Green Infrastructure

A Handbook of Constructed Wetlands

Organizations/Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
This Handbook has been prepared as a general guide to the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of constructed wetlands for the treatment of domestic wastewater, agricultural wastewater, coal mine drainage, and stormwater runoff in the mid-Atlantic region; the Handbook is not a design manual.
Last Modified
Apr 16, 2019
Viewed
1696 times

A Procurement Guide for Nature-Based Solutions

2018
Organizations/Sources: The Nature Conservancy
The purpose of this guide is to help communities utilize the right RFP language that will allow experts to respond with their best recommendations for managing flood and stormwater hazards. Changing the way in which we request services (such as designs, studies or plans) may increase the quality and variety of the resulting proposals in favor of those that use nature-based or other innovative solutions that increase resiliency and provide additional public benefits.
Last Modified
Apr 16, 2019
Viewed
1987 times

Bioswales Fact Sheet

2005
Fact sheet about the benefits of bioswales and key tips for designing them.
Last Modified
Apr 17, 2019
Viewed
1407 times

Bioswales/Vegetated Swales Fact Sheet

2008
Organizations/Sources: University of Florida Extension
A bioswale or vegetated swale is a form of bioretention used to partially treat water quality, attenuate flooding potential and convey stormwater away from critical infrastructure. These systems are linear, with length to width dimensions much greater than the more typical 2:1 applied to bioretention cells.
Last Modified
Apr 17, 2019
Viewed
2257 times

BMP 6.4.10: Infiltration Berm and Retentive Grading

Chapter on infiltration berms in Pennsylvania Stormwater BMPs Manual.
Last Modified
Apr 17, 2019
Viewed
2181 times

BMP 6.4.1: Pervious Pavement

Chapter about pervious pavement—pavement that allows stormwater to soak through and be absorbed by the ground rather than flowing along the road surface—in the Pennsylvania Stormwater BMPs Manual.
Last Modified
Apr 17, 2019
Viewed
2333 times

BMP 6.4.2: Infiltration Basin

Chapter about infiltration basins in the Pennsylvania Stormwater BMPs guide.
Last Modified
Apr 16, 2019
Viewed
2191 times

BMP 6.4.3 and 6.4.4: Infiltration Trenches and Beds

Chapters about infiltration trenches and beds in Pennsylvania Stormwater BMPs Manual. They help store and absorb overflow runoff during storms.
Last Modified
Apr 17, 2019
Viewed
1949 times

BMP 6.4.5: Rain Garden

Chapter in Pennsylvania Stormwater BMP guide about rain gardens, which are areas planted with native vegetation to absorb stormwater.
Last Modified
Apr 17, 2019
Viewed
1930 times

BMP 6.4.8: Vegetated Swale

Chapter of Pennsylvania Stormwater BMPs Manual about vegetated swales, channels planted with trees, shrubs, or grasses to infiltrate runoff.
Last Modified
Apr 17, 2019
Viewed
1996 times

BMP 6.5.1: Vegetated Roof

Short guide about green roofs, from the Pennsylvania Stormwater BMPs Manual.
Last Modified
Apr 16, 2019
Viewed
2383 times

BMP 6.7.1: Riparian Buffer Restoration

Chapter of Pennsylvania Stormwater BMPs Manual describing riparian buffers, forested areas along waterways that filter pollutants and control flooding.
Last Modified
Apr 17, 2019
Viewed
2329 times

Constructed Wetland

Constructed wetlands are shallow marsh systems planted with emergent vegetation that are designed to treat stormwater runoff. This chapter of the Pennsylvania Stormwater BMPs Manual describes them in detail.
Last Modified
Apr 16, 2019
Viewed
1986 times

Constructed Wetlands

Guide provides information about how constructed wetlands work, as well as tips for site selection, design, and monitoring.
Last Modified
Apr 16, 2019
Viewed
1321 times

Developing Effective MS4 Stormwater Programs on a Shoestring

2009
Organizations/Sources: Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Presentation on stormwater management programs.
Last Modified
Jun 26, 2019
Viewed
4034 times

Enhancing Stormwater Management: Bioswales and Storm Basins

Organizations/Sources: Montgomery County Planning Commission
Fact sheets explain two important nature-based solutions to stormwater and flooding: bioswales and storm basins.
Last Modified
Jun 25, 2019
Viewed
1564 times

Green Infrastructure Guidelines

2017
Organizations/Sources: Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
These guidelines were prepared in conjunction with the Monocacy Creek Watershed Act 167 Stormwater Management Plan Update (2017). The guidelines are important for reinforcing the message of the outstanding natural resources present in the Lehigh Valley and their wide variety of essential services and benefits to local residents and visitors, describing the best practices available for community and site design to preserve or enhance those resources, and defining improved stormwater management site design practices to better mimic natural systems. The guidelines provide 1) an overview of green infrastructure at a regional scale and the associated benefits and 2) engineering guidance for site-specific stormwater management practices to help designers understand and comply with the water balance and green infrastructure provisions of the updated Act 167 Ordinance.
Last Modified
Apr 16, 2019
Viewed
2280 times

Green Infrastructure Handbook: BMPs in Hartford, Connecticut

2018
Outlines various green infrastructure techniques and their benefits, along with links to other resources. Includes color photos.
Last Modified
Jul 03, 2019
Viewed
1433 times

Green Infrastructure in Parks: A Guide to Collaboration, Funding, and Community Engagement

2017
Organizations/Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
This guide is intended to encourage partnerships between park agencies and stormwater agencies aimed at promoting the use of green infrastructure on park lands. The guide offers information on why partnerships between stormwater managers and parks managers can be beneficial and how you can create such partnerships. The guide presents an overview of green infrastructure and describes practices that can be used to manage stormwater in parks. In addition, you will find information on factors that influence the selection of appropriate green infrastructure practices, such as maintenance requirements.
Last Modified
Apr 16, 2019
Viewed
2217 times

Green Infrastructure Modeling Toolkit

Organizations/Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPA has developed innovative models, tools, and technologies for communities to manage water runoff in urban and other environments. The resources in this toolkit incorporate green or a combination of green and gray infrastructure practices to help communities manage their water resources in a more sustainable way, increasing resilience to future changes.
Last Modified
Jun 26, 2019
Viewed
1212 times

Green Infrastructure Opportunities that Arise During Municipal Operations

2015
Organizations/Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
This document provides approaches local government officials and municipal program managers (Figure 1) in small to midsize communities can use to incorporate green infrastructure components into work they are doing in public spaces. The guide demonstrates ways in which projects can be modified relatively easily and at a low cost recognizing that municipal resources can be limited.
Last Modified
Apr 16, 2019
Viewed
2206 times

Green Infrastructure: Smart Conservation for the 21st Century

2002
Organizations/Sources: The Conservation Fund
This publication introduces green infrastructure as a strategic approach to land conservation that is critical to the success of smart growth initiatives and describes the concept and values of green infrastructure and presents seven principles and associated strategies for successful green infrastructure initiatives.
Last Modified
Aug 13, 2019
Viewed
9135 times

Green Principles for Park Development and Sustainability

2011
These are best practices for developing parks that are environmentally sustainable and successful in connecting people to nature, including nature-based stormwater solutions (green infrastructure).
Last Modified
Apr 16, 2019
Viewed
3758 times

Green Roofs

Organizations/Sources: Montgomery County Planning Commission
Short guide explains the benefits of green roofs and various green roof options.
Last Modified
Jul 03, 2019
Viewed
2242 times

Green Streets and Parking Lots

Organizations/Sources: Montgomery County Planning Commission
Series of short guides that describe the benefits of green streets and parking lots, and explore tools such as permeable pavement, rain gardens, and more.
Last Modified
Apr 16, 2019
Viewed
1425 times

Green Values® National Stormwater Management Calculator

Organizations/Sources: Center For Neighborhood Technology
This is a tool for quickly comparing the performance, costs, and some benefits of green infrastructure practices to those of conventional stormwater management practices. The calculator takes users through a step-by-step process of determining the average precipitation at a site, choosing a stormwater runoff volume reduction goal, defining the impervious areas of the site under a conventional development scheme and then choosing best management practices to meets the runoff volume reduction goal in a cost-effective way.
Last Modified
Jul 03, 2019
Viewed
5931 times

Guidebook for Riparian Corridor Conservation

Organizations/Sources: Montgomery County Planning Commission
Guide highlights the benefits of riparian corridors and outlines components of their conservation, including acquisition, land-use controls, and stewardship.
Last Modified
Apr 16, 2019
Viewed
1580 times

Guiding Principles for Constructed Treatment Wetlands

2000
Guide provides founding principles for planning, siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and monitoring of constructed treatment wetlands.
Last Modified
Apr 16, 2019
Viewed
1292 times

Identifying and Prioritizing Streamside Forest Planting Sites in Pennsylvania Using GIS

2019
Authors: Josh VanBrakle
Report on Pennsylvania's first statewide comprehensive streamside planting opportunity spatial dataset, published by the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association, which is designed to help planners and conservationists find ideal streamside forest planting sites. The report describes this analysis in detail.
Last Modified
Jun 21, 2019
Viewed
2961 times

Infiltration Berms Fact Sheet

Two-page fact sheet outlining the basics of maintaining infiltration berms.
Last Modified
Apr 17, 2019
Viewed
2164 times

Infiltration Trench BMP Fact Sheet

Fact sheet describing pros and cons of infiltration trenches, as well as BMPs and design considerations.
Last Modified
Apr 17, 2019
Viewed
2341 times

i-Tree

Organizations/Sources: United States Forest Service
i-Tree is a state-of-the-art, peer-reviewed software suite from the USDA Forest Service that provides urban forestry analysis and benefits assessment tools. It's an easy-to-use, computer-based program that allows communities to conduct and analyze a street tree inventory and evaluate current benefits, costs, and management needs. Communities can analyze the economic benefits of their urban forests with Streets (formerly STRATUM), a street tree management and analysis tool for urban forest managers, which quantifies the dollar value of the urban forest’s annual environmental and aesthetic benefits: energy conservation, air quality improvement, CO2 reduction, stormwater control, and increased property value.
Last Modified
Jul 03, 2019
Viewed
5362 times

Municipal Tree Management

2008
Explains the benefits of urban trees and describes strategies to improve tree cover in communities.
Last Modified
Jul 03, 2019
Viewed
1898 times

National Management Measures to Control Nonpoint Source Pollution from Urban Areas

2005
Organizations/Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
This guidance helps citizens and municipalities in urban areas protect bodies of water from polluted runoff that can result from everyday activities. These scientifically sound techniques are the best practices known today. The guidance will also help states to implement their nonpoint source control programs and municipalities to implement their Phase II Storm Water Permit Programs.
Last Modified
Apr 16, 2019
Viewed
1388 times

National Street Tree Benefit Calculator

Organizations/Sources: Casey Trees and Davey Tree Expert Co.
The Tree Benefit Calculator allows users to estimate the annual economic and environmental value of individual street trees using inputs of a tree’s location, species and size. It is intended to be simple and accessible and should be considered a starting point for understanding trees’ value in the community, rather than a scientific accounting of precise values. This tool is based on i-Tree’s street tree assessment tool called STREETS, which can be seen at itreetools.org. For more detailed information on urban and community forest assessments, visit the i-Tree website.
Last Modified
Jul 03, 2019
Viewed
9853 times

NJ Stormwater BMP Manual: Infiltration Basins

2016
Outlines design criteria for various types of stormwater infiltration basins.
Last Modified
Apr 16, 2019
Viewed
2081 times

Reading Rain Barrell Ordinance

2012
Rain barrel ordinance for Reading, Pennsylvania. Encourages and provides guidelines for the use of rain barrels by residents and businesses.
Last Modified
Nov 15, 2022
Viewed
2347 times

Resource Guide for Planning, Designing, and Implementing Green Infrastructure in Parks

Parks have long played an integral role in community landscapes. As open green space becomes more scarce, public park agencies have new opportunity and reasons to work with other departments and agencies to utilize protected public green space in innovative ways. Designing new or existing parks to manage stormwater using green infrastructure principles is an ideal way to realize many of these benefits. Green stormwater infrastructure installations can be used to revitalize existing parks or enhance the design and functionality of new parks.
Last Modified
Jun 26, 2019
Viewed
2736 times

Stormwater to Street Trees: Engineering Urban Forests for Stormwater Management

2013
Organizations/Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Guide to planting and managing trees in urban environments.
Last Modified
Jul 03, 2019
Viewed
2158 times

Stormwater Trees: Technical Memorandum

2016
Organizations/Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Trees in the urban environment can provide many benefits; however, urban tree programs face numerous challenges that can affect their success. This technical memorandum addresses planting and maintaining trees which are adjacent to roadways or sidewalks in urban areas where buildings and impervious surfaces create harsh environments. These street trees can be planted for many reasons including stormwater management or increased shade and green space.
Last Modified
Apr 17, 2019
Viewed
1950 times

Structural Soils & Stormwater Management: Virginia Tech's Mini Parking Lot

Organizations/Sources: United States Forest Service
Fact sheet investigating new innovations in stormwater management
Last Modified
Apr 16, 2019
Viewed
4633 times

Sustainable Green Parking Lots

2015
Parking is essential for economic growth and business success. Almost every development in Montgomery County includes a parking lot. They play a major role in how our communities look and the quality of the environment. Unfortunately, parking lots can pollute stormwater runoff and increase local flooding. They can pose safety issues for pedestrians and can aggravate the urban heat island effect. For something that occupies such a vast amount of land, causes various impacts, and is used on a daily basis by so many people, the surface parking lot should receive more attention than it has. Parking lots can be retrofitted or built more sustainably. Using innovative site design, including best practices in stormwater management, consideration for community character, and safer pedestrian connections, we can transform our parking lots and reduce impacts. By incorporating green and sustainable practices, over time these improvements could have a significant positive impact on the county’s communities.
Last Modified
Jun 25, 2019
Viewed
1604 times

Sustainable Stormwater Management and Small Storm Design

2009
Authors: Michele Adams
Organizations/Sources: Meliora Environmental Design
Presentation regarding Low Impact Development & Stormwater Management Technical Training
Last Modified
Apr 16, 2019
Viewed
4087 times

Tennessee Urban Riparian Buffer Handbook: A Practical Guide to Establishing Healthy Streamside Buffers

2015
Organizations/Sources: United States Forest Service
Handbook contains: Information on establishing riparian buffers in a range of urban settings; a step-by-step guide on how to plan, conduct, and evaluate a volunteer riparian planting; a set of handouts that can be used when preparing volunteers and community partners for the coordination and implementation of riparian plantings; a regionalized riparian buffer plant list.
Last Modified
Apr 18, 2019
Viewed
1887 times

The Value of Green Infrastructure

2010
Green infrastructure is a network of decentralized stormwater management practices such as preservation of undeveloped areas near a water source, green roofs, tree planting, rain gardens and permeable pavement. This paper gives an overview of the methods used to measure the benefits of green infrastructure on water, energy savings, improved air quality, climate change mitigation, urban heat island mitigation, improved community livability and improved habitat. Multiple case studies are provided.
Last Modified
Jul 03, 2019
Viewed
5887 times

Top 10 Best Green/Sustainable Practices for Recreation and Conservation Sites

List of best practices to ensure that parks and recreation sites and environmentally sustainable.
Last Modified
Apr 16, 2019
Viewed
1470 times

Top 10 Stormwater Best Management Practices for Parks

List of effective nature-based stormwater management practices including riparian buffers, pervious pavement, trees, and bioswales.
Last Modified
Apr 16, 2019
Viewed
2450 times

Vegetated Filter Strip

Chapter of Pennsylvania Stormwater Best Management Practices Manual about filter strips, which are densely vegetated areas between pavement that absorb runoff.
Last Modified
Apr 16, 2019
Viewed
2026 times

Vegetated Filter Strip Fact Sheets

2005
Short fact sheet explaining the benefits of vegetated filter strips, when and where to use them, and how to design them.
Last Modified
Apr 16, 2019
Viewed
2025 times

Virginia Stormwater Design Specification #13: Constructed Wetlands

2013
Design manual for constructed wetlands.
Last Modified
Apr 16, 2019
Viewed
2209 times