1. Campus Stormwater Assessment
Score Four: Students, Schools, Streams, and The Bay
Campus Stormwater Assessment
Rebecca Wolf and Nguyen Le
Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin

2. Objectives: Record the patterns of stormwater runoff on your campus.
Identify problems, such as erosion, bare lawn, trash sources, areas when stormwater pools or floods.
List 2 or 3 possible locations for a Student Stormwater Action Project.

3. Materials for Each Team
Map of the school (from the computer or drawn).
Paper to sketch on
Directions and the map key
Pencils or colored pens
Clip board or hard writing surface
Container of water
Camera (optional)

4. Ways to Observe Stormwater Runoff Paths
Watch the stormwater while it’s raining.
Look for flattened grassy areas and puddles.
Observe the gutters along roads and parking lots.
Look for the slope of an area.

5. Find and Note the Locations of Stormwater Downspouts
Also mark where the water from the spout goes.

6. Bare Lawn Could Mean Erosion
Note areas on your map where:
The lawn is bare
Dirt has washed away
Dirt has collected.
Can you see where the dirt goes when it rains?

7. Mark Stormwater Drain Locations
Put arrows on map showing stormwater flow to drains.
Note the sand that has collected near the storm drain on this picture. This sand likely came from the eroded area on the previous picture, which sloped toward this driveway and drain.

8. Example of Slope toward Stream
And Stormwater Outlet
If there is a stream near your campus, investigate the are that slopes towards it. You also might notice a large storm water pipe (outlet) flowing into it. If the students investigate, they could learn the sources of the stormwater in the outlet.
What these photo don’t show are the eroded stream banks and stream bottom where stormwater enters this stream.

9. Note Trash and Its Sources
At times trash can come from open dumpsters. More often it comes from students. If students look closely at the litter, they can identify the likely sources of candy wraps, soda and water bottles, etc.

10. Example of Area with Runoff & Opportunity
Problem: The front lawn of this school slopes to a road-side drainage ditch, which leads to the stream across the road.
Most lawns such as this, which are frequently mowed and covered with short-rooted turf grass, absorb and use much less rain water than trees, gardens, or wetlands. There are many ways students could reduce the stormwater runoff and improve the beauty of their campus on this front lawn – large trees; groups of trees and bushes; a conservation landscape; a rain garden.
How could stormwater runoff be reduced here?

11. Another Opportunity For An Action Project
Problem: Stormwater runoff flows towards the wet baseball field and the stream (on the other side of the woods).
Opportunity: This is a natural gathering place.
Trees could add shade and reduce stormwater runoff.

12. Compile Your Observations and Suggestions
From your observations, pick several possible places on your campus where a Student Stormwater Action Project could reduce stormwater pollution.