Webcast 4. Urban Watershed Equity: Designing Inclusive and Just Stormwater Solutions

Speakers:

Katherine Grantham, Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
Implementing nature-based solutions, like green infrastructure, has become a popular method for building community resilience to climate change through a triple bottom line approach. Opportunities for green infrastructure implementation in underserved communities, however, are more limited and challenging. During this webcast, Katie Grantham, Planner with the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, will discuss lessons learned from past projects working with environmental justice communities, what communities need to successfully implement green infrastructure, and how their upcoming work will better prepare communities to more equitably build resilience.

Maxwell Dugan, Geosyntec
As a key foundation of our nationwide stormwater practice, Geosyntec practitioners recognize the need and opportunity to integrate environmental justice and community engagement into watershed planning efforts. This portion of the webinar will feature two examples of this work from urban watersheds in Los Angeles, CA and St. Louis MO. Together, these projects embody the national movement to reimagine America’s infrastructure, transforming aging systems into multifunctional landscapes that advance sustainability, social equity, and long-term adaptability.
Part 1: Reimagining the LA River
The LA River Master Plan and Sepulveda Basin Vision Plan represent a paradigm shift in infrastructure planning, integrating flood control with ecological restoration and inclusive public spaces. These initiatives champion climate resilience through nature-based solutions that help mitigate extreme weather impacts, restore habitats, and enhance water quality. Equally important, they prioritize community engagement—helping ensure that historically underserved neighborhoods have a voice in shaping equitable access to green spaces and recreational opportunities.
Part 2: Advancing Urban Flood Resilience: A Justice-Centered Strategy for Nature-Based Solutions and Green Stormwater Infrastructure
In response to the historic flooding of July 2022, the City of St. Louis initiated a citywide strategy to mitigate flood risk through nature-based solutions and green stormwater infrastructure. This presentation will highlight the City’s vision of reimagining its relationship with waterways by creating sustainable solutions that protect the environment, strengthen communities, and build long-term resilience for future generations. At the core of this strategy is the integration of environmental and economic justice principles, enabling vulnerable communities to benefit from resilient and equitable outcomes.

Webcast 5. Machine Learning in Watershed Modeling for Stormwater Planning and Flood Forecasting

Speakers:

Walter McDonald, Marquette University
Using machine learning and remote sensing for urban stormwater BMP inspection and maintenance
Description: Urban stormwater best management practices (BMPs)—including both green and gray systems such as bioretention basins, detention ponds, permeable pavements, and swales—are critical for mitigating flooding, improving water quality, and restoring more natural hydrologic function. However, maintaining these systems over time remains a persistent challenge, as traditional field-based inspections are labor-intensive, costly, and difficult to scale across large urban areas. This study investigates how emerging remote sensing technologies and machine learning algorithms can enhance the efficiency of BMP inspection and maintenance. By integrating drone and high-resolution satellite imagery with machine learning classification models, we developed an approach to detect key land cover indicators of maintenance needs, including vegetation stress, sediment buildup, and surface deterioration. Applying this framework to dozens of BMP sites in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, we demonstrate that remote sensing and data-driven methods can serve as a scalable and cost-effective screening tool for stormwater program managers, helping to prioritize maintenance and optimize inspection resources.

Catherine Riihimaki,  2NDNATURE Software Inc
The Evolution of Stormwater Modeling: From Hydraulic Models to AI-Enhanced Management Tools
In this talk, 2NDNATURE will take us on a journey through the evolution of stormwater modeling and discover how modern tools are making sophisticated analysis accessible to program managers at scale.

Stormwater management has long relied on complex custom hydraulic models that are powerful but difficult to implement across entire watersheds or municipalities. This webinar traces the evolution from those traditional models to the Tool to Estimate Load Reductions (TELR)—a fit-for-purpose solution designed specifically for stormwater program managers. TELR provides practical guidance on where runoff requires mitigation and quantifies how management efforts reduce volumes and pollutant loads, without the complexity that has historically limited widespread application. Now, AI is extending TELR's capabilities further by automatically determining critical inputs like structural BMP locations and street sweeper curb access, while improving code flexibility for long-term sustainability.

Refund Policy
If a registrant is unable to attend a webcast, there are three options:

1. Watch the archived recording. All webcasts are recorded, and registered attendees are provided with the link and all relevant materials. No action is required if selecting this option.
2. Email webcast@cwp.org to let us know, and select another webcast to attend in place of the one you will miss.
3. Request a refund. Refunds are provided as long as the cancellation request occurs more than 48 hours in advance of a webcast. The amount charged for the webcast will be refunded, except for a $30 processing fee.