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Decentralization of storm runoff via engagement of social and cultural capitals - implications for the management of flood risk at the municipal scale
Citation:
SHUSTER, W. D., H. THURSTON, AND A. GARMESTANI. Decentralization of storm runoff via engagement of social and cultural capitals - implications for the management of flood risk at the municipal scale. Presented at Road Map Towards A Flood Resilient Urban Environment, Paris, FRANCE, November 25 - 26, 2009.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
This research tests a novel method that focuses limited community resources on a decentralized approach to storm water management. A reverse auction was used to relieve legal constraints on management implementation on private land. Residents voluntarily bid on rain gardens and rain barrels once in 2007 and again in 2008, which ultimately led to the installation of 83 rain gardens and 176 rain barrels on more than one-fifth of the 350 residential properties in the watershed. This resulted in an estimated 360 m3 increase in watershed detention capacity for excess stormwater runoff over pre-implementation conditions. In this paper, we detail the specific approach to water resources management via incentive programs, and engagement with citizens and governance. We then discuss how this procedure may have induced social and cultural capitals to address water resources management problems, forming a potential building block in a comprehensive flood control strategy.