Overview: Because much of the Cooper Creek Watershed was developed prior to stormwater detention regulations, we will have to install new Green Infrastructure to mitigate impacts to the creek. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Green Infrastructure, reduces and treats stormwater at its source while delivering environmental, social, and economic benefits. Typical examples of Green Infrastructure include:
Objective & Time Frame: The Collaborative is working with local property owners to implement Green Infrastructure projects in the Demonstration Watershed. We are using Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis and hydrologic modeling to identify the most impactful opportunities for installing Green Infrastructure and approaching associated landowners.
Project Spotlight: In early 2020, the Collaborative was able to install a raingarden at Deer Park High School. The rain garden will reduce the impact of the School’s footprint on Cooper Creek and serve as an educational tool to teach students about hydrology, ecology, and how human activities can impact our local environment. The rain garden was funded with a grant Green Umbrella received from the Duke Energy Foundation. It was installed by staff from Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District, OKI Regional Council of Governments, Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati, and Mill Creek Alliance.
The rain garden is located between the tennis courts and the back-parking lot of the school. It captures stormwater runoff coming from three tennis courts and allows the rainwater to slowly soak into the ground, rather than flowing straight into the storm sewer system which would quickly route the water to Cooper Creek, contributing to highly erosive flashy urban flows in the creek. The native plants in the rain garden were carefully selected to maximize the proportion of the year when flowers and fruit are available to pollinators and other wildlife.
