May 21, 2009
Extension Emphasizes Diverting Stormwater Runoff to Green Spaces
LINCOLN, Neb. — Allowing stormwater to flow into storm drains was once thought to be the best way to get rid of the extra water. Not anymore.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln is now promoting the concept of diverting stormwater from storm drains and toward green spaces to help protect environmental resources.
Extension has organized several workshops and developed publications on stormwater management to protect the state's waterways from pollution, said Kelly Feehan, extension educator based in Columbus. The goal is to prevent stormwater from entering storm drains – which once was thought of as the best solution – and instead divert it to green spaces, Feehan said.
"It's a change in paradigm," Feehan said. "We now emphasize capture and infiltrate."
Stormwater that goes into the drains picks up pollutants, such as fertilizers, pesticides and pet wastes. That water then drains into rivers, lakes and streams.
In the last few years the federal Clean Water Act began requiring cities and towns with populations of 10,000 to 50,000, called phase 2 cities, to address ways to reduce stormwater runoff. Nebraska has 10 such cities. Larger cities like Omaha and Lincoln previously were addressed as phase 1 cities.
Extension, seeing a need to help these phase 2 communities, formed the Stormwater and Green Space Community Residential Action Team. The team has in the last two years developed seven extension publications on various aspects of stormwater management, including ones on pesticide use, rain gardens, and yard waste management.
Representatives in some of the Nebraska communities ordered thousands of copies of the publications.
One of those communities is Norfolk, where city street director Jim Koch ordered 10,000 copies.
"We wanted to give them to the public," Koch said. "I think a lot of people don't know about this. Most people think the stormwater is treated before it goes into the river."
Publications also were ordered in Scottsbluff, where stormwater runoff is a concern even though the annual rainfall is less than other parts of the state, said Jim Schild, extension educator at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center.
While the 12 to 14 inches of rain that falls on average a year is low, "when we do get rain it's quick, larger events," Schild said. "We need to be just as prepared."
Extension puts on annual workshops in Scottsbluff attended by 75 to 80 groundskeepers from the Panhandle and Wyoming, he said.
"We've raised the level of awareness," Schild said, noting that people are more likely than they used to be to sweep fertilizer off sidewalks.
The action team also has held workshops for personnel in the green space industry, such as parks workers, and has put information on the university's new water Web site.
"The emphasis is on business management practices for green spaces," Feehan said.
Communities are responding by looking into new ordinances relating to construction, particularly as it relates to grading and the runoff of sediments, Feehan said.
"The biggest focus up to this point has been dealing with sediment coming off of construction sites," Feehan said.
The issue was addressed in an NET2 program that included a 10-minute segment on how the public can manage stormwater, said Steve Rodie, landscape horticulture specialist in Omaha. The program included information on rain gardens and rain barrels, for which interest is growing, he said.
"Rain barrels are more and more popular," Rodie said. "I've seen more people asking about them."
5/21/09-LM Kelly A. Feehan
Cooperative Extension Northeast District (Platte) Extension Educator (402)563-4901
 
Lori McGinnis IANR News and Photography (402) 472-0918
Department:
Extension
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