PART TWO
Date: 24 October 2024 | USA
Time: 1:00 PM Mountain Time
Presented by: Ted Hartsig, MS, CPSS, Senior Soil Scientist/Natural Resources Restoration, Olsson
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 1 hour
Type of Course: Webinar - Live
In this session, we will take a deep dive into the most important component of the most widely utilized post-construction stormwater BMP, the bioretention basin (aka rain garden). Soil - including controlled, engineered soils as designed for stormwater BMPs - are living entities that demand attention to detail critical to their success. Soil structure, chemistry, and biology must be a functioning part of the environment which surrounds it to provide successful stormwater services. Stormwater management represents an unbalanced environment in which soils that are designed to receive and treat increased stormwater runoff must be balanced to meet the performance objectives for stormwater control and management. We will provide details of soil physical, chemical, and biological properties necessary for successful bioretention and explore the role and function of the soil media in bioretention basins. We will also discuss the key characteristics and properties of the soil media, such as infiltration rate, porosity, organic matter, pH, and nutrient content, and how they can be measured and modified to optimize the performance of bioretention basins. Additionally, we will examine the challenges and opportunities for soil media selection, installation, and maintenance, and provide practical guidance and tips for achieving successful bioretention projects.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the Why, When, and Where of post-construction stormwater quality regulations.
- Recognize the importance of balancing soil physical structure with the chemical and biological activity that's essential for BMP performance and sustainability.
- Learn about details of stormwater BMPs/SCMs that must be reconsidered and why "the way it's always been done" is no longer an appropriate or effective way to address a performance problem. HINT - it's the soil!
PART ONE
Presented by: Steve Polk, P.E., Founder & Managing Principal, Stormwater STL LLC
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 1 hour
Type of Course: On-Demand
In Session One, Steve Polk, P.E., EMBA will provide an overview of stormwater management and green infrastructure regulations, from the adoption of the Clean Water Act of 1972 to the present day, explaining the role of regulations and their impact on capital and maintenance budgets for property owners and land developers. Attendees will also be introduced to the difference between structural and non-structural best management practices (BMPs), the building blocks for capturing and treating stormwater runoff. Attendees will also learn the roles and responsibilities of the Environmental Protection Agency and the EPA’s interaction with state and local authorities in the implementation and enforcement of stormwater quality regulations. By providing successful examples of BMP performance and highlighting factors that contribute to their effectiveness and efficiency, attendees will develop a better understanding of the importance of thoughtful and well-informed BMP design, construction, and maintenance techniques and will help attendees understand how integrating maintenance into the design and construction phases improves functionality and longevity of BMPs. Session One concludes with a preview of Session Two, which focuses on bioretention basin soil, the most complex and most often used BMP.
