Tri-County/City Soil & Water Conservation District

. . . . . providing grassroots solutions to conserve natural resources

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What is Low Impact Development ?

Old-fashioned, centuries-old methods for balancing growth and environmental integrity …

Low Impact Development (LID) sounds like something new, but actually, it’s very old concepts and methods for protecting the environment. LID is proving to be an innovative and low-cost effective alternative approach to today’s site development and stormwater management.
   LID combines resource conservation, a hydrologically functional site design with pollution prevention measures to reduce development impacts to better replicate natural watershed hydrology and water quality. 
   LID seeks to protect downstream water quality by better replicating the pre-development hydrology on a development site. LID uses “distribute, micro-scale” practices to treat and detain water near its source, utilizing the landscape in its natural role as a filter. LID also uses design approaches to reduce impervious cover on a site. This approach helps avoid large-scale “end-of-pipe” practices that can be costly and present long-term maintenance and liability burdens.
   Contact TCC SWCD for more information.

Raintank storm water detention and infiltration systems provide temporary, underground storage of storm water after a rain event until it can infiltrate into the ground or drainage system. These systems provide an alternative to storm water ponds , which allows development of additional site area. These systems can be installed under roads, parking lots, athletic fields, swales and underground channels. Raintank may be used in any other application where water collection and water quality are issues.