Stormwater Solutions: Turning Oregon’s Rain Back into a Resource
Cities in Oregon and throughout the United States were engineered to keep stormwater out of sight and out of mind. Unfortunately, that approach has created additional problems and turned a potential resource into a waste product. Once rain falls onto the hard surfaces of streets, sidewalks, parking lots and rooftops, it picks up any and all pollutants that are in its path, gathering volume and speed until it enters a stormdrain and is piped underground or directly into a stream. It substantially alters the natural hydrology of watersheds and causes water pollution. Stormwater runoff hinders the ability of rivers and streams to support aquatic life and it contributes to bacteria-laden waters unsafe for swimming, fish so contaminated with toxins that they are unsafe to eat, and property damage caused by widening stream channels and increased flooding.
The Stormwater Solutions Team, convened by the Oregon Environmental Council, studied the issue and developed a set of recommendations to protect human health, natural resources and public infrastructure from the impacts of urban runoff. Read the report online below, or:
- Click here to download the whole report [PDF: 1.7 MB]
- Click here to download a brief executive summary [PDF: 200 KB]
email discussion list.
Learn more about Low Impact Development, a cornerstone of many of the Stormwater Solutions Team's recommendations.
Stormwater Solutions: Turning Oregon's Rain Back into a Resource
Introduction
- Environmental Impacts of Urban Stormwater Runoff
- A Two-Pronged Solution
- Regulatory Context
- Barriers to Overcome
- Recommendations
- Potential Funding Sources
- Appendices
- References
