Stormwater Management
A focus of the GCSWCD 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.
The District attempts to design stormwater treatment systems that meet or exceed current rules and regulations, and employ low impact development (LID) techniques. This provides multiple benefits to water quality as well as the municipality, property owners, and the environment.
Why do we care about stormwater?
- It contributes to flooding problems
- It can damage buildings and infrastructure
- It increases suspended solids in natural waterbodies
- It can carry pollutants to waterbodies
- It recharges groundwater aquifers by infiltrating through pervious surfaces
Stormwater Retrofit Projects
Click project title for more information, photos, and project reports
Mountain Top Library Stormwater Retrofit Project:
In July, 2010 the District completed the construction of a stormwater retrofit project at the future site of the Mountain Top Library & Learning Center. The project includes a permeable asphalt parking area (the first of its kind in the NYC Watershed), rain gardens, and a runoff conveyance and treatment system. The District is working in partnership with the Catskill Watershed Corporation, NYC DEP, NYS DEC, US Army Corps of Engineers, and the Haines Falls Free Library on this project that will help protect Schoharie basin waterways from the negative effects of stormwater runoff.
Windham Mountain Stormwater Retrofit Project:
In the spring of 2010, GCSWCD and Ski Windham began the construction of the first phase of a plan that addresses stormwater runoff from 16 acres of commercial land use in the Batavia Kill sub-watershed. Both structural and non-structural stormwater management practices have been constructed to halt existing erosion and loading from Windham Mountain parking areas. The treatments include terracing and resurfacing the parking area, an improved conveyance system, an enlarged snowmaking pond, a pond forebay, and a staged outlet structure. Additionally, the removal of a large culvert and restoration of an adjoining tributary that drains to the Batavia Kill will enhance stream stability, and improve water quality and aquatic habitat
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.
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.