Optimizing stormwater management to facilitate urban stream restoration via a science-based approach

Stormwater management affecting an urban stream is most effective when managers design programs tailored to the physical characteristics of the stream and the political and socioeconomic characteristics of the community it serves. Likewise, restoration projects and policy implementation should be designed to address the needs of the local community. This paper documents the development and implementation of a science-based, community-driven approach to stormwater management by a United States regional stormwater utility, Sanitation District No. 1 (SD1) of Northern Kentucky, USA, that manages stormwater in 3 suburban counties in the greater metropolitan area of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. SD1 began by establishing a hydrogeomorphic and biological monitoring program from 2006 to 2008 to gather the data needed to design a locally calibrated stormwater management program. SD1’s monitoring network has facilitated multiple cross-jurisdictional partnerships and provides validation for stormwater management rules and regulations that are tailored to Northern Kentucky. Moreover, the monitoring data has informed the activities of a watershed restoration program that prioritizes cost-effective geomorphic recovery by retrofitting existing stormwater management facilities. Furthermore, diverse stakeholders, such as local land developers, engineers, and members of the regulatory community, have embraced the data-driven approach and are currently collaborating with SD1 to incorporate hydrologic restoration via stormwater management activities into an existing program that generates stream mitigation credits. The sale of these credits, designed to mitigate the loss of stream habitat due to development, could then further fund the expansion of these restoration efforts. SD1’s approach could serve as a road map for other regional utilities hoping to tailor stormwater management to their streams and communities and find innovative funding sources for urban stream restoration.