What's New
Environment Michigan has developed a
toolkit, including a fact sheet, media packet and model ordinance, for groups
to promote low impact development (LID) in their communities. This work is
based off of Environment Michigan’s report, "Waterways at Risk: How
Low-Impact Development Can Reduce Runoff Pollution in Michigan," which
looks at how poor stormwater management is a major contributor to water quality
problems in Michigan, and how local governments can use LID to greatly reduce
runoff and prevent harm. Fact
Sheet | Media Packet | Model
Ordinance
How You Can Help
After downloading the toolkit, tell us your story of how you're putting it to use in your community.
Brief Summary
Rain and snow
melt are natural, regular occurrences in the Great Lakes.
Ecosystems have evolved over billions of years to retain and use this vital
resource.
Unfortunately, human development has changed
this cycle, mainly through increases in impervious surfaces, and has
transformed water from an asset into a problem. Once land is developed,
precipitation that once soaked into the ground is swiftly carried away,
carrying a wide variety of pollutants with it.
Stormwater
runoff is a leading cause of water quality impairment. Unfortunately,
developers have little or no incentive to reduce impervious surfaces when
developing new or existing properties, and regulations requiring reductions have
been scattered or nonexistent.
Traditionally,
the way that local governments handle stormwater is by building “hard”
infrastructure, including wastewater treatment plants and stormwater
treatment
facilities. However, the most effective way to handle stormwater is to
treat
water as a valuable resource by retaining, filtering, treating and
using the
water on-site. This approach—known as “soft-path” or “low-impact
development”—not only alleviates problems associated with stormwater,
but also provides
visual and environmental benefits to the local landscape. More.
