Event Description

Innovations in Watershed Management: Green Infrastructure (GI) and Low Impact Development (LID) for Watershed Management

Join us on ZOOM, Thursday January 28th, 2021 from 9:30 am – 11:30 am (Eastern) as Phil James and W. Kyle Vander Linden of Credit Valley Conservation and the STEP Water partnership introduce us to Green Infrastructure strategies with a myth-busting session featuring relevant Ontario case studies.

Green infrastructure, including Low Impact Development (LID) is gaining traction as an approach to enhance stormwater management within existing and new developments. GI reduces stress on aging infrastructure, builds resiliency, optimizes water and wastewater treatment costs and ultimately improves watershed health and the local economy.

LID is an integral part of green infrastructure. These practices increase infiltration and evapotranspiration, improves water quality, and reduces runoff volumes and flood risk. Examples of LID practices include increased pervious cover, downspout disconnection, rainwater harvesting, grassed swales, green roofs, permeable pavers and bioretention areas.

The use of these sustainable stormwater planning and practices will help ensure the continued health of the Upper Twelve Mile Creek Watershed.

While many jurisdictions across North America have already adopted LID/GI, many misunderstandings persist. How does LID and GI work and perform? How do you properly plan, design, construct and operate/maintain LID features within a site or at the neighbourhood scale?

This is your chance to learn practical approaches to policy and practice from the experts.

Credit Valley Conservation Authority (CVC) is a leader in promoting LID approaches and policies while providing resources to help other jurisdictions adopt LID and GI. In 2017, CVC joined the Sustainable Technology Evaluation Program (STEP) Water partnership along with the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) and the Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) as a way to share information and LID resources to better service their municipal partners and communities across Ontario and Canada.