Stormwater Management Plan (2012 LGAA)

Village of Greenwood Lake (Winner)
County: Orange County
Population: Less than 5,000
Village Hall: (845) 477-9217

The Village of Greenwood Lake has actively looked into ways to improve the water quality of Greenwood Lake. In 2009, the Village Trustees decided to pursue a green infrastructure project at the Village Hall Complex as a demonstration of innovative stormwater management. The project utilized porous pavers to reduce impervious surface area, installed a rain garden to capture roof runoff from the police station/courthouse, created a vegetated swale (bioswale) with drop curbs to collect roof runoff and runoff from the asphalt drive aisle, installed a green screen trellis and planted native plants and trees throughout the site to help filter stormwater, as well as reduce the urban heat island impact. The project was completed in 2010 with funding from the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act Green Innovation Grant Program.

The project reduced the amount of impervious pavement on the site by 42%, replacing it with pervious pavers, a rain garden, a vegetated swale, and native landscaping.These features have been extremely successful in capturing runoff and filtering the stormwater before it enters Greenwood Lake. The pervious pavers, which are the primary feature of the Village Hall project, have also proven to be easy to maintain.

Because the drainage is so effective, wet pavement that freezes in cold weather hasn't been a problem. As a result, the Village has reduced the amount of time and money spent on plowing and salting the parking lot and sidewalks at Village Hall.In addition, The Village's stormwater project visually enhanced the Village Hall Complex, and has fostered neighboring residents to improve their properties. The Village Hall's green has been used for an outdoor wedding, outdoor gatherings and meetings by local groups, and for elementary school tours.The native landscaping is relatively easy to maintain now that it is established, and does not require irrigation. But the greatest benefit of all is the elimination of flooding during rain events, which forced the Village to close the road and restrict access to essential employees.

Overall, the project demonstrates that proper stromwater management can reduce localized flooding, and that stormwater can infiltrate into the ground through well-designed green infrastructure practices such as rain gardens and bioswales.These green practices can also be attractive additions to a landscape, and serve as a reminder that native plants, trees and soil are important to the environment.