Blue Thumb | Why worry about stormwater management anyway?

Why worry about stormwater management anyway?

Michael Knudson

Crookston, Minn. — Stormwater is an all-inclusive term that refers to any water running off the land’s surface after a rainfall or snowmelt event. Our largest stormwater event is associated with the upcoming spring melt; and, as we prepare for flooding we can be thinking of new ways to manage our stormwater. Like most urban communities, Crookston’s stormwater is conveyed to ditches or storm drains and then into a storm sewer system that is discharged into the Red Lake River. This concept of conveying water from land to river using storm sewer systems has been the accepted management practice for decades. Recently, urban communities have realized that this approach contributes to water pollution and flooding of receiving waters like the Red Lake River. Urban flooding and stormwater pollution result from increased imperviousness (where water can’t soak in) of roads, sidewalks, buildings, and parking lots. Stormwater management practices are being implemented throughout urban communities to reduce detrimental effects of impervious surfaces

People might ask “Why manage stormwater?” In 2008, the National Academy of Sciences concluded that, “ Urban stormwater is estimated to be the primary source of impairment (pollution) for 13 percent of assessed rivers, 18 percent of lakes, and 32 percent of estuaries— significant numbers given that urban areas cover only 3 percent of the land mass of the United States.” Thus, compared to their surface, cities have a disproportionate impact on water quality and this demands our attention.

Some additional reasons to be concerned about stormwater management: It can be an educational experience for families; it allows expression of water ethics by individuals doing their part; it’s an opportunity to support your community and improve water quality; and it supports sustainability for future generations. It’s important to remember that “everything is connected and everything must go somewhere.” Our stormwater must go somewhere and right now it goes uninterrupted to the Red Lake River and then downstream carrying with it oil, nutrients, sediment, and organic material. This will never change since we will always send some of our stormwater downstream. What we can change though, is the quantity and quality of stormwater that we send downstream. Examples of larger projects on the local scene include the stormwater retention basins at Walmart and at the Crookston Sports Arena.

The MN GreenCorps and the Center for Sustainability at the University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) are working together to raise awareness of stormwater management in Crookston and on campus. Also, the UMC’s Center for Sustainability has become a 2011 Blue Thumb Partner. Blue Thumb’s program goal is to improve water quality and habitat by promoting use of native plants to reduce stormwater runoff. This is accomplished by encouraging homeowners to use native plants in gardens, develop raingardens, and stabilize shoreline property with native plants to improve water quality.

Best Management Practices (BMPs) are encouraged on campus and throughout the community. These include; techniques, processes, activities, or structures implemented to reduce flooding and stormwater pollution. This approach works with nature to mimic predevelopment hydrology and infiltrate, store, evaporate, and detain stormwater close to its source. The end product is a strategically planned and managed network of natural lands, working landscapes, and other natural spaces that conserve ecosystem services and provide associated benefits to humans. Examples of BMPs are green roofs, raingardens, rain barrels, native gardens, and porous pavements. Stormwater management is a responsibility of the community as a whole. BMPs can be implemented by homeowners, businesses, health care centers, schools, churches, local service organizations and city government.

To learn more about stormwater management BMP’s and development of raingardens, contact Michael Knudson, MN GreenCorps Stormwater Management Specialist at 218-281-8128 or knud0189@umn.edu.

Posted: February 14, 2011