This year's essay theme: "Rethink Runoff: Design Clean Solutions to Manage Stormwater

Pollution."

    

                  

    

               

   

    

       

   

   

Image: City of Gresham

Porous paving in parking strip on north side of street.

Holladay Green Street, Gresham, OR

Image: City of Gresham

Holladay Green Street, Gresham, OR

Rain gardens on south side of street.

1. Roof water collection2. Downspout to on-site raingarden3. Demonstration raingarden4. Conveyance to cistern5. Cistern6. Rainwater to irrigation7. Sheet flow to raingarden in r-o-w8. Raingardens in r-o-w9. Pervious pavers10. Infiltration Zone

Stormwater Management Features

Image: Mithun

Taylor Avenue, Seattle, WA

Image: Mithun

1. Unit pavers2. Concrete curb with drainage

slots3. Raingarden plantings4. Ponding Zone5. Freeboard zone6. Overflow7. Mulch Layer8. Raingarden Soil9. Gravel Filter10. Washed Rock11. Perforated pipe sized for more

storage capacity12. Infiltration Zone13. Edge restraint

Taylor Avenue, Seattle, WA

Southwest 12th Ave., Portland, OR

• The downtown rain garden serves as an urban Green Street Demonstration Project.

• Pre-existing planting strips were adapted for stormwater infiltration to reduce design and construction costs.

Contributor and images: Kevin Perry

Southwest 12th Ave., Portland, OR

Images: Kevin Perry

A series of planting strips can filter large amounts of stormwater as it flows along the grade.

Images: City of Chicago

Green Alleys, Chicago, ILThe Chicago Green Alleys Program aims to overhaul 3,500 acres of public alleys with a four-pronged approach:

…Permeable paving where appropriate…High albedo surfacing…Energy efficient & dark sky compliant light fixtures…Use of recycled materials

From 2006 to 2007, 26 alleys were reconstructed. An estimated 40 more will be renovated in Chicago by the end of 2008.

Contributor: Janet Attarian, City of Chicago

Green Alleys, Chicago

Images: City of Chicago

Before:Alleys flooded without connections to the city stormwater drains.

After:Water infiltrates through permeable pavement or infiltration basins, alleviating basement flooding of adjacent properties as well as reducing alley runoff.

Stormwater flows into planters in the public way, where it filters naturally into the soil. 101 pocket swales, 30 flow-through planter boxes and 41 public infiltration dry wells are included in the project98% of stormwater retained on-site; water directed to underground stormwater piping reduced 80%

New Columbia, Portland, OR

Image Marcy McInelly, SERA-Urbsworks

Bioswales capture parking lot runoff.Image Marcy McInelly, SERA-Urbsworks

New Columbia, Portland, OR