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GREENLAND – The town of Greenland is one of several Seacoast communities that enjoy the benefits of the Great Bay estuary and the beauty of its tidal coast line.
The condition of the estuarine environment has recently become an issue as increasing nutrient loads have been identified in the bay. Increased nitrogen levels have been targeted as the primary factor in current trends for decreased water quality and declining health of the estuary.
Realizing the value of Great Bay and its resources, the town has taken steps to reduce potential impacts to the bay and surrounding tributaries. One of those steps was to implement municipal low-impact development, or LID, strategies as a part of the town’s Portsmouth Avenue reconstruction project.
In addition to managing storm water runoff, the purpose of the project was to improve deteriorating pavement conditions, reduce traffic speeds, improve pedestrian access and construct streetscape improvements to define the gateway entrance to Greenland.
Greenland worked with Underwood Engineers of Portsmouth to incorporate LID systems into the design. The essence of LID is to engineer natural systems, which are designed to mimic the Earth’s hydrologic process for handling storm water runoff during or after a rain event. When precipitation comes in contact with pollutants that have collected on impervious surfaces, such as asphalt, they become suspended and/or dissolved in the resulting storm water runoff.
The pollutants are then transported as the stormwater runs downstream to natural water courses. LID systems treat pollutants at the source where the precipitation falls instead of allowing concentration of pollutants in a piping system or stream network directly discharging to natural water bodies.
The Portsmouth Avenue reconstruction project included designing the landscaped flower gardens along the new sidewalks to accept storm water runoff for treatment of pollutants. Special soil media was designed to support plant growth so the root system will metabolize pollutants like nitrogen and phosphorus as part of their natural biological function. The engineered soil media also provides infiltration capacity, which slowly releases the treated runoff back into the groundwater table near the area where it first fell to the ground.
The biorentention rain gardens are recognized as a sustainable LID practice to control and improve storm water runoff. The flowering perennials and ornamental trees within the gardens provide aesthetic enhancements to the newly constructed sidewalks and roadway while reducing storm water impacts.
Underwood Engineers worked with Ironwood Design Group to develop the landscape architecture and planting designs for the gardens. While there are some additional costs associated with landscaping, the bioretention rain gardens offset the costs of drainage piping, structures and curbing that would be required for a traditional roadway design.
Benjamin T. Dreyer, P.E., Philip D. MacDonald, P.E., work with Underwood Engineers in Portsmouth.
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