COPY Whiteoak Bayou: Implementing Low-Impact Development
Background
Whiteoak Bayou Above Tidal (Segment 1017) flows through a primarily urban landscape in the Houston area. Water-quality testing has found elevated bacteria concentrations within the the bayou and its tributaries, posing a risk to people who swim or wade in them. Urban stormwater runoff has been shown to be a significant contributor of pollutant loads to the waterways; therefore, LID has the potential to be an effective management strategy.
Project Description
This project will incorporate a set of LID technologies into a redevelopment project in the Cottage Grove Subdivision and evaluate their effectiveness. The 5200 and 5300 blocks of Darling Street will be reconstructed with LID features such as vegetative swales, porous pavement or parking, and porous sidewalks.
The City of Houston will document the water-quality benefits of the LID features by collecting stormwater-quality data before and after redevelopment. An adjacent two-block area without LID features will be monitored to compare water quality results. The city will also establish and conduct a scheduled maintenance program for each LID feature.
To evaluate possible city-wide application of proven LID practices, the city will compare the costs of construction, annual operation, and maintenance costs compared with the costs of conventional practices. The city will also conduct outreach and educational activities to inform residents about the benefits of low-impact development.
Documents
- Fact Sheet (updated semi-annually)
- QAPP
- Public Communication Plan
For More Information
To find out more about the NPS Program, call 512-239-6682 or e-mail us at nps@tceq.texas.gov.
