Green Infrastructure Resources - Compiled for Boulder, CO by Brad Lancaster

www.HarvestingRainwater.com

www.NeighborhoodForesters.org

• One-Page Place Assessment for Boulder, CO

• Rainfall Volume Calculation

• Runoff Volume Calculation

• Graywater Calculations

• Plant Water Need Calculator: (four images below)

‍ ‍1st image: 2nd image:

‍ ‍3rd image: 4th image:

• New study finds the pooling effect of rain garden basins essential to drought-proofing water-conserving and water-harvesting landscapes:

• “Green stormwater infrastructure in a semi-arid climate: The influence of rain gardens on soil moisture over seven years” by Aaron T. Kauffman of Southwest Urban Hydrology and Cody L. Stropki in The Western Planner. November 7, 2022

• Rain garden planting zones

• Rocky Mountain Plant Matrix for Boulder, Colorado including rain garden planting zone preferences of the plants

• Study showing superiority of organic-matter mulched rain gardens vs. rock or gravel mulched rain gardens:

• Pavao-Zuckerman, M.A., and Sookhdeo C., “Nematode Community Response to Green Infrastructure Design in a Semi-Arid City.” Journal of Environmental Quality 46(3):687-694 (2017).

• First street-runoff harvesting curb core in Colorado Springs

• Augmentation Plan – allowing for rainwater tanks larger than 100-gallon capacity:

• You can get permission to harvest rainwater in tanks well above 100-gallon capacity if you get “Augmentation Plan” approved by the water owner/provider such as the City of Denver water department.

• They have a limited municipal water supply and they want you to harvest water to make their municipal supplies go further.

• This is from Denver landscape architect/designer T. Barnabas Kane (barnabas@newwestworkshop.com), who has successfully applied such augmentation plans.

• Water Harvesting from Dirt Roads:

• A Good Road Lies Easy on the Land – Water Harvesting from Low-Standard Rural Roads by Bill Zeedyk

• More passive water harvesting (NO TANK) systems guides by Bill Zeedyk

• Appendix 1 - water levels, A-frame levels, and laser levels from Volume 2, 2nd Edition

• Appendix 2 - water-harvesting earthworks calculations from Volume 2, 2nd Edition

• Rainwater Harvesting handouts

• Graywater Harvesting handouts

• Water Harvesting principles

• Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond books by Brad Lancaster

Resources from Tucson, Arizona:

• Green Streets Policy in Tucson, AZ:

• Minimum ½ -inch rainfall to be absorbed in roadway or adjoining right-of-way.

• Street-side Backwater or Eddy Basins

• Important Elevation and Slope Relationships within Eddy or Backwater Basins

• Curb-Cut, Curb-Core, & Basin Creation Costs

• Neighborhood Foresters annual Rain & Native Food Forest planting program

• In-street water-harvesting image gallery

• Commercial landscape water harvesting policy:

• At least 50% of commercial landscape irrigation needs must be met by absorbed on-site rainwater.

• Residential graywater harvesting ($1,000) and rainwater harvesting ($2,000 - includes NO tank passive systems) rebates

• Storm to Shade Green Infrastructure (GSI) Program

• Storm to Shade Green Infrastructure Maintenance Guide

• Xóchitl Coronado-Vargas, Tucson Storm to Shade Program:

• Email: Xochitl.coronado-vargas@tucsonaz.gov

• Neighborhood Foresters Green Infrastructure Maintenance/Stewarding Agreement:

• This is filed with all permits.

Resources from Denver, Colorado:

• Denver Green Continuum Street Guidelines

Resources from Portland, Oregon:

• Green Streets

• Dave Elkin, former City of Portland Landscape Architect, Sustainable Stormwater Management:

• Email: dave@juncusstudio.com

Resources from Seattle, Washington:

• Street Edge Alternatives (SEA) Streets:

• The Stormwater Management Challenge

Graywater Harvesting Resources:

What is Graywater? Graywater is a term for wastewater from bathtubs, showers, bathroom sinks, laundry room sinks and most water from clothes washers. Graywater does not include wastewater from kitchen sinks, dishwashers, or toilets. If you live in the city, your water goes down the drain and into pipes. A series of sewage pipes connects your drain to the city’s water resources recovery facility. The water is treated, or cleaned, and returned to our rivers and streams for others to use downstream.

The City of Boulder does not currently permit graywater reuse systems. The city is a strong supporter of water conservation and continues to advance water conservation education and programs. However, permitting graywater within the city would require development of a local graywater control program with related rules, processes and staff to make sure systems are installed properly to comply with state regulations and keep community members safe. Boulder does not currently have such a program in place.

For the most up to date Graywater information, visit: Graywater in the City of Boulder | City of Boulder

• Graywater Harvesting

• State of Colorado, Department of Public Health and Environment, Water Quality Control Commission:

• REGULATION NO. 86 - GRAYWATER CONTROL REGULATION

• Graywater stub outs:

• 3-way diversion valves or laundry multi-drain pipes allowing for convenient control of diversion of water to landscape or sewer/septic.

• Graywater three-way diversion valve installations

• Multi-drain pipe for gravity-fed laundry graywater harvesting

• Laundry to Landscape System – uses pump in washing machine to distribute laundry graywater via special “drip” irrigation system to landscape:

• Oasis Design - Laundry to Landscape Gray Water System

• Graywater Action - Laundry-to-Landscape Graywater System

• Graywater harvesting image gallery

• Graywater harvesting research

• Progressive Graywater Laws, Ordinances, and Guidelines

• Simple & Effective Gravity-fed Graywater Harvesting Systems Legalized in Utah- and How You Can Help Make Such Change Where You Are

Resources from Boulder, Colorado area:

• Denver Urban Gardens:

• Creighton Hofeditz, is actively planting rain garden foodscapes in Denver and beyond through his job.

• Plant Nursery - Harlequins Gardens:

• Has water harvesting demos - talk to Mikl if you can, he's extremely knowledgeable about the area flora and landscapers as well.

• Permaculture landscapers/designers:

• Matrix Gardens - Boulder, CO

• Ecoscape Design - Boulder, CO

• United Ecology - Longmont, CO

• Padden Permaculture - Fort Collins, CO

• Kelly Bull – Colorado Springs, CO

• T. Barnabas Kane (landscape architect/designer) – Denver, CO

• Craig Sponholtz, Watershed Artisans – Santa Fe, NM