Green Infrastructure

Residential Water Use Lawns, Gardens & Landscapes

Green Infrastructure

Landscapes which are sustainably designed, installed and managed provide us with many benefits. Sustainable landscapes conserve water, lower the rate and volume of runoff water from rain, snowmelt and irrigation, and help reduce the amount of pollutants reaching the surface and ground water. Read on to learn ways to design or change your landscape to achieve a sustainable landscape.

Monday, July 31, 2017

2017 Omaha Stormwater Management Tour

Join us, as we tour some of the newest stormwater management projects in Omaha and re-visit established green infrastructure projects. Six of this year’s tour stops are new to the tour! Criteria for tour stop selection included ensuring a variety of consultants, various project scales, various management practices, and availability of tour guides.

Tour stops will include:

Read More

Permeable Pavers

Permeable pavers let water pass through the spaces between them which are often filled with small gravel or sand.

Read More

Rain Gardens

You can reduce water runoff from your yard by planting a rain garden. A rain garden is a small depression planted to flowers and ornamental grasses. It is designed to temporarily hold and soak in rain water from a roof, driveway or open area. A rain garden is not a pond or wetland. It is dry most of the time and holds water after a rain. Water collected in the rain garden slowly soaks into the soil and disappears in less than 48 hours.

Read More

Landscape Management Practices

  • Aim downspouts towards planted areas or pervious hardscape and away from impervious paved areas.
  • Collect rainwater from rooftops in rain barrels or cisterns for reuse in landscape irrigation.
  • Amend soil with organic matter. Core aerate lawns to help avoid or reduce soil compaction, increase water infiltration, and promote healthy root systems.
  • Follow University and label recommendations and calibrate spreaders when using fertilizers and pesticides.  Only use these products when needed. Read and follow label directions for all lawn chemicals.

Read More

Landscape Design Practices

  • Install rain gardens in locations where they catch and temporarily hold rainwater.
  • Use natural drainage patterns, site grading, berms (planted earth mounds) or other methods to channel rainwater away from impervious surfaces (i.e. pavement) onto planted areas such as grass swales, filter strips, or rain gardens.
  • Plant and maintain healthy plant cover, especially on slopes to stabilize the soil and prevent erosion. Select plants adapted to the site and maintenance level.

Read More

Pages

Sign up for updates from UNL Water

Sign Up Here