Where Stormwater Strategy Meets Practical Guidance

One of the greatest challenges facing municipalities with Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permits is getting the public to care about stormwater. Residents rarely think about catch basins, roadside ditches, detention ponds, or illicit discharges until flooding occurs or a nearby stream b…

Every drop of rain that falls on the landscape has several possible destinations. Some water evaporates back into the atmosphere. Some is absorbed by plants and later released through transpiration. Some flows across the land as stormwater runoff into ditches, streams, rivers, and lakes. Another por…

Few lakes in the world inspire the sense of awe that Crater Lake does. Formed nearly 7,700 years ago after the collapse of Mount Mazama, the lake fills a massive volcanic caldera and reaches a depth of 1,943 feet, making it the deepest lake in the United States. Its remarkable blue color and extraor…

When stormwater professionals encounter an unexplained discharge, a suspicious pipe, or a drainage system that does not behave as expected, one of the most effective investigative tools available is dye testing. Used by municipalities, engineers, environmental consultants, utility operators, and reg…

One of the greatest challenges facing municipal stormwater programs is finding meaningful ways to engage residents in protecting local waterways. Public education campaigns are important, but brochures, websites, and social media posts often struggle to create lasting behavioral change. People are f…

The Adirondack Watershed Institute, often referred to as AWI, has become one of the most important environmental organizations working to protect New York’s lakes, rivers, and wetlands. Based at Paul Smith’s College in the northern Adirondacks, AWI blends scientific research, on-the-grou…

The Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) program is one of the cornerstones of stormwater regulation in the United States. Established under the federal Clean Water Act and administered through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), the MS4 program requires municipalitie…

For much of the last century, stormwater management followed a simple philosophy: collect runoff as quickly as possible and move it downstream through pipes, ditches, culverts, and channels. Success was often measured by how rapidly water could be removed from streets and developed areas. That appro…

Rain gardens are among the most recognizable and effective forms of green infrastructure. Although they often resemble attractive landscaped planting beds, a properly designed rain garden is a carefully engineered stormwater management system. Every component, from the shape of the basin to the soil…

Stormwater management has traditionally focused on one primary goal, moving runoff away from roads, buildings, and neighborhoods as quickly as possible. While this approach successfully reduces flooding, it often leaves behind landscapes dominated by pavement, pipes, and manicured turf that provide …

Floating wetlands are emerging as an innovative and increasingly popular tool for improving water quality in stormwater systems, ponds, and urban waterways. By replicating many of the functions of natural wetlands without requiring extensive excavation or shoreline restoration, these systems offer m…

Waterfront properties are among a community's most valuable and desirable lands. They offer scenic views, recreational opportunities, and direct access to lakes, rivers, ponds, and coastal waters. Yet the landscaping practices commonly used to maintain these properties can unintentionally become…