Living with Water The traditional ways of approaching stormwater management aren’t working in many places today. Part of this is due to environmental changes associated with more intense and more frequent storms that overwhelm the capacity of current drainage infrastructure. This is also due to development patterns associated with increases in surfaces that don’t absorb water and increases in building in floodplains and other flood-prone areas. Both of these trends decrease the storage capacity of the landscape by reducing the space for water to sit until it evaporates or absorbs into the ground. When traditional systems fail, communities flood. Living with Water means turning drainage from an annoyance to an amenity by creating space for stormwater in the landscape. To increase resilience, many communities are transforming the way they approach stormwater management. Traditional approaches sought to convey water out of urban areas as fast as possible. New approaches, known as green stormwater infrastructure, encourage replicating the water cycle to manage rain where it falls. In some places, this means restoring natural systems or waterways that have been replaced or disrupted by human infrastructure. Other solutions use a combination of water-loving plants, porous soils, and landscaping to store water in place until it evaporates or absorbs. These strategies are paired with existing drainage infrastructure to increase stormwater storage capacity and to decrease pressure on existing systems. Following the 2016 flood, Baker residents identified 22 goals in their recovery planning process. These included “implementing an effective stormwater management system” and “beautifying and upgrading public and private land.” Utilizing green stormwater infrastructure techniques in Baker can help residents achieve both goals. It can also improve wellbeing by increasing opportunities for residents to interact with and be in nature.
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Resilient & Healthy Baker
