A Havre de Grace Green Team Blogpost
by Karl Ford - Education Initiative Chairperson
by Karl Ford - Education Initiative Chairperson
What is the definition of stormwater? Why should we care about stormwater
management? Well, stormwater is quite simply rainwater and rainwater ends up in
our lakes and reservoirs…..and ultimately our homes.
When it rains, the rainwater will interact with four types
of surface areas found in our environment; the air before it hits the ground, permeable
ground surfaces, impermeable ground surfaces, or bodies of water. Most of us
don’t think of the air around us as a surface that interacts with rainwater and
thus has an effect on our water quality. However, air pollutants can be picked
up by rainwater and enter the environment. Once the rain reaches the ground it interacts with
three additional surfaces. Impermeable surfaces, which includes buildings,
parking lots, roadways, as well as natural rock formations, through which water
cannot penetrate. Permeable surfaces, which includes natural areas like
grasslands, forests, and bare soil.
Increasingly, due to efforts to protect water quality, this also
includes man-made permeable surfaces. Lastly, rivers, lakes, creeks, streams,
man-made reservoirs, and of course the oceans make up the final types of surface.
The effect of rainwater’s interaction with each surface is
dependent on the characteristics of that surface. Erosion caused by rainwater run-off can be controlled
by the environment’s surface features, both natural and man-made. Vegetation
acts as a natural soil stabilizer, holding the soil in place, as well as
controlling the velocity and volume of the water runoff. Vegetated areas, such
as
grasslands and forests, also act as natural filters,
retaining debris and particulates in the soil and not allowing them to enter
our water bodies. Impermeable surfaces concentrate the volume and the velocity
of rainwater run-off entering the environment. Unfortunately, impermeable
surfaces also concentrate the contaminants in the stormwater run-off. These contaminants are then deposited in our
creeks, streams, rivers and the bay. Stormwater management programs exist to
minimize soil erosion and stormwater contamination by mitigating increases in
water volume and velocity. The public can and should play a vital role in helping
to manage overall water quality by monitoring their local stormwater systems.
As we enjoy the warm weather and the associated activities
that go along with the pleasures of summertime, we should pay special attention
to what goes into our streets, gutters, and storm drains. “Only Rain in the Drain”
is a good phrase to keep in mind. Make it a point to limit or eliminate any chemicals,
petroleum products, trash, debris, and soil from entering the stormwater
system. You can contact the Havre de Grace Green Team, city or county government,
and other local environmental groups, for information on best practices to
protect our precious water resources.
