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Case Studies
StormwaterPA’s case studies provide an in-depth look at some of the innovative solutions being applied to stormwater management challenges all over the state. Get real world success stories, from the perspective of people who share your concerns.
The case study videos are available on DVD for outreach and educational use. Get your copy today >>
Low Impact Development
A fully integrated stormwater runoff management system of more than one hundred BMP’s on a 59 Acre, 259-unit residential community. The development sits on sinkhole-prone karst topography. Infiltration was the method of choice for storm water control.
Miller’s Farm: Agricultural BMPs
A true stormwater management system challenge. Agriculture is Pennyslvania's second largest industry, but it is also a major contributor to water quality problems. The Commonwealth is the number one source of nitrogen pollution to the Chesapeake Bay, and of that, agriculture contributes more than 60 percent. Pennsylvania is also the second largest source of sediment and phosphorous pollution to the Bay. Preserving this crucial part of the economy while also protecting our waterways and other natural resources can be a delicate balancing act, but more and more farmers are taking up the challenge and achieving success.
Pervious Pavement / Porous Pavement
Pervious pavement / porous pavement consists of a permeable surface course underlain by a uniformly-graded stone bed. Stormwater drains through the surface, is temporarily held in the voids of the stone bed, and then slowly drains into the underlying, uncompacted soil mantle.
Plymouth Creek Restoration Project
A great demonstration of how using stormwater best management practices can help with flood control, water quality improvement and aesthetic enhancements. An eight acre drainage basin manages runoff from six square miles of parking lot and road adjacent to a large open air shopping center before it passes into Plymouth Creek (and into the Schuylkill River a few miles downstream). A collaborative effort that included the PA DEP, Montgomery County Conservation District, the owner of the shopping center, and the TreeVitalize program pooled human and financial resources in a basin retrofit. The project offers flood control and improves water quality, while returning the basin to a more naturalized state.
Project Headwaters: A Watershed Approach
A coordinated approach to sStormwater management helps with water quality and flood control. What started as an epiphany to Trout Unlimited’s Mike Wilson has evolved into a model approach to stormwater management that involves a broad base of stakeholders and focuses on action. While working on a streambank restoration project in the lower Pennypack Creek, Mike began thinking about the larger Pennypack watershed and realized that his efforts would probably have a greater impact if they were taking place further upstream.
Riparian Buffer Restoration:
Often referred to as a riparian corridor or forested buffer, a riparian buffer is the area of land next to a waterway - the streambanks and floodplain. In a natural state, these areas are typically covered with trees, shrubs, and other types of local vegetation, all of which serve to create a healthy ecosystem, slow down and absorb rainwater, trap and remove pollutants, provide shade, and prevent streambank erosion.
