Regenerative Stormwater Conveyence: An Integrated Approach to Sustainable Stormwater Planning on Linear Projects 2009 IOCET Adapting to Change Presented by: Joe Berg, PWS, CSE

OVERVIEW Why change what we’re doing? What is Regenerative Stormwater Conveyence? How is this better than current practices? Opportunities for providing SWM and green infrastructure in linear systems—An Example

Transportation-related Land Cover ► Streets ► Parking ► Driveways Make up as much as 70% of the impervious cover footprint in most urban watersheds.

Impacts of Imperviousness

Changes in land and stream corridor use Changes in geomorphology and hydrology Changes in stream hydraulics Changes in function such as habitat, sediment transport and storages Changes in population composition and distribution, eutrophication and lower water table elevations Disturbance to a stream corridor system typically results in an increasingly negative spiral of degradation to stream structure and function. NEGATIVE FEEDBACK

Legacy Sediment Hydric Soil

SO WE TRY TO “FIX” THE PROBLEM

Regenerative Less Energy RequiredMore Energy Required Restorative Sustainable Green Conventional Practice Relative Improvement (LEED, GB Tool, Green Globe, etc.) Neutral – “100% less bad” (McDonough) Humans (Hominids) PARTICIPATING AS nature – Co-evolution of the Whole System Humans DOING THINGS TO nature – assisting the evolution of Sub-Systems “One step better than breaking the law” (Croxton) Technologies / Techniques Fragmented Living Systems Understanding Whole System Regenerating System Degenerating System Trajectory of Environmentally Responsible Design © All rights reserved. Integrative Design Collaborative and Regenesis Contact Bill Reed, for permission to use

Regenerative Stormwater Conveyance

Basic Building Blocks

Riffle weir grade control structure Sandstone boulders Silica cobble

Create Opportunities to ‘Hold’ Water on the Landscape

Main Channel The Seepage Feature

Less Intrusive, More Environmentally Sensitive

Benefits of the Regenerative Stormwater Conveyence Approach Water Quantity--Increased roughness, extend concentration time, increase water losses along the flow path, velocity and erosion reduction Water Quality —suspended sediment removal, trapping of particle-bound contaminants, nitrate reduction Reduced construction and O&M costs Aesthetic improvements, wetland hydrology support, amphibian and aquatic habitat support, terrestrial wildlife habitat enhancement, suppression of invasive plant species

Holladay Park Linear regenerative storm water conveyance alongside the road course Conversion of a storm water pond to seepage wetland In-line bioretention areas throughout the landscape

Challenges of Providing SWM in Transportation Settings Code Constraints—consistent with LID practices Offsite run-on—designed for safe conveyance Multiple watersheds and out of basin discharges--minimal Lack of space in ROW—requires less space than status quo Limited number of “acceptable” practices—uses nature Utility conflicts—reduced relative to status quo Other????

Questions? 2009 IOCET Adapting to Change Presented by: Joe Berg, PWS, CSE