Best Management Practices for Landscaping

UTMB’s MS4 permit requires prior planning design for post-construction storm water runoff for new building projects disturbing one acre or more of land. There is flexibility in choosing site design; consider conserving green space, using permeable surfaces, alternative landscape design – grassed swales, infiltration basins (rain gardens) with vegetation that is native or adapted to the area, and design with storm water runoff into landscaping prior to discharging to the storm water conveyance system.

A project’s impact on water quality can be significantly mitigated when these design concepts are implemented at the design and planning stages of a project. Post-Construction design concepts include one or more of the concepts listed below.

POST-CONSTRUCTION DESIGN CONCEPTS

• Implement source controls to prevent and minimize the discharge of pollutants

• Incorporate storm water treatment controls to remove pollutants from runoff

• Minimize directly connected impervious areas

• Maximize permeability at a project site

• Use drainage as a design element

• Protect sensitive areas from encroachment

• Promote alternatives to automobiles

The list of resources is available for UTMB project managers, architect and engineering consultants, and building contractors with information on the use of site design to improve storm water quality in Galveston Bay.

Web Resources

Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure - http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=298

Rain Water Collection - http://rainwaterharvesting.tamu.edu/publications.html

Rain Garden Network - http://www.raingardennetwork.com/water.htm

Gulf Coast Gardening - http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/

landscapes.htm

California (Bay Area) Post-Construction Guidelines – http://www.BASMAA.org

Stormwater Manager’s Resource Center - http://www.stormwatercenter.net/

Stormwater Controls into Project Design, UC Berkeley -http://cleanwaterprogram.org/uploads/07-UC_Village-Greg_Haet- wshop_021307-smallest.pdf

Low Impact Development Center, Inc. - http://www.lowimpactdevelopment.org/

Center for Watershed Protection - One of the oldest and best organizations that focus on Low Impact Development. Many publications and a wealth of information is available here.

Low Impact Development Center - A non-profit organization balancing growth and environmental integrity.

Low Impact Development (LID) Urban Design Tools - A LID Center and USEPA project to provide guidance to local governments, planners, and engineers for developing, administering, and incorporating Low Impact Development (LID) into their aquatic resource protection programs.

Swale Stories - Some very nice photos and stories about swales from the North Carolina Division of Water Quality

Environmentally Sensitive Design Practices Database - An elementary listing from the Chesapeake Bay Program. A good introduction to some of the practices

COMPOST - Check out our own resource page on compost

Site Planning for Urban Stream Restoration - Required reading for the LID practitioner.