FEBRUARY 25, 2010 ISSUE
Extension Hosts Water Resource Protection Workshops in March
Low Impact Development Workshop March 11, Residential Rain Garden Certification March 22 and 23
According to the United States Census, North Carolina will become the seventh most populous state by 2030, with more than 12.2 million residents. Those numbers are very exciting for the local economy, but there is a direct link between how we use the land—the way a site is developed—and environmental and water quality degradation, especially in the mountains with the sloping topography. Clearing the land for development can lead to increased runoff every time it rains.
During a rainstorm, stormwater runoff travels across the landscape and picks up pollutants such as oil and gas from roads, trash and debris, pet waste, sediment, bacteria, metals, road salt, chemicals and fertilizers. Without treatment, the polluted water will flow into the streams and rivers of the county. Stormwater runoff is one of the leading causes of surface water quality degradation in the nation, also producing thermal pollution, degrading river habitat for trout in the mountains.
One way to reduce developmental impacts is to incorporate Low Impact Development (LID) techniques into the design plan. LID is based on 2 premises—minimizing impervious areas and disconnecting impervious areas to the waterways. Integrating LID, such as bioretention, rain gardens, green roofs, permeable pavement, grassy swales, wetlands and cisterns, will help reduce the impacts of development on local waterways. All of these techniques also provide open space for humans and wildlife and can be incorporated at minimal cost.
In conjunction with the North Carolina State University (NCSU) LID Group, Watauga County Cooperative Extension will host a workshop on “LID and Urban Design” for planners, developers, Realtors, engineers, landscape architects and other professionals to receive continuing education credits on Thursday, March 11, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Watauga County Cooperative Extension on King Street in Boone. Registration fees range from $100 to $125 per person.
Workshop leader Dwane Jones is a faculty member at NCSU specializing in urban design, conservation design, urban and rural planning, stormwater, LID and water quality. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to apply basic principles of urban design and integrate LID principles and practices to form a comprehensive, holistic public realm for a “real-world” project.
A Residential Rain Garden Certification workshop will take place on Monday and Tuesday, March 22 and 23, at Grandfather Mountain. This workshop certification is awarded by NCSU Cooperative Extension and is housed in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department. The registration fee is $125 if purchased one week prior to the workshop; $175 is the regular fee.
As homeowners and property managers become more aware of the issues of stormwater management many of them are choosing to manage the runoff from their homes and businesses with rain gardens. Rain gardens are shallow depression landscape features that can effectively collect and treat stormwater and reduce localized flooding. Rain gardens can be integrated into the existing landscape as a retrofit or be included in the initial landscaping plan. To effectively manage stormwater, rain gardens must be accurately sized and properly constructed. This workshop will present a simple method for sizing and designing rain gardens and detail proper construction techniques.
Many water quality issues today are based on how residents have developed in the past. Focusing on a holistic approach to development by integrating Smart Growth, conservation design, LID and green building, will not only be beneficial for the local economy but also the environment.
For more information and/or to register for the Low Impact Development workshop,
www.bae.ncsu.edu/topic/lid/urban_design.html, or call 828-264-3061.
For more information and/or to register for the Residential Rain Garden workshop, www.bae.ncsu.edu/stormwater/training/raingarden.html, or call 828-264-3061.
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