In recent surveys conducted by CSN, local stormwater managers have expressed major concerns about the long term maintenance of low impact development (LID) practices, and the lack of inspection protocols for small-scale practices. Clearly, most communities will have many, many more small practices to report, track, inspect and verify. The transition to the new LID paradigm requires a new model for efficiently inspecting and maintaining practices over their entire life cycle.

Project Location: Ellicott City, MD

Problem: During major storm events, an Ellicott City neighborhood located along Hunter Road experienced significant flooding. The stormwater drained into the city’s historic district, and the flooding was exacerbated by the uphill funneling of runoff into the community and Main Street located downstream. Private residential neighborhoods were seeking solutions to help manage the stormwater runoff, and the Howard County government responded by making projects easier and more affordable.

Problem: The Druid Heights neighborhood is comprised of 41% vacant lots. Only three public parks cover 0.7% of the area within the neighborhood limits. The abandoned site located at the gateway of the community is highly visible, but lacked welcoming features that communicated community pride and Druid Heights’ rich historical background as one of Baltimore’s oldest neighborhoods.

Problem: Post-demolition lots in the Darley Park neighborhood were strewn with trash and had sat for decades unused. Gateway Park is located at the center of the neighborhood and was also plagued with vehicle traffic and compacted soil that contributed to stormwater runoff. It was an eyesore and diminished the neighborhood’s charm and safety. 

Project Location: Baltimore City, MD

Problem: The 30-acre MedStar Harbor Hospital campus sits on the banks of the Patapsco River adjacent to a public recreational trail in a hyper-urban setting with impervious surfaces covering 18 acres. Every year roughly 20 million gallons of stormwater runoff is discharged directly into the river adding to pollutant totals and water quality issues.

Project Location: Annapolis, MD

Problem: This Annapolis dealership was covered with impermeable asphalt and concrete. Without any greenery, there were drainage issues, including flooding, puddling, and nearby erosion. In addition, polluted runoff was draining into local Spa Creek.

Project Location: Town of New Windsor, MD

Problem: The detention basin at the Blue Ridge Manor facility in the Town of New Windsor was constructed in the early 1990s during the time when stormwater management focused more on flood control than water quality. Erosion at the outfall, overgrown vegetation, trash, and steep slopes surrounding the basin led to this facility being retrofitted in the fall of 2017.

Project Location: Howard County, MD

Summarizes the findings of more than 400 BMP studies. Users of the website can perform custom queries or download technical papers summarizing performance results. Four green infrastructure controls are included in the database: constructed wetlands, bioretention, swales, and porous pavement. 

Summarizes the results of more than 150 pollutant removal studies. Includes statistical and graphical representations of removal rates for four types of GI controls: constructed wetlands, bioretention, infiltration trenches, and swales.