on climate change in a sustainable manner.

The report is intended for local and state stormwater planners and managers, local climate change or sustainability coordinators, anyone charged with implementing climate change adaptation plans, and scientists working on climate change adaptation specific to stormwater control.

The full report, Stormwater Management in Response to Climate Change Impacts: Lessons from the Chesapeake Bay and Great Lakes Regions, can be downloaded from EPA’s website.