The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, in partnership with the Tennessee Stormwater Association, the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Tennessee Department of Transportation, on Monday awarded $103,080 to five local governments to fund green infrastructure and low-impact development projects beginning March 2015. Chattanooga and Ducktown were among those awarded.
The Green Development Grant Program provides funding through a competitive process for projects such as rain gardens, green roofs, pervious concrete applications, trees and tree boxes, in addition to outreach and education efforts designed to promote green development in Tennessee communities.
“By applying creative design and green technology, these five local governments can improve water quality for Tennesseans, while working to achieve their stormwater management goals,” said Dr.
Shari Meghreblian, deputy commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. “TDOT, TVA and the Tennessee Stormwater Association are committed to protecting the state’s water resources and TDEC joins these agencies in their efforts to support infrastructure improvements and to share best management practices at the local level.”
The Green Development Grant recipients announced Monday are:
• City of Chattanooga: ($10,000) The City of Chattanooga will develop and implement a Low Impact Development model competition for students. The competition will recognize outstanding achievement in developing green infrastructure models and understanding of water quality, as it relates to these practices. The competition will recognize individuals, schools and teachers involved as well as cash prizes that will go towards further education concerning water quality and LID.
• City of Ducktown: ($25,000) The City of Ducktown along with the Southeast Tennessee Development District will install green infrastructure in the form of tree wells, pervious pavers and bioretention cells to improve Spruce Street’s stormwater drainage while also addressing water quality with the added benefit of making the street more attractive and accessible to pedestrians.
• Memphis and Shelby County Office of Sustainability: ($20,000) The Shelby County Engineering program in partnership with Memphis and Shelby County Office of Sustainability with support from Tennessee Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects propose to install multiple green infrastructure demonstration rain gardens at the Peggy W. Edmiston Administration Building (one of the largest Shelby County Government offices) and to offer multiple educational sessions to homeowners. As a part of this demonstration project, the Office of Sustainability will conduct a series of workshops across Shelby County to educate residents and homeowners about practices that can be undertaken at home to save water and treat stormwater.
• Johnson City: ($25,000) The Johnson City Public Library, in conjunction with East Tennessee State University, the City of Johnson City, LDA Engineering and Siteworks Studios, will be addressing stormwater runoff at the Public Library by installing an infiltration bed to capture the first inch of runoff from the library roof, provide storage capability for flood mitigation, provide natural habitat for pollinators and provide aesthetic value to the library lawn. The library and ETSU will host community and school education events, workshops, and guided tours on green infrastructure.
• City of Lewisburg: ($23,080) The City of Lewisburg will use these funds as part of a comprehensive plan to improve the popular Rock Creek Park which host numerous festivals and events throughout the year. The City plans to remove 4,500 square feet of asphalt to create public green space. The existing parking lot will be replaced with pervious pavers to address stormwater runoff by providing a more natural infiltration of stormwater into the ground.
This grant cycle represents the fourth time the Green Development Grants have been offered to local governments. The grant awards announced on Monday join efforts in the cities of Athens, Chattanooga, Lakeland, Memphis, Knoxville, Nashville, Farragut, Morristown, and the University of Tennessee which were part of the 2008, 2012, and 2013 funding initiatives, with projects ranging from pervious concrete parking installation to a Low Impact Development Design Competition.
“Protecting Tennessee’s watersheds is part of TVA’s mission of service,” said Rebecca Tolene, TVA vice president, Natural Resources. “Working with our partners on projects like this one is critical to safeguarding our waterways, while ensuring our communities can rely on good, clean water.”
To learn more about the Green Development Grants, please visit TDEC’s website athttp://www.tn.gov/environment/water/green-development.shtml or the Tennessee Stormwater Association’s website at www.tnstormwater.org/.