The Stormwater Report

In 2010, a smartphone-based campaign that called on motorists to report roadkill sightings in California via text message inspired University of Buffalo (UB; N.Y.) hydrogeologist Chris Lowry to undertake an experiment. If it didn’t require any prior knowledge or specialized equipment besides the small computers we carry in our pockets, could ordinary people help gather […]

In South Carolina, which barely escaped the brunt of Hurricane Irma last summer, municipal stormwater managers are demonstrating that there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution to limit runoff pollution. And as the risks of poorly conceived stormwater management plans heighten with more frequent and more intense precipitation, the state’s big cities and beach towns are taking […]

A record-breaking accumulation of snow on the Sierra Nevada mountains is melting steadily as temperatures continue to warm and the thaw continues. That’s both good and bad news for Nevadans — while snowmelt represents one of the most reliable sources of drinking water for the dry West, this year it could bring up to 2.5 […]

A new partnership, Naturally Resilient Communities (NRC), argues that a simpler, more cost-efficient way to stave off flooding, manage water quality, and even harvest stormwater for reuse, is to complement technology with nature. “From weather-related disasters and public health crises to needs for economic development, the demands on our communities’ limited resources are growing,” said […]

Occupying less than 81 ha (200 ac) between the White River and a canal on the northwestern edge of Indianapolis, flood protection is a serious matter for the small town of Rocky Ripple (Ind.). Lacking any infrastructure of its own to contain overflow from the river, the town’s less-than-700 residents routinely pay thousands of dollars […]

On Jan. 11, 2017, Houston mayor Sylvester Turner sent in SWAT to solve long-standing drainage problems across the city. But instead of carrying out high-stakes military operations, this SWAT — the cleverly named Storm Water Action Team — will commence work on approximately 100 deferred projects focused on maintaining and upgrading Houston’s aging flood management […]

Faced with predictions from the U.K. government’s recent National Flood Resilience Review to expect 20% to 30% more intense rainfall due to climate change in coming years, the bipartisan Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Committee of Parliament last month released a report calling for a complete overhaul of how the country approaches its vulnerability to […]

If trends toward warmer climates continue at the same pace that they have during the last few decades, the U.S. could see extreme rainfall events up to four times more frequently by the end of the 21st century, a new study by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR; Boulder, Colo.) finds. These storms could […]

After a 20-cm (8-in.) rainstorm — more than an average month’s worth of rain for the area — led to rampant flooding across central and southern Minnesota on the night of Aug. 11, the problem of managing stormwater came to the forefront of public attention and hit the airwaves on public radio. Identifying the problem […]

In direct response to a call by the Obama administration for innovations in the conservation of domestic waterways earlier this year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its partners on Aug. 16 unveiled a comprehensive forecasting model to predict the movement of rivers and streams across the continental U.S. The National Water Model […]