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Low Impact Development Technical Assistance for Residents

First posted: December 11, 2014March 18, 2018Filed under: Uncategorized

These web pages provides resources for individuals and groups that are interested in implementing rain-friendly practices at their residences in Chittenden County which will help protect our streams, rivers, and Lake Champlain.

There is great deal of information available on the Internet. We’ve tried to collect source materials that are most suitable to Vermont.

GETTING STARTED

For homeowners, a booklet produced in 2010 by the Lake Champlain Sea Grant and the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation provides a great introduction to the topic as well as introducing some basic technologies.

As you can see the basic principle is to “slow the flow” of stormwater off your property into city/town roads through 3 types of techniques:

  1. infiltration
  2. storage and re-use
  3. evapotranspiration

GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE [ TECHNIQUES AND TECHNOLOGIES ]

Hopefully the SeaGrant brochure whetted your appetite to learn more. Here’s an overview of the different techniques and technologies that have been developed over the years. The State of Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) categorizes these techniques as Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI).

Now that you’ve learned about GSI techniques, you may wish to get started with some of the simplest techniques for homeowner to “slow the flow”: rain gardens.

Rain Gardens

Rain gardens are a bit more elaborate. Instead of capturing the water in a barrel, water is directed towards a shallow depression full of native plants. This keeps runoff out of streets and also beautifies one’s property. Fortunately, folks in Vermont have been thinking about this issue for a long time and have developed the Vermont Rain Garden Manual that provides details on how to build a rain garden and which plants are best suited.

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J. owns a PhD in environmental science and is the driving force here at Smart WaterWays. He knows better than anyone how to prevent storm water pollution.

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What is Stormwater Runoff and Why Is it a Problem? Stormwater runoff occurs when water from rain or snowmelt flows over the ground. Impervious surfaces like driveways, sidewalks, and streets prevent … Read More

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