Green Infrastructure for Stormwater Management

Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments

Green Infrastructure for Stormwater Management

Green infrastructure uses wetlands, rain gardens, green roofs, bioswales, and preserves green space to maximize beneficial use of pervious land. Using existing pervious land – or building green infrastructure – promotes natural processes which helps improve water quality and reduce flood risks. Green infrastructure is used in low impact development (conservation development) and in redevelopment as an alternative to traditional stormwater management approaches.

Local Examples of Green Infrastructure


Bioswale 4Photo Courtesy of Jennifer English, Defiance SWCD 4Location: Reynolds Rd., City of Toledo 4A bioswale is used to filter stormwater through plant materials. Bioswales also hold water, reducing the peak runoff rate. They can be located on the sides of roads or in parking lots as dividers.	Green Roof 4Photo Courtesy of Patekka Bannister, City of Toledo Environmental Services 4 Location: University of Toledo 4 Green roofs reduce the amount of impervious surface otherwise caused by buildings. Specific plant species placed on rooftops can increase the amount of water evapotranspirated and thereby reduce the amount of runoff reaching storm drains.

Rain Garden 4Photo Courtesy of Toledo Division of Environmental Services 4Location: Toledo Division of Environmental Services 4Rain gardens are specially designed gardens established below grade and planted with deep-rooted species. They hold and filter rain water, reducing the amount stormwater runoff that enters the storm drains. Some rain gardens take runoff from roofs when gutters pipe directly to them. Other gardens are built to prevent lawns from flooding.	Permeable Alley 4Courtesy of Toledo Division of Environmental Services 4Location: Dexter Street Alley, City of Toledo 4The Dexter Street Alley is Toledo’s first permeable alley. Repeated sanitary sewer collapses, two stormwater catch basins connecting to sanitary sewers, and limited construction access (due to garages along the alley) prompted the City of Toledo Engineering Services to use a different approach. Permeable pavement allows water to pass through it where it is temporarily stored below the surface. In this case, the water leads to a stone drainage bed with a perforated pipe connected to a nearby street’s catch basin.

Stormwater Coalition Meeting Presentation: Toledo’s First Green Alley
Mary Lehr, P.E., from the City of Toledo Engineering Services described Toledo’s first green alley to the Stormwater Coalition at its August 19, 2010 meeting. City of Toledo workers determined that alternative pavement and alley design would be useful in this improvement project. The alternative design is based on concepts developed by the City of Chicago which launched a Green Alley pilot program in 2006.

Low Impact Development Manual for the Lower Maumee and Ottawa River Watersheds
A major limitation to implementing Low Impact Development (LID) practices has been lack of technical design information specific to watersheds in northwest Ohio. American Rivers LID manual is a helpful tool for stormwater managers and site designers who would like to gain technical knowledge of LID practices to incorporate best management practices into their site plans.

Resolution (adopted by the TMACOG Board of Trustees on October 20, 2010)