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Both developers and


homeowners may need to change what they think of as a desirable, healthy landscape, to incorporate wetland areas such as this one.


It’s important to note that the TDML


didn’t come about by accident. The EPA’s action followed a suit by the State, along with sport fi shing associations and Bay advocacy groups. They had become con- cerned by the growing anoxic zone (deep water areas without dissolved oxygen) in the Chesapeake Bay. As described above, this dead zone condition exists in many wa- ter bodies across the nation, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Great Lakes, San Fran- cisco Bay and the Puget Sound. These areas will surely be next to prepare Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs), which serve as a blueprint for how states and local juris- dictions will reduce nutrients and sediment from all sources, including stormwater, in order to achieve the TMDL.


Making Amends It’s not enough to simply adopt LID prin- ciples for future developments. There’s a lot of old damage to undo. Clearly, no devel- oper is going to revisit a built-out subdivi- sion and redo the landscape plan without a potential profi t incentive. One such incentive might be changes


in area’s allowed density. Many munici- palities, which realized too late the ongoing, hidden costs of suburban sprawl—main- tenance, school bus service, road mainte- nance, etc.—might be happy to revisit such neighborhoods and reconsider restrictions on developments that have in place signifi - cant infrastructure—including roads, tran- sit systems, water and sewer, and, to some extent, stormwater management.


As an added benefi t, redevelopment


allows urban planners to look at how con- nected and pedestrian-friendly the existing developed areas of an area are. They may be able to improve transit modes and reduce pollution on that front as well. It’s also a chance to measure the environmental im- pact of existing buildings, and adjust the landscape for stormwater management. As density is added to a community, residents are likely to see the value of retrofi tting their existing homes to improve energy ef- fi ciency and reduce water waste.


A Water Conscious Future The days of the sprawling greenfi eld devel- opment appear to be waning. New develop- ment will occur on a smaller footprint, us- ing the landscape for open space that has multiple functions—urban tree canopies, stormwater management, native habitats and walking trails.


Is it going to be complicated? Yes. But jurisdictions are now looking to


modify their ordinances and building codes to eliminate the barriers to implementing LID. At the same time, more building codes are adopting the international green stan- dards and allowing tax incentives and pri- ority expedited review for projects that are pursuing green building certifi cation. And regulators have begun to add new


layers to this already complicated process. For example, regulations have begun to specify how much sediment can enter wa- terways.


Sediment from construction sites has


Photo: protectedwithpride.org


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