AWARE Update April 2005

AWARE Colorado takes its message on the road

AWARE Colorado continues to give presentations to communities about tools and strategies that can help local officials preserve water quality. Since the fall, AWARE project manager Cynthia Peterson has given the 30- to 45-minute presentation to officials in Loveland, Douglas County, Lakewood, Georgetown, Glenwood Springs, Arvada and elsewhere.

The presentations include the following topics:

The water land connection
Reducing impervious surfaces
Collaboration
Planning tools
- Natural resources inventory – An essential first step
- Cluster development has many benefits
- Buffers and Setbacks Safeguard sensitive areas
Zoning tools
- Conservation easements and land trusts
- Overlay zoning and planned unit development
Reducing transportation-related impacts
- Designing streets and roads with less impact
- Alternative turnarounds reduce impervious area
- Swales promote infiltration
- Alternative driveway and sidewalk design
- Innovative parking lot design
- Parking lot size and location matter
- Porous pavement reduces surface runoff
Improved landscaping
- Natural landscaping reduces runoff
- Saving and amending topsoil
- Tree cover provides multiple benefits
Helpful community resources

For information about the AWARE Colorado program or to schedule a presentation, contact project manager Cynthia Peterson at 303.861.5195 (Colorado toll free 888.861.9969) or info@awarecolorado.org.

Access a clearinghouse of water quality protection strategies

AWARE Colorado maintains an ever-growing clearinghouse of helpful information, tools and strategies that local decision makers can consider to reduce the impacts of land use choices on water quality. Some recent additions to the clearinghouse:

A new book, “Porous Pavements, Integrative Studies in Water Management and Land Development,” by Bruce Ferguson, professor and director of The School of Environmental Design at the University of Georgia. Ferguson is an expert in 1) urban design to protect watersheds, and the technologies of stormwater infiltration and 2) structural soils and porous pavements.

Another just-out book is Donald Shoup’s “The High Cost of Free Parking.” It’s the newest book from Planners Press, the publishing arm of the American Planning Association. To learn more about Shoup’s book, which offers new policies and approaches to regulate parking, log on www.planning.org/bookservice/highcost.htm.

The Denver Water Quality Management Plan 2004 is now available at www.denvergov.org/WMDWaterQuality/77516706template3jump.asp. It provides a framework for better integrating stormwater management and water quality protection into planning, engineering and infrastructure management.

Urban Drainage and Flood Control District has updated its Urban Storm
Drainage Criteria Manual. The manual, along with a porous pavement update
chapter package, can be downloaded at www.udfcd.org.

“Overlay Zoning to Protect Surface Waters,” shows how regulating land use practices near streams – using a system of overlay zones – can help protect watersheds, stream corridors and other water bodies from polluted runoff and sediments. Read an excerpt of planning consultant and land use attorney Joel Russell’s article at www.plannersweb.com/wfiles/w192.html.

For more information about the clearinghouse, contact info@awarecolorado.org or call 303.861.5195 (Colorado toll free 888.861.9969).

A statewide program to educate local decision makers about the impacts of land use choices on water quality AWARE Colorado Home AWARE Updates	AWARE Colorado Update April 2005
	AWARE Colorado takes its message on the road AWARE Colorado continues to give presentations to communities about tools and strategies that can help local officials preserve water quality. Since the fall, AWARE project manager Cynthia Peterson has given the 30- to 45-minute presentation to officials in Loveland, Douglas County, Lakewood, Georgetown, Glenwood Springs, Arvada and elsewhere. The presentations include the following topics: The water land connection Reducing impervious surfaces Collaboration Planning tools Natural resources inventory – An essential first step Cluster development has many benefits Buffers and Setbacks Safeguard sensitive areas Zoning tools Conservation easements and land trusts Overlay zoning and planned unit development Reducing transportation-related impacts Designing streets and roads with less impact Alternative turnarounds reduce impervious area Swales promote infiltration Alternative driveway and sidewalk design Innovative parking lot design Parking lot size and location matter Porous pavement reduces surface runoff Improved landscaping Natural landscaping reduces runoff Saving and amending topsoil Tree cover provides multiple benefits Helpful community resources For information about the AWARE Colorado program or to schedule a presentation, contact project manager Cynthia Peterson at 303.861.5195 (Colorado toll free 888.861.9969) or info@awarecolorado.org. Access a clearinghouse of water quality protection strategies AWARE Colorado maintains an ever-growing clearinghouse of helpful information, tools and strategies that local decision makers can consider to reduce the impacts of land use choices on water quality. Some recent additions to the clearinghouse: A new book, “Porous Pavements, Integrative Studies in Water Management and Land Development,” by Bruce Ferguson, professor and director of The School of Environmental Design at the University of Georgia. Ferguson is an expert in 1) urban design to protect watersheds, and the technologies of stormwater infiltration and 2) structural soils and porous pavements. Another just-out book is Donald Shoup’s “The High Cost of Free Parking.” It’s the newest book from Planners Press, the publishing arm of the American Planning Association. To learn more about Shoup’s book, which offers new policies and approaches to regulate parking, log on www.planning.org/bookservice/highcost.htm. The Denver Water Quality Management Plan 2004 is now available at www.denvergov.org/WMDWaterQuality/77516706template3jump.asp. It provides a framework for better integrating stormwater management and water quality protection into planning, engineering and infrastructure management. Urban Drainage and Flood Control District has updated its Urban Storm Drainage Criteria Manual. The manual, along with a porous pavement update chapter package, can be downloaded at www.udfcd.org. “Overlay Zoning to Protect Surface Waters,” shows how regulating land use practices near streams – using a system of overlay zones – can help protect watersheds, stream corridors and other water bodies from polluted runoff and sediments. Read an excerpt of planning consultant and land use attorney Joel Russell’s article at www.plannersweb.com/wfiles/w192.html. For more information about the clearinghouse, contact info@awarecolorado.org or call 303.861.5195 (Colorado toll free 888.861.9969).