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Schoharie Watershed Program
A program of Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District |
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Please use the links provided to access information on the SWP, its projects, and watershed issues |
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Mountaintop Low Impact Development Planning |
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PO Box 996, 6049 Main Street Tannersville, NY 12485 Phone 518-589-6871 Fax 518-589-6874 |
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GCSWCD Main Office 907 County Office Building Cairo, NY 12413 Phone 518.622.3620 Fax 518.622.0344
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What is Low Impact Development?
Low impact development (LID) is a land planning and engineering design approach to managing stormwater runoff. LID emphasizes conservation and use of on-site natural features to protect water quality. This approach implements engineered small-scale hydrologic controls to replicate the pre-development hydrologic regime of watersheds through infiltrating, filtering, storing, evaporating, and detaining runoff close to its source.
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Why do we care about stormwater?
Sormwater · Contributes to flooding problems · Can damage buildings and infrastructure · Recharges groundwater aquifers · Increases suspended solids in natural waterbodies · Can carry pollutants to waterbodies |
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Stormwater Management
A focus of the Schoharie Watershed Program involves the assessment of older sites and the design and installation of measures to integrate stormwater management and treatment systems to protect water quality. There are many locations in the Greene County portion of the watershed that pre-date current stormwater rules and regulations and have no treatment of stormwater. A role of the SWP is to help landowners, municipalities, and others access the wide range of funds available to undertake these projects. Funding from the Catskill Watershed Corporation, US Army Corp of Engineers and others are being used to implement stormwater treatment practices on a wide range of sites. To the maximum extent possible, the SWP attempts to design treatment systems that meet or exceed current rules and regulations, and employ low impact development techniques. This provides multiple benefits to water quality as well as the property owners.
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Structural Low Impact Development Practices
Planners select structural LID practices for an individual site in consideration of the site's land use, hydrology, soil type, climate, and rainfall patterns. There are many variations on these LID practices, and some practices may not be suitable for a given site. Many are practical for retrofit or site renovation projects, as well as for new construction. Frequently-used practices include: · Stormwater wetlands · Rain gardens · Rain barrels · Permeable pavement · Bioswales
Click Here to learn more about low impact development and the above structural practices. |
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LID on the Mountaintop
Hunter Foundation Stormwater Retrofit Project: Located at 6049 Main Street in Tannersville, this project’s goal is to protect water resources by providing non-point source mitigation from the impacts of pollutants associated with stormwater runoff from the site. This project employs permeable pavement, rain gardens, and a bioswale to achieve these goals through LID techniques.
Sugar Maples Stormwater Retrofit Project: Located at Sugar Maples Center for Creative Arts is in the Hamlet of Maplecrest, Town of Windham along County Route 56, this project’s goal is to protect water resources by lessening the amount of total suspended solids in the stormwater runoff from the site. This project employs rain gardens, permeable pavement, and a stormwater wetland to achieve these goals through LID techniques.
Click Here for more info on LID and for more pictures of stormwater retrofit projects |
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Site of the Hunter Foundation Stormwater Retrofit Project (Watershed Assistance Program parking lot) before construction. Sediment-laden runoff illustrated the need for better stormwater management techniques at this site. Visit 6049 Main Street, Tannersville to see the completed project! |
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Completed rain garden at the Sugar Maples Stormwater Retrofit Project |
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Want to learn more about low impact development? Click Here for more information and resources |
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Can’t find the page/information you’re looking for? See Sitemap |
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The GCSWCD is working with Windham Mountain to retrofit older development features such as this parking lot to address stormwater quality. Note the extensive rill erosion and loss of sediments. |
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In 2006, the GCSWCD assisted the Town of Hunter with installation of stormwater treatment practices at the Town’s highway garage. |
