Stormwater, Low Impact Development, and Soils: A Consulting Opportunity.

Rain is synonymous with the Pacific Northwest.  Two thirds of annual precipitation in Puget Sound falls between November and March—creating unique stormwater management concerns.  Stormwater runoff is considered the No. 1 pollution problem in urban Puget Sound.  Stormwater transports pollutants to surface waters, affecting water quality, threatening wildlife, and causing habitat degradation.  Elevated stormwater volumes increase flood frequencies altering stream morphology and causing property damage.  Historic stormwater management practices do not address these problems—a new approach is needed.  Low Impact Development (LID) is a more sustainable design alternative.  LID techniques manage stormwater by combining preservation of native soils and vegetation with smaller, more integrated management facilities spread throughout a site to more closely mimic native hydrologic functions.  Such measures can be retrofitted to existing development or used for new construction of residential and commercial properties.  Using such techniques helps to preserve existing soil pathways that allow water to drain through and across a site.  In general, the intent is to minimize impacts to functioning soils and native vegetation and conserve as much effective permeable surface as possible.  This allows water to infiltrate across the site as it did prior to development rather than being concentrated in one area.  An evaluation of soils on development sites is necessary to create an effective LID management plan.   Soil scientists are not adequately being utilized for LID design and implementation assistance at this time.  Through site assessments, planning, and post construction monitoring, soil scientists can aid engineers and planners by targeting areas for preservation, avoidance, and mitigation—helping to cut costs and implement a more sustainable design.  Implementation of LID strategies are on the rise nationwide—and opportunities for outreach, consulting, and technical assistance will only increase.  Soil scientists need to be prepared to provide that expertise.