Commercial Site Assessment for BMP Retrofit
The Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District (District) has determined that large impervious sites (like churches, commercial sites, and schools) are more economical for stormwater management retrofit projects than distributed small projects along roadways. The District began assessing church sites for retrofit opportunities in 2013 and will continue this effort in 2014. Church congregations have been receptive to partnering with the watershed district. Commercial and school property owners, however, are often harder to access, and can also be harder to motivate into partnerships that result in implementation of stormwater management Best Management Practices (BMPs).
This grant will assist the District in identifying and assessing commercial retail centers and strip malls in high priority drainage areas for retrofit opportunities that will assist the District in meeting stormwater volume and nutrient reduction goals. This project will not only identify promising sites for retrofit BMPs on commercial sites with large impervious areas, but involve a series of conversations with commercial property owners about the potential for partnering on project implementation, now and in the future. An important part of this project involves interaction with commercial property owners to introduce the District and its goals, determine their willingness to partner with the District, identify barriers to installation and maintenance of stormwater BMPs, identify ways to reduce or eliminate barriers, and to generally lay the groundwork for the District to effectively work with commercial property owners into the future.
Nicole Clapp
Accelerated Implementation Grant 2014
Targeted Watershed Analysis
LOCAL LEVERAGED FUNDS