Community development techniques -- both commercial and residential -- have a major impact on fresh water supplies and the surface and underground water system. Pavement is a big contributor to the problem. Now it can provide a solution.

Sustainable Solutions with Low Impact Development

L.I.D. is in. That's Low Impact Development, the standards by which the local ecosystem is minimally impacted by development, and water is preserved as a precious resource.

West coast microclimates are interesting. From rain soaked areas like San Anselmo, to rain starved areas like Bakersfield, each zone presents it own challenges for water issues. With each water challenge comes difficulties that municipalities, developers, and home-owners have to adapt to, and manage.

California Water Conservation Solutions

For example, water conservation is critical in California's central valley where each gallon of runoff can be a precious resource, if properly managed. Other areas of California offer surprising challenges -- such as Marin county, which is more like Portland, Oregon, which receives over 40 inches of rain a year.

LID offers workable solutions that developers and home-owners can implement to manage water issues whatever their situation -- dearth or deluge. Whether the issue is drought conditions or excessive runoff, sustainable water management is important to California.

Permeable Pavement allows water to rapidly pass through the pavement into a cistern or natural underground water supplies.

Modular Pavers Used in Hardscape Applications

Permeable pavement is a relatively new concept and product that reduces "impervious" surfaces from driveways, sidewalks and other hardscapes by allowing water to run through the pavement and back into the soil - not follow the hardscape to the street and eventually into our waterways. This solution retains more rainwater for our underground aquafers - but it also allows plants and the soil to filter pollutants out of the water naturally.

Permeable Pavers

One LID product that can provide solutions for water runoff and infiltration issues, large or small, is permeable pavers from Permapave Northwest.

Different from traditional concrete pavers, Permapave NW pavers have an actual flow-through rate of over 1 gallon of water per second. The pavers are manufactured from natural rock, with an acrylic polymer binder similar to the clear coat on your automobile. The finished product is a completely inert paver which returns water directly to the soil, or underground storage, without adding alkalinity, zinc or hydrocarbons to the runoff.

When permeable pavers are installed over properly prepared secondary filtration in the sub-grade, they will capture and filter 100% of gross pollutants and up to 70% phosphorus, 80% of heavy metals and 98% of hydrocarbons from the water that flows through them.

Residential Applications Alleys, Driveways Walkways Patios Camper Parking High Traffic Grass Areas Pools / Hot Tubs Courtyard Rooftops Sidewalks / Pathways Foundation Drainage

Commercial / Industrial Applications Parking Areas Pedestrian Walkway Bike Path Plaza / Entryway Bioretention / Rain Garden Rooftop Tree Grates Rooftops Roadways / Median Strips Large Public Spaces

Modular Permeable Pavers for Sustainable Landscaping

Modular pavers over an advantage over "poured" pervious pavement by allowing edges of permeable pavement to be installed in many locations - under downspouts, along sidewalks, along driveways, around trees, around rain gardens, and on or around patios.

Modular Pavers Used in Landscape Applications

• Permapave NW pavers are available in a number of colors/aggregates to enhance building and landscaping aesthetics.

• PermapaveNW's Permeable pavers come in a modular, 12x12x2" standard size, with widths up to 16" and thicknesses up to 4" for heavier vehicle loads.

• The pavers, while extremely pervious, provide the hard surface needed for normal urban activities.

The surface not only performs well for sidewalks, biking paths, parking lots, and driveways but also handles water efficiently in both drought and flood conditions.

The EPA has long noted the benefits of pervious pavers, highlighting them in their Best Management Practices: "depending on the design, pervious pavements (pavers), when used in combination with other techniques such as vegetated swales, or vegetated filter strips, may eliminate or reduce the need for land intensive BMPs, such as dry extended detention or wet retention ponds." (EPA Best Management Practices- porous pavements)

Both residential and commercial developers may find that the use of pervious pavers, which can range up to $8 per square foot, can actually make money for them, by eliminating detention ponds and increasing the amount of land that can be developed.

Home-owners can install the easy-to-use permeable pavers themselves, providing drainage areas for driveway or patios that may be puddling, or as a pervious cover for an underground water storage cistern.

The pavers can also be used as stepping stones, in pet areas, in gardens, along walkways, as parking areas for RVs -- the landscaping possibilities are endless.

Some municipalities are offering rebates for the purchase of LID products like Permapave. Check with your local city or county city and county governments, as well as water providers (ie: Metropolitan Water District) to find incentives and rebates to improve water quality, reduce runoff, or retain stormwater.

Sustainable Solutions to Stormwater Runoff

Retaining rain water for your landscape can be especially helpful during California's prolonged droughts. By protecting your landscape with adequate water supplies from a cistern, and from focusing the available rain into specific rain gardens, your plants will not suffer as much - and your water bill will thank you, too!

Sample permeable pavers by Permapave Northwest

CONTACT:
Permapave Northwest
Distributor for Western US
1-877-694-0141
815 NE 172nd Ave
Vancouver, WA 98684
www.permapavenw.com

Sounds surround us.  If it's not the rural sounds of birds and locusts, its the urban sounds of traffic, airplanes and people chatting it up.

This onslaught of sound is why people are looking for quiet spots in which sound is sculpted and shaped for relaxation.  Some people are more sensitive to "noise" than others -- some aren't bothered by traffic sounds or airplanes and other are super sensitive to these sounds.  I'm one of those!

Windchimes are a delight to me, especially natural materials such as shells or wood and metal.  The tuned musical chimes are borderline because they are too loud, too pronounced.

Fountains offer soothing sounds of moving water and splashes on hard surfaces.  Again, this roaring sound is tranquil to some, and irritating to others.  Drips and drabs are heavenly for some, rushing waves for others.

Designing a sound garden must take into consideration these personal hearing profiles.

Japanese gardens are noted for their sound elements -- a gentle dripping, a paddle wheel, water falling on stones, and the natural sounds of mating frogs in a secluded grotto or pond.

The natural sounds of nature -- birds chirping and singing and calling,  singing insects, rushing water, rustling leaves, and all the human sounds that you hear at dinner time form a musical mosaic that can bring delight and relaxation if you take the time to enjoy the sounds in your very own neighborhood.  Sound sculpting...one tone at a time! 

Riparian buffers can be a very effective means of reducing nonpoint source pollution (see Glossary) to receiving waters in developed watersheds, similar to that of the Long Island Sound.

The Long Island Sound Riparian Toolbox allows users to view, read, copy, or download documents, including: public education brochures, model regulations, scientific articles regarding riparian buffers, a glossary of terms, GIS data, etc.

The intended users of this site are managers, planners, engineers, students, researchers and general public who have interest in any of the following areas:

• Glossary of terms related to riparian buffer science
  
  
• GIS Data sources from governmental and public organizations
  
  
• Science research on riparian buffers and their benefits
  
  
• Education resources, including materials and links to sites specifically for public outreach, public participation, and public education efforts
  
  
• Regulations and legal issues for riparian buffers that have been implemented in NY, CT, or NJ
  
  
• Restoration map of project locations, and list of "Do's and Don'ts"
  
  
• Funding sources, including profiles of organizations that can provide support - technical or financial - to riparian buffer projects

Simply speaking, a green roof is a living roof. While green roof design has its roots in ancient civilizations (think hanging gardens of Babylon), as American cities have become more concerned about managing quantities of stormwater runoff, air quality, and building heat transfer, large modern green roofs have been appearing on commercial properties across the country. Now, FLOWER ot the PEOPLE, Inc. has green roof solutions specifically designed for Southern California private residences. Here the Beverly Hills green roof at Greystone Manor Estate is still growing strong more than two years after its installation. Succulent-covered roofs, like the one at Greystone and the green roofs pictured here, even provide a fire-retarding alternative to traditional shake or stone roofs.

A living roof provides superior energy efficiency for any building (saving on energy costs), extends the life of the roof membrane, is beautiful to look at, provides the local environment with beneficial air-cleaning, cooling and storm water reduction, and promotes greater biodiversity.

Green Roof Section View

1 roof flashing

2 EPDM waterproof membrane

3 root barrier

4 drainage mat

5 "L" sheet metal edge

6 1/2" pea gravel

7 nonwoven separation fabric

8 planting media

9 plants

10 gutter (optional)

It's delightful to discover a thriving treasure-- whether it is a garden or a business!  Flower to the People is such a treasure right in my own community!  Visit their website for a delightful array of garden designs that bring nature and sustainable gardening solutions to the urban landscape.  Their "Exterior Design Portfolio" in particular is expansive and a bloomin' delight!

Flower to the People is located in West Los Angeles, CA at:

11409 Charnock Rd., Los Angeles, CA 90066

FLOWER to the PEOPLE is a sustainable exterior design and outdoor lifestyle firm. Their residential and commercial clients rely on them to create unique environmentally-friendly exterior spaces that suit their contemporary lifestyles.

Golf courses frequently are large enough to include wetland areas.  But until recently, the manicured course was the norm.  More natural golf courses are beginning to emerge, but still need advocates to encourage the reduction of chemicals in landscaping, and preservation or restoration of natural and native flora and fauna.

This interview by Golf Digest with Robert Wood, the deputy director of the Wetlands Division, the EPA's representative in the Golf & the Environment Initiative, and an 18-handicap golfer.

Why do wetlands matter on golf courses?

Why shouldn't I be able to fill in the wetland on my golf-course project?
 
Wetlands are a vital part of any aquatic ecosystem. They provide habitat to a wide range of wildlife from fish, shellfish, all the way down to insect communities. Wetlands are the unique habitat for something like 30 percent of all endangered species, and 50 percent of endangered species spend at least part of their life cycle in wetlands. They're very ecologically rich.

To most people, endangered species are things like snow leopards and elephants, but there are more than 1,000 endangered species in the U.S. alone.

That's right. People are not thinking about salamanders or vegetation in a wetland. They're critically important as a habitat. And they're critically important as a filter: We build all this infrastructure to keep water clean, and wetlands provide very much that same kind of cleansing capacity in a natural way. And they provide a buffering capacity for storm events. We saw this very much with the Katrina and Rita storms in the Gulf of Mexico.

Is there a figure for the size of America's wetlands? A lot of the wetlands have disappeared.
The first statistical wetlands status-and-trends report in 1983 estimated the rate of wetland loss from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s at 458,000 acres per year. Wetlands then were largely thought of as a hindrance to development. In the 1991 report, which covered the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, we were still losing wetlands, but the rate had declined to 290,000 acres a year. The third report, from '86 to '97, indicated that the rate of loss was down to 58,500 acres per year. Now the 2006 report, which covers 1998 to 2004, shows that the wetland area actually increased by an average of 32,000 acres per year. This was the first report to show that we were in a period of increasing wetlands. There was, however, some issue with this report over how wetlands were defined.

[Note: The report states that the total area of wetlands in the U.S. in 2004 was 107.7 million acres. Wood goes on to explain that the claim of wetlands growth has been contested. A New York Times story, for instance, explains that over the study period, 523,500 acres of true wetlands, swamps and tidal marshes were lost, but this was offset in the report by gains of 715,300 acres of ponds, including man-made ornamental ponds -- hardly a fair trade.]

To some golfers, wetlands and wild areas are just a nuisance, places where you're going to lose your ball. They'd rather see the golf course mowed from fence line to fence line. What do you say to them?

When you provide a bit of education, you can get a very different answer. You can say, for example, that not mowing certain areas is better for wildlife, better for water quality and allows native vegetation to thrive and maybe prevents an invasive species from moving in. It might change the look of the course a little bit and the way it plays a little bit, maybe not. I'm a golfer, and to me what's intrinsically attractive about the game is that you are essentially in a natural setting. And it's the restrictions and unique features of that natural setting that make a particular course challenging, one that you like and remember and want to go back to. That's been a design principle of golf courses from the beginning. It's part of the game.

One of the influential landscape architects of the last century was Ian McHarg, who was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He came out with a book in 1969 called Design with Nature. The audience was really urban planners and landscape architects, but it applies to golf courses, too. It's the tradition of the game, and we're rediscovering that tradition.

READ THE REST AT THE SOURCE: GolfDigest

Learn! Explore! Take Action!

Celebrate the vital importance of wetlands to the Nation's ecological, economic, and social health.

May, American Wetlands Month is also a great opportunity to discover and teach others about the important role that wetlands play in our environment and the significant benefits they provide - improved water quality, increased water storage and supply, reduced flood and storm surge risk, and critical habitat for plants, fish, and wildlife.

In organizing its activities this year, EPA is placing special emphasis on encouraging Americans to:

1. Learn about wetlands. This is a great time to better understand what a wetland is, where wetlands can be found, and the importance of wetlands. Activities may include reading and studying about wetland areas, drawing maps or illustrations of wetlands, and identifying native species found in wetlands. Information on wetlands and the important benefits they provide is available on this website, through EPA's wetland fact sheet series, or by visiting the websites of our partners.
2. Explore a wetland near you. Unless you live in the most extreme climate zones, there is a good chance a scenic wetland exists nearby for you to visit and explore during American Wetlands Month and throughout the year. To find a wetland near you, consult your local parks department, state natural resource agency, or the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (http://www.fws.gov/refuges). If you live in the Washington, DC area, a guide has been created to highlight wetlands and wildlife sanctuaries.
3. Take action to protect and restore wetlands. Support and promote wetlands informing community members about wetlands' vital roles, "adopting" a wetland, joining a local watershed group, or participating in a wetland monitoring, restoration, or cleanup project. There are many other actions Americans can take to help conserve wetlands.To learn more about what you can do to help protect and restore these valuable natural resources in your state or local area, visit http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/awm/#you.

Indoor Water Conservation

Plumbing conservation is widely accepted and routinely called for in federal, state and local legislation, ordinances for new development and agency rebate programs.

These devices are making a measurable difference. For example, Los Angeles saw a 25 percent decrease in demand in the 1990s with a plumbing retrofit program funded by water agencies.

The major benefit of low-flow plumbing device programs is that they can be implemented without requiring a change in the behavior of end users.

Outdoor Water Conservation

Saving water indoors with low-flow plumbing is easy compared to controlling outdoor water waste. Yet the vast majority of household water flows outside.

A study conducted by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) shows that 58 percent of residential water is applied to landscapes.  Gardening, recognized as the number one outdoor leisure activity, is growing in popularity as a national pastime.

According to a report published in the journal Environmental Management, some 40 million acres of the U.S. are covered in lawns, making turf the nation’s most irrigated crop.

And according to the American Water Works Association, most landscapes are overwatered by 30% to 300%, accounting for 80% of all landscape damage...and water waste!

SOLUTION:  Remove the TURF and replace it with DROUGHT TOLERANT GARDENS or NATIVE HABITAT, etc. that reduces water use.

See more research studies that can help you save water at the Independent Research Studies webpage provided by WeatherTRAK.

SOURCE:  WeatherTRAK.com

Drought Watch -- USGS State Information on Drought

Map of below normal 7-day average streamflow compared to historical streamflow for the day of year (United States)

This map shows the 7-day average streamflow conditions in hydrologic units of the United States and Puerto Rico for the day of year. The colors represent 7-day average streamflow percentiles based on historical streamflow for the day of the year.

The Importance of  Landscaping and Streamflow

Streams feed and pull from the groundwater supply, the water table.  When streams in a region are low, landscaping  is also vulnerable to drought conditions.  Some regions are more susceptible to low streamflow conditions on a seasonal basis, but some areas have increasing population stresses put on a normally healthy ecosystem.  Landscaping professionals and conscientious landowners can play an important role in the health of their ecosystem and their longterm water supply by applying conservation practices in selection of plant species that require  minimal water, and using protective devices such as cisterns, swales and  raingardens to protect the groundwater system from contaminants and pollution.

Inspired by ecosystems as old as the earth itself, John Todd Ecological Design, Inc. rebuilds ecological balance for clients with The ECO Machine - a wastewater treatment system that naturally treats sewage and industrial waste to re-use quality. Ecological function is an important consideration as fresh water becomes one of the most important commodities in our urbanized world.

John Todd Ecological Design's ECO Machines bring advanced wastewater treatment technology, and unsurpassed aesthetic, economic, and environmental advantages to companies, communities, and resorts both at home and internationally.

Dr. Todd is a pioneer in the emerging field of ecological design and engineering and has won many prestigious awards and honorary degrees including awards for projects from the EPA and a number of innovation awards including the Theodore Roosevelt conservation Award from the White House, and an achievement award by the United Nations Environment Program.

How does an Eco Machine Wastewater Treatment System Work?

ECO Machines accelerate nature's own water purification process. Unlike chemical-based systems, ECO Machines incorporate helpful bacteria, fungi, plants, snails, clams, and fish that thrive by breaking down and digesting organic pollutants, pollutants that normally deprive the water of oxygen. This clean, simple approach efficiently transforms high-strength industrial wastewater and sewage into water clean enough to be recycled for reuse.

CONTACT:
John Todd Ecological Design, Inc.
P.O. Box 497
Woods Hole, MA 02543 USA
1.508.548.2545
www.toddecological.com

Napa Home & Garden is a fast growing garden accessory and decor line, headed by husband and wife team, KC and Jerry Cunningham.  Before KC Cunningham turned Napa Home & Garden into a successful manufacturer of high-end decor, she was content puttering around in her own Napa home and garden. Her move into the decorative accessories industry was accidental — one that came late in life and for which she credits husband, Jerry, her business partner.  KC Cunningham was enjoying an early retirement following the couple's sale of their financial services business in California when Jerry invested in a gift company that turned out to need a turnaround!  Her experience building, remodeling and decorating homes in Napa Valley helped grow the business into a highly successful home and garden retailer working with world class decorators and talented horticulturists.

Napa Home & Garden is on the move, and anticipates substantial growth in 2008 as they build a national showroom presence for their customers'  convenience.  Their product line includes ceramics, glass, wrought iron, wood products, patio furniture and wire decor and accessories.

The company's rapid growth also necessitated the Cunninghams' relocation from California to the East Coast, where they divide their time between a high-rise Atlanta condominium in Buckhead, and a Highlands, N.C., mountain lodge.

A new showroom in High Point debuted in October 2007, and they are located on the 2nd Floor in the IHFC Building, this is their largest and most successful showroom to date. 

In New York, Napa moved to Pier 94 where the NY Gift Show is concentrating the best home decor vendors. 

In the  summer of 2008, they will move into a permanant space on the 6th Floor, Building C in Las Vegas. 

In Atlanta, they moved around the corner on the same floor (10th) to be in a position to combine their Gardens showroom with their Home showroom when the new 2West building opens January 2009.

Napa Home & Garden will be taking a large space at the Independant Garden Center Show in Chicago this August to introduce new products and lines to garden center customers.

The corporate sales representation relationship with OneCoast (www.onecoast.com), one of the industry's premier sales representatives  to home decor vendors will include Napa's presence in OneCoast Showrooms in Atlanta, Dallas, Las Vegas, Denver, Seattle and Chicago.

OneCoast will sell Napa in the entire nation with the exception of Southern California, Southern Nevada and Arizona.

Jerry and KC Cunningham