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Stormwater Grant Eligible Practices

Stormwater Grant Eligible Practices

Preventative Measures

Rain Gardens

Rain Garden
  • Small, landscaped depressions that are filled a mix of native soil and compost and planted with trees, shrubs, and other garden-like vegetation
  • Designed to temporarily store stormwater runoff   from rooftops, driveways, patios, and other areas around your home while reducing runoff rates and pollutant loads in your local watershed
  • Adds beauty and function to your landscape
  • Typically used in areas that drain 5,000 square feet or less

Bioretention

  • Rain gardens but with underdrain systems and engineered soils (comprised of mainly  sand mixed with compost and top soil)
  • Typically used on properties with larger drainage areas (more than 5,000 square feet)
  • Found in non-residential settings like parks and commercial parking lots
  • Helps reduce runoff by soaking up excess   rainwater using plants

Cisterns

  • Store rainwater for later use
  • Collects rainwater from a downspout system, screened to remove trash and leaves, and   conveyed to a storage container for subsequent use
  • Stored rainwater is for non-potable water use only
  • Can provide significant reductions in storm   water runoff rates, volumes, and pollutant loads from residential sites
  • Rain barrels may be part of an overall stormwater   management system however, they typically do   not provide enough volume alone

Downspout Disconnect

  • Can discharge directly onto driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, or other impervious surfaces
  • Disconnecting downspouts involves redirecting these flows onto lawns,   planting beds, or other pervious surfaces
  • Reduce runoff by allowing roof water to infiltrate into the native soils instead   of rushing into local streams

Modified French Drains

  • Shallow trench excavations filled with stone that are designed to intercept and   temporarily store stormwater runoff until it infiltrates into the soil
  • Can provide significant reductions in stormwater runoff and pollutant loads 
  • Well-suited to receive rooftop runoff and can be used to receive stormwater runoff from other small impervious areas
  • For residential applications, a Modified French Drain must be daylighted at its end to allow for overflow of larger storms

Dry Wells

  • Comprised of seepage tanks set in the ground and surrounded with stone that are design to intercept and temporarily store stormwater runoff until it infiltrates into the surrounding soil
  • Well-suites to receive rooftop runoff entering the tank via   an inlet grate (shown right) or a direct downspout   connection
  • When properly sized and installed, dry wells can provide   significant reductions in stormwater runoff and pollutant loads

Pavement Removal and Revegetation

Pavement Removal 2
  • Removing existing impervious surfaces (patios, tennis courts, decks, etc.) and replaving these areas with landscaped   beds or lawn
  • Allows for rainwater to soak into the ground which reduces the amount of stormwater runoff from the property
  • Swimming pool removal is not eligible

Permeable Pavement

  • Can be used in certain circumstances to reduce the amount of runoff from a property by adding or replacing existing concrete or other impervious surfaces with permeable pavers, porous concrete, or other practices that allow for water to soak into the soils below
  • Works best in flatter areas


Stream Buffer Planting

  • Vegetated areas next to creeks and streams that help   prevent channel erosion and improve water quality
  • Act as a filter for the surrounding area
  • Involves replacing lawn with deep-rooted trees, shrubs, and ground cover typically found on a native streambank
  • Grassed lawns within buffers provide very little structural support for stream banks due to shallow roots, and usually result in erosion that can eat away at backyards
  • Lawns can also contribute to water quality issues due to runoff or fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and pet waste

Pet Waste Station

Pet Waste Station
  • Pet waste is a major contributor to impaired water quality in streams
  • City seeks to install additional pet waste stations that can be publicly accessed and maintained


Reactive Measures


Streambank Erosion Stabilization (natural or armored)

  • Common in developed areas and prevalent on properties without a healthy stream buffer
  • The more dense the natural vegetation is next yo your stream, the less   erosion you’ll see within the channel
  • During winter, cuttings from trees that thrive in wet conditions (ex: willows, silky dogwood, elderberry, etc.) can be driven into eroding stream banks   and within a couple years will grow into trees with roots that will help to  prevent future erosion
  • In some scenarios, rip rap (large granite rock) may be used in conjunction   with live stake pkanting, which helps to protect the live stakes while they take root
  • Rip rap used alone (without planting) can be effective but may also worsen   channel erosion or wash away during heavy rain events


Drainage Easement Erosion Stabilization

Stream restoration drainage easement
  • Can occur downstream of a stormwater pipe system
  • Eroded ditches can get worse with each major rain event, depositing large amounts of sediment downstream and potentially impacting the pipe system; these areas typically are located on properties and in hard-to- reach areas, making it difficult for one property owner to manage repairs
  • Effective ways of reducing erosion in these drainage easements include:
  1. backfilling eroded areas with soil and using reinforcement matting and blankets to establish vegetation
  2. using rip rap to fill in the eroded areas to prevent future scouring
  3. extending the pipe system and stabilizing the new end of pipe