virginia conservation assistance program (vcap) … – the beginning . . . four swcd collaborated...
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Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP)
Nicola McGoff
Thomas Jefferson Soil & Water Conservation District
Charlottesville: (434) 975-0224 Louisa: (540) 967-5940
www.tjswcd.org
VCAP – the beginning . . .
Four SWCD collaborated on a “Pilot Project” To develop a manual for SWCD urban cost share program template NFWF grant Approximately $25,000 Hired Randolph Macon College to develop manual with monthly meetings from District staff Included 10 BMPs (details later) Took approximately 2 years to develop
To get grants to implement some urban BMPs in each of the four Districts
VCAP Pilot Project Area Thomas Jefferson SWCD: Charlottesville, Louisa, Albemarle, Nelson, Fluvanna
Culpeper SWCD: Culpeper, Greene, Madison, Orange, Rappahannock
Hanover-Caroline SWCD: Hanover, Caroline
Piedmont SWCD: Nottoway, Prince Edward, Amelia
VCAP Aims
Reduce stormwater runoff Reduce pollution and sediment loads of stormwater
VCAP Initial Grants
Each of the four Districts brought grant money for a different BMP. H-C: Rain water Harvesting Piedmont: Pet Waste Stations TJSWCD: Turf to Natives Culpeper: Rain Gardens All BMPs are retrofit and not for new construction sites.
Rain Water Harvesting
• $20,000 Private fund, Hanover Caroline District • 250 Gallons or larger • Year round water use plan • Outdoor and indoor use allowable • 10 year maintenance required • Engineer stamp to verify safety • To collect 1 inch rainfall (minimum) • $2/gallon, up to max $12,000
One urban, indoor use (non-potable), two houses split water (875 G), high tech metering, 30% reduction
One rural, for duck pond, very simple and effective. 550 gallons of storage from a 320 ft sq shed roof
Pet Waste Stations
• $2,700 Piedmont SWCD • Grant from Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund (CBRF) • Public areas only • Maintain for 3 years • Sign and bags required, trash can optional (lesson learned) • Cost share 75% up to $400 per applicant
• One neighborhood applicant • 7 stations in common areas • Informative bags • Immediate neighborhood “envy”
Turf to Natives
• $38,430 TJSWCD • Two grants: Virginia Environmental Endowment & NFWF • Public & Private land; Residential and Commercial • Maintain for 10 years • Site one acre or less
Turf to Natives
Incentive payment with 3 rates • Turf to meadow: $75/1000 ft sq • Turf to no-mow-forest: $75/1000 ft sq • Turf to woody landscaping: $250/1000 ft sq
Turf to Natives
“We have converted 62,500 sq-miles to suburban lawn in the U. S. This is over 8 times the size of New Jersey dedicated to an alien plant.” --Doug Tallamy
Lawns = Largest “crop” in the Chesapeake Bay
Increasing in acres by 8.6% a year in Virginia
Photos by Doug Tallamy
Turf to Natives: Meadow
Turf to Natives: Education
Imagine the root depth (and community) below this landscape and how water flows into it
Turf to Natives: Landscaping
Turf to Natives: Commercial Spaces
• $7,550 Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund • Culpeper SWCD • Landscaped depression with good soil • 10 years maintenance • Cost share 75% up to a maximum payment of $2000 • Must have overflow route
Rain Gardens
Making a Rain Garden
Sand --- Soil --- Mulch--- Plants
Native plant species that are tolerant of both wet and dry conditions
VCAP Raingarden •Landscaper & Homeowner • 84 ft3 treatment volume •2754 ft2 drainage area, with 1502 ft2 impervious
Charlottesville stormwater utility (2014) • Wanted to encourage urban BMPs • Using TJSWCD to manage “Incentives
Program” • $32,000 annually • Covers all 10 BMPs in the pilot manual • Called Charlottesville Conservation Assistance • Program (CCAP) • Complements the credit system for their
stormwater utility
VCAP and Charlottesville
CCAP
Pet Waste Stations (PWS) Rainwater Harvesting (RH) Turf Conversion to Native Plants (TCN) Rain Gardens (RG) Bioretention (BR) Vegetated Stormwater Conveyances (VSC) Constructed Wetlands (CW) Impervious Surface Removal (ISR) Permeable Pavement (PP) Green Roofs (GF)
Bioretention
Bioretention Basin or Bioretention Area Greater than 2500 ft2 drainage area Larger than rain gardens 10 years maintenance Handles the 25 year storm event or more Usually engineered soil media Engineers stamp required 75% cost share, maximum $10,000
Bioretention
Vegetated Stormwater Conveyance
Constructed trapezoidal channel, lined with vegetation Better than a pipe but still a conveyance Modest detention, infiltration, and filtering Three types: Grass Channels (as it sounds); 50% cost share, $1000 max Dry Swales (linear bioretention with check dams); 75% cost share, $5000 max Wet Swales (linear constructed wetland, intercepts groundwater); 75% cost share, $3000 max
Vegetated Stormwater Conveyance
Grass Channel
Dry Swale
Wet Swale
Constructed Wetlands
Built to mimic wetland function Less than 1 foot deep Saturated for 2-3 weeks Water quality practice, not volume reduction Use in poorly drained areas Use as last option in treatment train Less than 10 acres drainage area 10 years maintenance 50% cost share up to $3/ft2 and a max of $12,000
Constructed Wetlands
Impervious Surface Removal
0.5 acre or less 5 year maintenance Must plan for vegetation reestablishment or permeable pavers installation Incentive payment $2.50/ft2 up to $15,000 max
Impervious Surface Removal
Permeable Pavers
Porous Concrete/Asphalt Permeable Pavers Grid pavers 0.5 acre or less 10 year maintenance Basin under pavers to infiltrate and hold stormwater Can be rainwater collection system Can treat 3+ times the stormwater off the direct surface area, so can redirect roof gutters onto paving 50% cost share up to $3/ft2, with $12,000 max
Permeable Pavers
Permeable Pavers
Green Roof
200ft2 or larger Aimed at “Extensive” systems, which have shallower soil media (2-6 inches) Modular Roll out mat type Soil and seeds/plugs 2%-16% roof slope 10 year maintenance $10/ft2 to a max of $10,000
Green Roof
Green Roof Components
Green Roof
VCAP and CCAP
Pet Waste Stations (PWS) Rainwater Harvesting (RH) Turf Conversion to Native Plants (TCN) Rain Gardens (RG) Bioretention (BR) Vegetated Stormwater Conveyances (VSC) Constructed Wetlands (CW) Impervious Surface Removal (ISR) Permeable Pavement (PP) Green Roofs (GF)
VCAP: Next Steps
Secure more funding to continue full suite of BMPs throughout the District
Expand to a statewide program for all SWCD
Measure, monitor, and report back how the BMPs affect stormwater
THANK YOU
Questions? Please check our website
www.tjswcd.org or call me 434-975-0224 ext 103