Stormwater 101 - Part Two
RiverLink's call to Reduce Rain Runoff
TITLE: Stormwater 101 – Part Two
AUTHOR: RiverLink staff
SOURCE: RiverLink website (https://riverlink.org/reduce-rain-runoff)
PERMISSION to publish granted by RiverLink. We acknowledge RiverLink’s dedicated section of its website: https://riverlink.org/reduce-rain-runoff. You can also go to RiverLink’s homepage and click on Reduce Rain Runoff at the top. RiverLink’s year-long campaign to bring greater awareness to stormwater issues and solutions has been supported by The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, The Duke Energy Foundation, The McClure Foundation, and Land of Sky Regional Council.
Going Gray vs. Going Green
Gray infrastructure is the series of gutters, drains, and pipes that collect runoff in developed environments and send it untreated to the nearest stream. Green infrastructure, in contrast, mimics nature by capturing rainwater where it falls, allowing it to soak into the soil where it is filtered naturally and returned to a spring or creek.
Rain gardens—bowl-shaped plantings designed to collect and absorb rainwater—are an example of green infrastructure. Green infrastructure has many co-benefits; for example, rain gardens filled with native plants also provide critical pollinator habitat in urban areas.
Don’t Run Off: Be a Part of the Solution
What can we do about urban runoff? The good news is that our urban areas have naturalized landscapes that allow rain to soak into the ground. Lawns are a great example! We simply need to consider where and how our runoff flows. Rainwater from rooftops, patios, and sidewalks can be directed onto lawns or other vegetated areas to soak in. Harvesting rainwater in rain barrels can reduce runoff and provide free water for outdoor watering needs.
How to Get Involved
1. Educate yourself, and share what you've learned with your friends and neighbors. Get curious: That little stream that runs near your home or work--does it have a name? What flows into it during a big storm event--and what does that flow contain?
2. Adopt a storm drain near you. Watch what goes in when it's raining hard--then look for opportunities to clean up the flow, which is heading straight for the nearest stream.
3. Disconnect your downspout! Direct your stormwater to a green area where it can soak in.
4. Visit RiverLink’s Take Action website page and learn/do more!