NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Climate Smart Communities –Green Infrastructure Case Studies

Emily VailHudson River Estuary Program

NYS Department of Environmental ConservationCornell University NYS Water Resources Institute

New York State Water

Resources Institute

Presentation Outline

• Hudson River Estuary Program

• Impact of stormwater

• NYS Stormwater Management Design Manual

• Examples of practices

• Benefits

• What you can doRain garden, Piermont Library

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Hudson River Estuary Program

Core Mission• Ensure clean water

• Protect and restore fish, wildlife, and their habitats

• Provide water recreation and river access

• Adapt to climate change

• Conserve world-famous scenery

Hudson River Estuary Watershed

Albany

New York City

Importance of Watersheds

• It’s important to think about stormwater management from a watershed perspective, because stormwater travels to waterbodies (and can lead to problems if not managed well)

The land and water that drain to a common outlet

From NEMO

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Impervious Surfaces and Stormwater

From EPA

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

The Problem with Impervious Surfaces

From EPA

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

The Problem with Impervious Surfaces

From EPA

• Most stream impairments in the Hudson Valley due to polluted runoff

– Documented for ~35% of streams

• Traditional stormwater management

– Impervious surface -> storm sewer -> streams

Stormwater Carries Pollutants

• Most stream impairments in the Hudson Valley due to polluted runoff

– Documented for ~35% of streams

• Traditional stormwater management

– Impervious surface -> storm sewer -> streams

Stormwater Carries Pollutants

Storm drain

• Most stream impairments in the Hudson Valley due to polluted runoff

– Documented for ~35% of streams

• Traditional stormwater management

– Impervious surface -> storm sewer -> streams

Stormwater Carries Pollutants

Storm drain

• Water quality problems

– Sediment

– Nutrients

– Road salt

– Oil/grease

– Trash

• Water quantity problems

– Flooding

– Erosion

Stormwater Carries Pollutants

• Wet weather leads to overflows

– Combined sewer or separated sewer

• Impacts public health, water recreation

• Degrades water quality

Overflowing Sewage

Sanitary sewer overflow, Poughkeepsie Pump station, Piermont

What is Green Infrastructure?

• Different approach to stormwater - natural and engineered systems that mimic nature

• Manage runoff by maintaining or restoring natural hydrology

– allow stormwater to infiltrate and be used by plants

Gray vs. Green Infrastructure

Green Infrastructure

• Scales – site, sewer-shed, municipality, watershed, region

• Provides multiple benefits

– Slows the flow of runoff

– Removes pollutants

– Keeps water out of the storm sewer system

– Adds vegetation to the landscape

Lower Esopus Creek

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Green Infrastructure Requirements

• August 2010 - Updated NYS Stormwater Design Manual

• Chapter 5 – Green Infrastructure

• New development – use green infrastructure

NYS Stormwater Design Manual

1. Planning

A. Preserving natural areas

B. Reducing paved surfaces

2. Green infrastructure practices

NYS Stormwater Design Manual

1. Planning

A. Preserving natural areas

B. Reducing paved surfaces

2. Green infrastructure practices

Avoid stormwater

NYS Stormwater Design Manual

1. Planning

A. Preserving natural areas

B. Reducing paved surfaces

2. Green infrastructure practices

Avoid stormwater

Reduce stormwater

NYS Stormwater Design Manual

1. Planning

A. Preserving natural areas

B. Reducing paved surfaces

2. Green infrastructure practices

Avoid stormwater

Reduce stormwater

Manage stormwater

1. Green Infrastructure Planning

A. Preserve natural areas – reduce disturbance, cluster development

Traditional Subdivision Conservation Subdivision

Dutchess County Greenway Guide

1. Green Infrastructure Planning

A. Preserve natural areas – reduce disturbance, cluster development

B. Reduce paved surfaces – driveways, parking lots, roads, etc.

Traditional Subdivision Conservation Subdivision

Dutchess County Greenway Guide

2. Green Infrastructure Practices

• Natural features and engineered practices that infiltrate runoff on-site

– Treat stormwater closer to where the rain falls

– Several small practices instead of one large one

• Examples on HREP website: http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/58930.html

Rain Gardens & Bioretention Areas• Shallow depression of soil and plants, filters runoff and

slows its flow

Ashford Park, Ardsley Kingston Library

Vegetated Swales• Natural drainage paths or vegetated channels used to

transport water above ground

Subdivision, PawlingVillage Hall, Greenwood Lake

Green Roofs• Layers of soil and vegetation on rooftops that capture runoff

SUNY Orange, Newburgh Marist College, Poughkeepsie

Porous Pavement• Paved surfaces that allow stormwater to infiltrate

NYS Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, Staatsburg

Sojourner Truth Ulster Landing County Park, Saugerties

Stream Buffer Restoration• Improves stream health, filters and slows polluted runoff,

many other benefits

Whaley Lake Stream, BeekmanSUNY Orange, Middletown

Other Green Infrastructure Practices

• Street trees

• Stormwater planters

Stormwater planter – bus shelter, Ardsley Rain barrel – Greenburgh Nature Center

• Rain barrels

• Stream daylighting

Benefits of Green Infrastructure• Manage stormwater (quality and quantity)

Benefits of Green Infrastructure• Manage stormwater (quality and quantity)

• Recharge groundwater

Benefits of Green Infrastructure• Manage stormwater (quality and quantity)

• Recharge groundwater

• Reduce CSOs, reduce wastewater treatment costs

Benefits of Green Infrastructure• Manage stormwater (quality and quantity)

• Recharge groundwater

• Reduce CSOs, reduce wastewater treatment costs

• Improve watershed resiliency

Benefits of Green Infrastructure• Manage stormwater (quality and quantity)

• Recharge groundwater

• Reduce CSOs, reduce wastewater treatment costs

• Improve watershed resiliency

• Cool urban areas –energy savings

Benefits of Green Infrastructure• Manage stormwater (quality and quantity)

• Recharge groundwater

• Reduce CSOs, reduce wastewater treatment costs

• Improve watershed resiliency

• Cool urban areas –energy savings

• Provide wildlife habitat

Benefits of Green Infrastructure• Manage stormwater (quality and quantity)

• Recharge groundwater

• Reduce CSOs, reduce wastewater treatment costs

• Improve watershed resiliency

• Cool urban areas –energy savings

• Provide wildlife habitat

• Improve air quality

Benefits of Green Infrastructure• Manage stormwater (quality and quantity)

• Recharge groundwater

• Reduce CSOs, reduce wastewater treatment costs

• Improve watershed resiliency

• Cool urban areas –energy savings

• Provide wildlife habitat

• Improve air quality

• Improve human health

Benefits of Green Infrastructure• Manage stormwater (quality and quantity)

• Recharge groundwater

• Reduce CSOs, reduce wastewater treatment costs

• Improve watershed resiliency

• Cool urban areas –energy savings

• Provide wildlife habitat

• Improve air quality

• Improve human health

• Increase land values

Benefits of Green Infrastructure• Manage stormwater (quality and quantity)

• Recharge groundwater

• Reduce CSOs, reduce wastewater treatment costs

• Improve watershed resiliency

• Cool urban areas –energy savings

• Provide wildlife habitat

• Improve air quality

• Improve human health

• Increase land values

• Beautify neighborhoods

Benefits at a Municipal Scale

Philadelphia

40-year strategy to deal with CSOs:

• Gray - $122.0 million in benefits

• Green - $2.85 billion in benefits

– Save energy ($33.7 million)

– Avoid 196 fatalities from heat stress

– Increase residential property values (> $1.1 billion)

– Create > 15,000 jobs for local laborers

Watershed Resiliency and Climate Change

• Resilient watershed = better able to deal with and recover from extreme weather

• Reduce vulnerability of communities & ecosystems

Flooding from the Fall Kill, Poughkeepsie – Hurricane Irene

Watershed Resiliency and Climate Change

• Manage stormwater

• Protect forests, wetlands, floodplains

• Restore vegetation along streams

• Replace undersized road crossings

• Move infrastructure out of floodplains

• Create partnerships, work intermunicipally

Implementing Green Infrastructure

• Homeowners, watershed groups, neighborhoods, regional planners, businesses, and

• Municipalities

– Planning

– Codes/ordinances to encourage, incentivize, or require

– Demonstration sites SUNY Orange, Middletown

What can you do?

• Integrate green infrastructure into plans

• Climate adaptation strategies

• Review codes/ordinances

• Visit local practices

• Build demonstration projects

• Submit projects for website

• Restore stream buffers with Trees for Tribs

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Emily VailWatershed Outreach Specialist

eevail@gw.dec.state.ny.us

(845) 256-3145

Hudson River Estuary Program

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

In cooperation with Cornell University NYS Water Resources Institute

New York State Water

Resources Institute