<< Back to Innovative Stormwater Retrofits main page
The Douglass Community Center stormwater retrofit project aims to mitigate the impacts of historic development on the Douglass Community Center site.
Located in the Anacostia River watershed, the Douglass Community Center is over five acres in size, with 1.6 acres of impervious cover. This project included the rehabilitation and upgrade of an existing and poorly functioning bioretention facility to capture and treat stormwater runoff from the site prior to its return to the storm sewer system.
The stormwater BMP utilized in this project is called a Bioretention system. A Bioretention is a vegetated stormwater management system that mimic the natural environment to reduce stormwater volumes and pollutants for the purpose of restoring our streams and rivers.
A bioretention provides the following benefits:
- Reduces stormwater runoff
- Slows stormwater flows
- Removes stormwater pollutants
- Provides habitat for birds, bees, and other pollinators
- Improves air quality
- Reduces air temperatures
- By capturing stormwater and by treating the pollutants stormwater carries, a bioretention helps protect and restore our streams and rivers.
How is a Bioretention Maintained?
Routine maintenance is necessary for all stormwater management practices. Routine maintenance for a bioretention includes cleaning out the inlets to ensure that stormwater can get into it, making sure overflows are free and clear of debris so that they can function during larger storm events, sustaining the vegetative cover by weeding/mowing/pruning as needed.
Project Status:
This project is now complete.
Final Designs
