Know Your Watershed

     Did you know…there are design features that can be implemented in developments that are usually more cost effective in managing storm water and protecting water quality than conventional designs and approaches?

    Low Impact Development (LID) incorporates features in development design that reduce storm water damage while protecting the watershed. Features such as stream buffers, natural areas, elimination or reduction of curbs and gutters, vegetated swales, bio retention areas in parking lots, rain gardens and rain barrels all help to maintain the pre-development hydrology. These features, by reducing the amount of impervious surface and incorporating naturally vegetated areas, capture the rainfall on site and aid in the filtering out of pollutants and the slowing and absorption of storm waters. These features help reduce property damage due to flooding, recharge the ground water, provide vital habitat, increase property values in the development, increase opportunities for recreation, and protect water quality.

    Cost analyses have been done on LID and costs have been found, in most cases, to be less than implementing conventional storm water management techniques. Another important consideration is that preventing storm water and water quality problems is less costly than remediation.

    We are ALL stakeholders in our watershed. If we understand how many ways our vital water resource is used and how it can be protected, we can work together, and with our elected officials, to be effective in planning and practicing beneficial watershed management practices. More information can be found at www.southgrandwatershed.com