[John Moe]

Eric;

I think there is a project in Minnesota; the City of Minnetonka’s new Government Center is using a solution which might work for you. A large bioretention area takes runoff from a large parking lot. Instead of permeable pavers, or curb cuts which would seem to follow recent trends, they opted for standard-issue storm sewer inlets, then routed them below grade to a “stand pipe” in the center of the bioretention area. It’s all but invisible there in the tall grasses. The water bubbles up and fills the retention area. This gets rid of the energy, eliminates scour and puts the plumbing where the sun doesn’t shine. I’m not exactly sure how they cycle the water that remains “charged” in the bottom of the storm drains, but I bet there’s some kind of permeability built in. Also, the new University of Minnesota football stadium has a lot of bioretention areas which may have this technique.

John Moe

[John Moe]

As a followup to this, designers can change the way we specify lawn areas. We can spec seed or sod species that tolerate, or thrive under, lower maintainance regimens. We can set up proper site conditions by including even simple soil profile requirements and mitigating soil compaction.

Also, check out this page on Smart Irrigation Controllers.
http://www.allianceforwaterefficiency.org/Smart_Irrigation_Controllers_Introduction.aspx

And another link about low input lawns:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h325lawn-lowmaint.html

[John Moe]

Nick;

I’ve been working on awareness to lawns in general, and the incredible impact they have; mostly because they are ubiquitous. I believe any small change we can make to the design (less lawn, for one example) and maintenance (let them grow a bit longer and aerate them to allow permeability) of lawn areas would have a huge imact in water savings, chemical use and suprisingly, carbon footprint (lawnmowers are little carbon factories).

Here’s a link with some information about Low Input Lawns from a local Extension Office: http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG7552.html

John Moe
Minneapolis

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