Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Presented by: Jennifer Zielinski, PE Biohabitats, Inc. March 24, 2010

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Stormwater produces real watershed problems trash and debris bacteria pesticides nutrients habitat fisheries flooding property values public infrastructure drinking water public health

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques What is Restoration? Determined on case-by-case basis For many vision may look like: Swimmable and Fishable In order to achieve vision, goals may look like: Improve water quality Improve fish and wildlife habitat Alleviate flooding Enhance community stewardship

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Watershed Restoration Practices Stormwater Retrofits Stream Restoration Riparian Management Pervious Area Management Discharge Prevention Pollution Source Control Municipal Practices

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Stormwater Retrofits Stormwater best management practices (BMPs) inserted in an altered landscape where little or no prior stormwater controls existed Large storage BMPs On-site vegetated BMPs Residential BMPs

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Langerdale Basin, South Euclid, OH

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Langerdale Basin, South Euclid, OH

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques The Dell, University of Virginia, VA

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Ponds

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Wooded Wetlands

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Bioswales

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Bioretention

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Landscape / Hardscape Retrofits Source: City of Portland, OR

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Sand Filters and Permeable Pavement

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Rain Gardens and Rain Barrels

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Stormwater Art

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Stream Restoration Techniques used to enhance the appearance, structure, or function of urban streams Stream Clean-Ups Stream Repair Practices Comprehensive Restoration Practices

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Spring Branch, Baltimore County, MD

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Spring Branch, Baltimore County, MD

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Spring Branch, Baltimore County, MD

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Spring Branch, Baltimore County, MD

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Spring Branch, Baltimore County, MD

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Cuyahoga River Restoration at Kent Dam, Kent, OH

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Riparian Restoration and Management Basic techniques to restore the quality of forests and wetlands within the remaining stream corridor Active Reforestation Park or Greenway Plantings Natural Regeneration Riparian Wetland Restoration

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Cuyahoga Towpath Trail Stage 1, Cleveland, OH

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Pier 53 on the Delaware River, Philadelphia, PA

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Pier 53 on the Delaware River, Philadelphia, PA

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Pervious Area Management Application of various techniques to improve habitat, improve soil quality, increase stormwater infiltration, and increase urban tree canopy Land Reclamation Upland Revegetation or Reforestation Management of Natural Area Remnants

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Dike 14, Cleveland, OH

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Pollution Source Control Practices that focus educational, enforcement, and technical resources on changing resident behaviors or business operations that are causing pollution Residential Source Control Hotspot Source Control

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Bronx River Watershed, Westchester County, NY Residential Neighborhoods: Focus on buffer encroachment and yard waste dumping Increase watershed-related signage Opportunities for rooftop disconnection, storm drain stenciling, and better lawn & landscaping practices Stormwater Hotspots: Focus on municipal maintenance yards Improve pollution prevention at gas stations and shopping centers Explore County-wide illicit discharge coordination opportunities

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Discharge Prevention Practices that prevent sewage and other pollutants from entering the stream from illicit discharges Illicit Sewage Connections Commercial & Industrial Illicit Connections Failing Sewage Lines Industrial and Transport Spills

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Ohio IDDE Guidance Manual Inspecting and Developing Priority Areas Tracing For the Source of an Illicit Discharge Eliminating an Illicit Discharge Evaluating your IDDE Program Educating Public Employees, General Public, and Businesses

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Municipal Practices and Programs Improved operation and maintenance of publicly-owned facilities and infrastructure that will reduce pollution generation Street and Storm Drain Practices Best Practices for Development or Redevelopment Stewardship of Public Lands Municipal Stewardship Programs Watershed Education and Enforcement

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Montgomery County, MD Implement stormwater management and watershed restoration practices to manage 20% of the County’s impervious area Achieve pollutant reduction goals set forth in Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for bacteria, sediment, nutrients, and trash Meet commitments in Trash Free Potomac Treaty Increase the use of Environmental Site Design (ESD) in new and redevelopment Assure public input and stewardship opportunities

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Finding Restoration Opportunities is Challenging… Landscape is dominated by built environment Complicated mosaic of pervious and impervious area Need dozens, even hundreds of parcels Parcels need to be in the right place and have the right owners Process of discovering these opportunities is watershed planning

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Seeing the Stream Corridor Stream corridor is 3 to 5% of watershed area Poorly defined on most maps Aerial photos work best Need to walk stream to truly see it Storage retrofits Stream restoration Riparian management

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Seeing Stormwater Infrastructure Confusing network of pipes, channels, inlets, and practices Stormwater infrastructure comprises up to 3% of watershed area Age of system very important Poorly mapped, need field reconnaissance Storage retrofits Stream daylighting Discharge prevention

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Seeing Open Municipal Land Can comprise 5 to 10% of watershed area Parks, golf courses, schools, right-of-ways, and open space Managed by many for many purposes Jump out on aerial photos, but need field reconnaissance Stormwater retrofits Stream restoration Riparian management Discharge prevention Pervious area management Municipal stewardship

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Seeing Natural Area Remnants Larger parcels hard to miss on photos Often adjacent to stream corridor Restore, expand and link these areas Assess functional quality in field Riparian management Pervious area management Municipal stewardship

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Seeing Road Crossings & Rights-of-Way Easy to spot on map or photos Points where roads cross stream corridor Large ROWs such as cloverleaf interchanges Stormwater retrofits Stream repairs Pervious area management

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Seeing Large Parking Lots Really stand out in aerial photos High unit area runoff and pollutant load May signal presence of large clusters of commercial, industrial or institutional lands Stormwater retrofits Hotspot source control

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Seeing Stormwater Hotspots Commercial, industrial, institutional, municipal or transport-related land uses Extremely small, hard to find, and out of the way Search permit databases + field reconnaissance Stormwater retrofits Discharge prevention Pollution source control

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Seeing Residential Neighborhoods Each subwatershed has many neighborhoods Each is distinct in terms of age, lot size, tree and lawn cover and residential behaviors On-site stormwater retrofits Riparian management Discharge prevention Pollution source control

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Seeing Institutional Land Last remaining large land area worth prospecting for Hospitals, colleges, corporate parks, private schools, churches, cemeteries, etc. Unutilized land on grounds Potential partners Stormwater retrofits Riparian management Discharge prevention Pollution source control

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Seeing (& Smelling) the Sewer Network Very hard to see (underground) Run parallel to or underneath streams Good maps of sewer networks, except older systems Key factor is to determine whether sewer system is a source of sewage discharges to stream corridor Stream repair Discharge Prevention

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Seeing Streets and Storm Drains Pollutant accumulation is quite variable Last chance to remove pollutants before they reach the stream Evaluate feasibility of street sweeping & storm drain cleanouts Effective strategy in highly urban subwatersheds On-site stormwater retrofits Upland revegetation Street and storm drain cleaning Municipal stewardship

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Watershed Planning Customized road map Lays out a prioritized approach Applying some combination of restoration or protection tools Achieve specific, local goals 1. Characterize watershed 2. Classify & screen priority subwatersheds 3. Identify protection & restoration opportunities 4. Conduct detailed assessments 5. Assemble recommendations into plan 6. Determine if plan meets goals 7. Implement the plan 8. Evaluate over time

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Watershed Planning

Stormwater problems are real… and so are the solutions Watershed Restoration Techniques Presented by: Jennifer Zielinski, PE Biohabitats, Inc. March 24, 2010 Thank You