Just a click away for LID and green infrastructure examples
By Laurie DiBattista, Colorado NPS Connection associate editor
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Want to see on-the-ground examples of low-impact development (LID) and green infrastructure in Colorado?
The new AWARE Colorado LID/Green Infrastructure Atlas, at http://awarecolorado.org/mapco.html, uses interactive technology to display different types of LID and green infrastructure strategies that protect water quality by reducing polluted runoff.
The new online tool lets visitors view examples by clicking on the interactive map to learn about specific land use strategies such as bioretention/rain gardens, green roofs and permeable pavement.
The Atlas has descriptions, many with photos, of 11 projects that include the Aurora West Target parking lot, the City of Lakewood maintenance facility, the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department and others. More projects will be added as they become available.
Anyone wishing to provide information for the Atlas about other LID and green infrastructure projects in Colorado is asked to complete a submission form at http://awarecolorado.org/lidprojects/lidprojectsform.1.php.
AWARE Colorado (Addressing Water And Natural Resource Education) provides information to community leaders statewide about the impacts of land use on water quality, and suggests strategies to protect our rivers, lakes and streams.
AWARE Colorado is a charter member of Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) Program, which developed the online Atlas.