Northeast Region Low-Impact Development
Low-impact development (LID) is a relatively new approach to land development that reduces and prevents stormwater pollution. The N.C. Coastal Federation promotes LID because it mimics nature's water cycle and is a key tool to protect and restore coastal waters.
Current Projects
Manteo Stormwater Project
The N.C. Coastal Federation in 2007 partnered with Manteo to build a stormwater wetlands park on the site of an old strip mall on U.S. 64. At the time, we were searching for a home for our Northeast Regional Office. Working together, the federation and the town bought the strip mall and a house behind it, which has since been renovated to serve as our office. The federation owns only the office building, but we hold a conservation easement on the strip mall property, which is owned by the town.
The town tore down the strip mall in the spring of 2008. It will be turned into a park in 2010 that will include brackish wetlands that will filter bacteria and pollutants from the stormwater flowing from a heavily-paved commercial district into Shallowbag Bay. Currently the stormwater is piped untreated into the bay. Designing the park to hold salt-tolerant grasses, rather than fresh water species, will enable the wetlands to filter more bacteria from the stormwater that flows through it.
A grant from the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund paid for design of the park. Its proximity to our office will allow us to use it in our environmental education programs.
The Northeast Regional Office sits on a 7,500-square-foot lot, a small parcel typical of the Outer Banks. Despite the space limitations, it has been designed with numerous LID features, including pervious pavement, a rain barrel and rain gardens. A cistern will soon be installed.
The rain garden behind our office
Come By and See What We've Done
The Northeast Regional Office at 128 Grenville Street in Manteo has examples of LID features throughout its yard. The parking lot is made from paving stones and permeable concrete, and the lot is shaped to direct stormwater into rain gardens in the backyard. Down spouts funnel rain into a cistern, which is then used to flush toilets. A rain barrel collects extra water for irrigation. Keeping stormwater on our lot is especially important, since the property sits on a canal that drains to Shallowbag Bay.
People are welcome to come by and inspect the LID features, which are marked with interpretive signs.
Stormwater Atlas and Spreadsheet
Our Northeast Region staff has worked with Manteo officials and local landowners to develop an atlas detailing the type, size and estimated cost of installing the best techniques or devices for controlling stormwater. These recommendations were made for publicly owned properties. The federation and town planners are now working to install LID features on town property. The project is being funding in part by the state Coastal Conservation Assistance Program, which helps pay to control stormwater on existing development. It’s administered by local Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
The stormwater atlas catalogs areas where techniques or devices have previously been installed or where private landowners plan to install them.
One way to encourage the use of LID features is by simplifying the work necessary to design them and obtain permits for them. A LID spreadsheet model, called LID-EZ, has been designed by engineers from Withers & Ravenel, a Raleigh firm. This tool can be used to locate, design, permit and build stormwater control features. The spreadsheet model was presented to local planners, developers, engineers and architects at a workshop in Manteo in July. Similar models have been developed for Wilmington, New Hanover and Brunswick counties and Cary. A grant from the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund paid for the spreadsheet workshop and the stormwater atlas.
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