Publications to Download

Publications to Download

Download these select Center publications for free! Documents are in .pdf format unless specified otherwise. If you need to download the free Adobe Acrobat reader, you can do that here:

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Free Resources

Stormwater Manager's Resource Center (www.stormwatercenter.net)

Electronic Newsletter Runoff Rundown

Using Trees to Protect and Restore Urban Watersheds Watershed Forestry Manual

Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Guidance Manual (IDDE)

Stormwater BMP Design for Cold Climates_896K) Some of the challenges of cold climates, such as freezing temperatures and high runoff during snowmelt events, influence the effectiveness of traditional stormwater designs. This document describes modifications to traditional stormwater designs to make them more effective in these environments.	Codes & Ordinances Worksheet (.html) The Codes & Ordinances Worksheet, or COW, is a simple worksheet that you can use to see how the local development rules in your community stack up against the model development principles outlined in Better Site Design. Answer the questions and see how environmentally-friendly your community is!
Frederick County Roundtable Consensus Document (426kb) This publication is the product of a year-long better site design local roundtable process facilitated by the Center in Frederick County, Maryland. The document documents the roundtable process and contains the recommendations presented by the local roundtable members to the Frederick County Commissioners in February 2000. You can download similar documents for Harford County, Maryland, Cecil County, Maryland and the Central Rappahannock, Virginia. You can also order this in hard copy here.	Redevelopment Roundtable Consensus Document (285kb) This publication documents the Center's Redevelopment Roundtable Project and outlines the resulting model development principles, which are designed to promote more environmental-friendly redevelopment and infill projects.
The Practice of Watershed Protection Remember that you can search and view the first page of all 150 past Techniques articles compiled in our new reference, The Practice of Watershed Protection, from our stormwater management website at www.stormwatercenter.net (in the "Library" section). You can also order this in hard copy here.	A Survey of Residential Nutrient Behavior (284kb) This publication details a survey of 733 Chesapeake Bay residents concerning their nutrient practices and attitudes as they pertain to lawn care, septic system maintenance, and pet waste disposal.
Site Planning for Urban Stream Protection This document presents a watershed approach to site planning, examining new ways to reduce pollutant loads and protect aquatic resources through non-structural practices and improved construction site planning. Provides insight into watershed-based zoning, the concentration of development, headwater streets, stream buffers, green parking lots, and other land planning topics.	Watershed Protection Audit One of the most important tasks in establishing a watershed baseline is to conduct an audit of local watershed protection capabilities. The audit establishes a baseline of current strategies and practices within the watershed. By understanding the current state of development, watershed groups can assess strategies, practices, strengths and weaknesses can better plan future efforts. This document can help watershed organizations conduct an audit of the watershed protection tools currently available in their watershed.

Sample Watershed Management Plans

Watts Branch: Located northwest of Washington D.C., the Watts Branch project developed a watershed restoration plan designed to mitigate the impacts and stresses on the ecosystem.
Englesby Brook: The Center worked with the City of Burlington to develop a watershed restoration plan for this small Vermont watershed.
Big Rock: The Center worked with the Nature Conservancy to help the City of Lewisburg, TN meet regulatory requirements as part of this project, which included a comprehensive assessment of the Big Rock watershed and development of a management plan to protect and restore the biological and physical health of Big Rock Creek and its tributaries.
Powhatan Creek : This Virginia watershed management plan crafted by the Center, the James River Association, James City County and watershed stakeholders is designed to protect and restore this historically significant creek. For the full copy or more information, contact James City County.
Yarmouth: This watershed management plan was created by the Center, the James River Association and James City County with the support of watershed stakeholders and details our efforts to identify critical issues and create an action plan to protect this relatively pristine Virginia watershed.
Bush River: This watershed management plan defines a strategy to help Harford County, MD improve the overall conditions in this Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Goose Creek: The Goose Creek Demonstration Subwatershed Plans provide baseline information on three specific Virginia subwatersheds, recommend steps for implementing protection and restoration activities within these subwatersheds, and provide a framework for future field studies.

Technical Releases

New York Stormwater Management Design Manual Download it for free here

The Georgia Stormwater Manual Available in .PDF format here

"Channel Protection" from Water Resources Impact 3:6: (306kb) It is widely accepted that urbanization can alter the geometry and stability of stream channels. Both anecdotal evidence and field research support the notion that the larger and more frequent discharges that accompany watershed development cause downstream channels to enlarge, whether by widening, downcutting, or a combination of both.

Vulnerability Analysis: (1.36mb) The Watershed Vulnerability Analysis provides guidance on delineating subwatersheds, estimating current and future impervious cover, and identifying factors that would alter the initial classification of individual subwatersheds. This technical release outlines a basic eight-step process for creating a rapid watershed plan for either a large watershed or jurisdiction.

Conference Abstracts

Stream Restoration Practices: (42kb) Numerous stream restoration techniques are being employed that vary from "hard" structural approaches to "soft" bioengineering approaches. A recent study by Brown (2000) examined 24 different types of stream restoration practices and included over 450 individual practice installations. Each practice was evaluated in the field according to four simple visual criteria: structural integrity, function, habitat enhancement, and vegetative stability.