The Stormwater Report

According to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF; Annapolis, Maryland), stormwater runoff is the only major source of pollution still on the rise in the 166,000-km2 (64,000-mi2) Chesapeake Bay watershed. As development continues across the six U.S. states touched by bay tributaries, runoff from paved, urban centers annually contributes immense amounts of nutrients, heavy metals, and […]

At U.S. colleges and universities, tomorrow’s stormwater professionals continue to demonstrate how green infrastructure (GI) can protect water quality and mitigate flooding while improving local property values and quality of life. In March, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the winners of its eighth-annual Campus RainWorks Challenge, which tasks teams of college students with […]

The Water Environment Federation (WEF) is now accepting applications for the sixth annual National Municipal Stormwater and Green Infrastructure Awards Program. Phase I and Phase II municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permit holders are invited to submit a nomination by May 4, 2020. The National Municipal Stormwater and Green Infrastructure Awards program, developed and introduced in […]

Because green infrastructure is decentralized by nature, infrastructure managers often depend on participation from community members to ensure these systems can successfully mitigate flooding and provide sought-after co-benefits. This could entail volunteering time and labor to help maintain neighborhood green infrastructure projects or contributing funding to support upkeep activities. According to a new study from […]

To help curb the effects of urban runoff on streambank erosion, the question municipalities must confront is whether to reduce flows or toughen channel banks. The best answer, according to Rod Lammers, lead author of a new University of Georgia (Athens) research article exploring ways to optimize erosion control, is both. The challenge is getting […]

The deadline to register for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2019 Campus RainWorks Challenge is Oct. 15. Following the registration deadline, participating teams have until Dec. 17 to submit their complete entries. The challenge is open to colleges and universities across the U.S. and its territories, and registration is free. Now in its eighth […]

Since the program launched in 2016, more than 500 U.S. professionals have now received credentials as graduates of the National Green Infrastructure Certification Program (NGICP). NGICP provides entry-level workers with the skills to construct, inspect, and maintain green stormwater infrastructure according to international best-practice standards. The program, developed by the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, […]

Anyone who’s ever lived in a city is probably more familiar than they’d like to be with the urban heat island effect, which causes cities to become significantly hotter than their natural surroundings. The effect has many causes, but one big contributor is impermeable concrete. In many cities, impermeable concrete covers more than 30% of […]

It’s easy to make small, incremental changes. In the world of stormwater, that might mean installing a rain garden or green roof. And while the little changes can help, it’s the big plans that make the most significant differences. That’s what Hong Wu, assistant professor of landscape architecture at Pennsylvania State University (PSU; State College) […]

Green infrastructure designs that fail to consider the effects of the installation’s placement or the types of wildlife it may attract can increase risks of spreading serious diseases, according to research published in the journal, Ecology and Epidemiology. “There seems to be a prevailing assumption among the general public that everything that is nature – […]