Want to know exactly what a rain garden is and how it works? Click here to experience a virtual simulation of how a rain garden works. Wthin the simulation you will learn definitions, the process that a rain garden goes through from dry conditions to when it rains, and also understand what is going on below the surface of the garden itself. Enjoy!
Join us in Lincoln for the Nebraska Post-Construction Stormwater Workshop on March 21, 2012 and pre-workshop Bioretention Short Course on March 20, 2012. The workshop is intended to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to exchange information, resources and technology in the field of post-construction stormwater management. The goal of the conference is to increase the knowledge and capacity of participants in the areas of design, implementation, policy and education in the field of post-construction stormwater management. Lunch is included in your registration.
The 2012 Nebraska Post-Construction Stormwater Workshop will host two great keynote speakers; Dr. Robert Roseen, director with the University of New Hampshire's Stormwater Center and Jim Schussler, Land Use Planner and Landscape Architect with BNIM in Kansas City, who helped lead the Green Rebuild Inititive in Greensburg, KS. There will also be four tracts of presentations (March 21st) covering local and current information, each targeted at specific groups within the area of post-construction stormwater. These tracks include:
- BMP Case Studies
- Research Topics
- From the Developer: Low Impact Development
- Stormwater Management Policy
Click here for the official website where you can register & read all about the keynote speakers and topcis to be covered. Join us for great local information that will benefit us all!
Here are the pdf's of the presentation from the 4 workshops held this year. This version is the updated one from the latest workshop, Kearney. Enjoy! Just click on the desired secton below for that portion of the workshop.
Urban stormwater runoff has historically contributed to a variety of serious water resource issues, including:
- Sediment and chemical pollution
- Concentrated stormwater volumes/flooding
- Erosion of property
- Elevated water temperatures
In the past, the thought has been to collect stormwater and get it off the site as quickly as possible, with the assumption that wherever it went after that, nature would take care of it.
A new stormwater management paradigm now exists: Instead of managing stormwater as a liability to be removed from a site as quickly as possible, it is now being detained on-site for water quality/quantity enhancement and managed as a resource for soil moisture, groundwater recharge, and reuse. Strategies, often referred to Low Impact Devleopment (LID), that utilize this paradigm include rain and bioretention gardens, permeable pavement, green roofs, rain harvesting, and bioswales.
The following issues have become critical in supporting this paradigm shift:
- Educating the public how current stormwater management negatively impacts our environment
- Successful implementation and adherence to stormwater regulations
- Profitable development of high-quality, environmentally-sound projects
- Creating awareness of the functional and aesthetic benefits of green infrastructure
Explore our site to learn much more on stormwater, local and regional information, and what you can do to use stormwater to your advantage!
Look for new May 2012 "Did You Know" tips at links below
Virtual Rain Garden Simulation