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Best Management Practices Web Quest

 

Introduction

 

In July of 2007, the Delaware River Basin Flood Mitigation Task Force released an action plan detailing how the three states bordering the Delaware River could reduce flood damage over the long term.  The task force was formed in 2006 after the Delaware River watershed was devastated by floods for three years in a row.  The task force agreed that no one set of prevention and response measures could entirely eliminate flooding along the Delaware River, but a combination of solutions will improve the basin’s capacity to prepare for and recover from future flooding. 

 

In the area of stormwater, it was recommended that municipalities encourage the long-term management of stormwater using what is known as “BMPs” (Best Management Practices).  The purpose of this Web Quest is to promote BMPs that can be used by local homeowners and small businesses to handle their stormwater runoff problems.  You will become “experts” in stormwater BMPs, and learn how to apply these techniques to solve local stormwater problems.  Our goal is to find ways of educating people about these BMPs in ways that will encourage them to get involved and take actions!

Be creative and carefully read the instructions!

The Task

Groups will be assigned by the instructor.  Each group will take on the role of spokesperson/expert for their BMP.  Working within this group, you will create a 6 minute public education presentation (PowerPoint recommended), using the provided Web links as your background information.  You may also do Internet searches on your own, or use books and magazines as resources for your presentations.  The top presentation will be posted on the NCC flood resources Web site.

The Process


Resources

Journal for Surface Water Quality Professionals - What is a BMP
http://www.forester.net/sw_0105_preparing.html

Little Blue River Watershed Association - BMPs
http://www.littleblueriverwc.org/bmps.htm

1. Rain gardens:

Dauphin County Conservation District Rain Barrel fact sheet
http://www.dauphincd.org/main/Rain Garden fact sheet.pdf

University of Aukland AU - Raingardens
http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/built/liudd/Rain_gardens.asp

The RAN Stormwater Toolbox, funded and produced by the USEPA "Redesigning the American Neighborhood" (RAN) project at the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont – rain gardens
http://www.uvm.edu/~ran/ran/toolbox/bmp/raingardensrefs.php

West Michigan Environmental Action Council - Rain gardens
http://www.raingardens.org/Rain_Gardens.php

Rain Garden Network - All About Rain Gardens
http://www.raingardennetwork.com/about.htm

Chesapeake Bay Foundation - Build Your Own Rain Garden
http://www.cbf.org/site/DocServer/rain_garden_guide-web.pdf?docID=2869


2. Rain Barrels:

Center for Watershed Protection - How to Build and Install a Rain Barrel
http://www.cwp.org/Community_Watersheds/brochure.pdf

University of Rhode Island Center for Watershed Protection
http://www.uri.edu/ce/healthylandscapes/rainbsources.html

West Michigan Environmental Action Council - Rain Gardens of West Michigan
http://www.raingardens.org/Rain_Barrels.php

EcoCity Cleveland - Rain barrels
http://www.ecocitycleveland.org/smartgrowth/watershed/urban_streams/rain_barrels.html

Duluth Streams - Rain barrels
http://www.duluthstreams.org/stormwater/toolkit/rainbarrels.html

Ecology Center of Ann Arbor - rain barrels
http://www.ecologyactioncenter.org/clean-water/rain-barrels.shtml


3. Wet and Dry Detention Basins:

Milwauke River Basin Partnership - wet and dry detention
http://clean-water.uwex.edu/plan/drbasins.htm

Harris County Food Control - Stormwater detention
http://www.hcfcd.org/stormwater.asp?flash=yes

EPA Dry Detention Pond fact sheet

http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/menuofbmps/index.cfm?action=factsheet_results&view=specific&bmp=67

 

Industrial Water World - Stormwater Detention and Retention

http://ww.pennnet.com/display_article/303878/130/ARTCL/none/none/1/Stormwater-Detention-and-Retention-Systems/

 

Stormwater managers resource center Dry Detention Pond fact sheet

http://www.stormwatercenter.net/Assorted%20Fact%20Sheets/Tool6_Stormwater_Practices/Pond/Dry%20ED%20Pond.htm

 

Maryland Department of Environmental Protection – dry detention basins

http://dnrweb.dnr.state.md.us/watersheds/surf/bmp/info/drydetention_hydro.html

 

The RAN Stormwater Toolbox, funded and produced by the USEPA "Redesigning the American Neighborhood" (RAN) project at the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont – dry basins

http://www.uvm.edu/~ran/ran/toolbox/bfocv/drybasins.php

 

North Carolina State University – Best management practices - dry detention basins

http://www.water.ncsu.edu/watershedss/dss/wetland/aqlife/roads.html#sm

Mid Atlantic Regional Council - Dry detention basin retrofit, Kansas City
http://www.marc.org/Environment/Water/pdfs/BMPs/39th_coachman_detention.pdf


4. Green Roof

Watershed Science Institute, Natural Resource Conservation Service - Detention basin - Green Roof
http://www.abe.msstate.edu/csd/NRCS-BMPs/pdf/water/source/greenroofs.pdf

Green Roof Industry Association
http://www.greenroofs.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26&Itemid=40

St. Paul Metropolitan Council - Urban Small Sites Best Management Practices - Green Roof
http://www.metrocouncil.org/environment/Water/BMP/CH3_RPPImpGreenRoof.pdf

EPA Green Roof Fact Sheet
http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/menuofbmps/index.cfm?action=factsheet_results&view=specific&bmp=114

Villanova Green Roof
http://egrfaculty.villanova.edu/public/Civil_Environmental/WREE/VUSP_Web_Folder/GR_web_folder/GR_main.html

DC Greenworks - Green roofs
http://www.dcgreenworks.org/LID/greenroofs.html


5. Constructed Wetlands

EPA Constructed Wetlands Fact Sheet
http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/menuofbmps/index.cfm?action=factsheet_results&view=specific&bmp=74

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation - Constructed Wetlands
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/inpr/su/waco/alstmaprrepr/alstmaprrepr_002.cfm

Reidsville Middle School Constructed Wetland Project
http://www.stormwatersmart.org/Projects.htm

University of Minnesota Extension - Constructed Wetlands
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/naturalresources/DD7671.html

F.X. Brown Engineering - Constructed Wetlands
http://www.fxbrowne.com/html/Services/Updates/Constructed Wetlands.htm

Center for Alternative Wastewater Treatment - Constructed Wetlands
http://www.flemingcollege.com/cawt/pages/conwet/overview.html
 


6.  Undeground stormwater treatment systems

Indianapolis Clean Stream Team - Detention basin retrofit
http://www.indygov.org/NR/rdonlyres/C5FEB8F3-091A-4D4A-93A5-940580F6797F/0/00009ADetBasinDerbyshireCreekandWetnightDitchwhF.pdf


Evaluation

A good project will be:

  1. No longer than 6 minutes and no shorter than four.
  2. Clear (well organized) and easy to follow.
  3. Covering the main points described in the process
  4. Neat and used correct grammar
  5. Interesting and creative

Evaluation Rubric

  Excellent - 5 points Good - 4 points OK - 3 points Deficient - 1 point
Timing Flows smoothly, no long pauses or rushed segments.

Within time limits. 

No technical glitches.

Flow is mostly smooth, timing is mostly good.

Within time limits. 

Small glitch but easily recovered.

Some pauses or rushed segments.

Some seconds too short or too long. 

Technical difficulties interrupt some parts of the program.

Way under or over time. 

Long pauses with little to say, or important information left out due to not enough time.

Clarity and thoroughness Presenters clearly know how their BMP works and how it should be used. 

Pros and cons are presented.

Clear. 

Some sections less detailed.

Mostly clear with some confusing sections. 

Some of the information presented lacks important details for understanding.

Unclear, presenters are not familiar with their BMP.
Main Points All main points answered in detail. Main points answered but lacking complete details. Most main points answered. Several main points unanswered.
Neatness and grammar Slides understandable and grammatically correct, no spelling errors. 

Pictures clear, not fuzzy.

Slides grammatically correct, some small errors. Slides mostly correct, some with obvious grammatical or spelling errors. Slides poorly written and put together--errors and inconsistency.
Interesting/
Creative

Graphics support but do not distract from the message.


Consistent "look"--all the parts match. 

 

Puts the BMP in a positive light. 

 

Enough information but not so much the reader looses interest. 

 

Examples relevant to the viewers lives. 
Good graphics and examples. 

Minor weaknesses in some of the presentation elements--color, pictures, text, etc.

Graphics distract from the message and interfere with the communication of content and ideas.

 

Limited use of facts and examples, or too much information. 

Presenter mostly reads long text passages on slides, or slides are too short and don't make sense. 

Screens are either barren and stark or confusing and cluttered.

 

No examples, no case studies, no pictures, no interesting facts.

 

Conclusion

Now that you know more about BMPs, what do you think are some of the challenges facing homeowners and businesses seeking to implement these techniques?

What are some ways citizens and their communities can meet these challenges?