1
The spring 2014 Myra Kraft Open Classroom Water: Challenge of Extremes
Every Wednesday, 6pm – 8pmJanuary 8 through April 9West Village F, Room 20
Northeastern UniversitySchool of Public Policy and Urban Affairs
School of Public Policy & Urban Affairs | Northeastern University
“Innovations in Urban Water Management”Featured Guests:
This week (March 12, 2014)
Thomas BradyConservation Administrator, Conservation
Commission, Town of Brookline
Kate BowditchDirector, Projects, Charles River Watershed
Association; Chair, Conservation Commissioner, Town of Brookline
Myra Kraft Open Classroom series "Water: A Challenge of Extremes."
Green Infrastructure:Natural Hydrologic Processes
in an Urban Environment
Kate BowditchDirector of Projects
• Introduction to the CRWA and the Charles River
• Green Infrastructure– Definitions– Historical precedents– Opportunities in the Charles River
watershed• Landscape scale• Subwatershed scale • Street scale
• Environmental Science and Advocacy Organization founded in 1965
• Mission: To use science, advocacy, planning and the law to protect, preserve and enhance the Charles River and its watershed
Interdisciplinary staff, including engineers, scientists and planners
More than 3,600 volunteers each year
Charles River Watershed Association
Charles River Watershed
• 80 miles• 20 dams• Mean annual
flow ~ 370 cfs• 308 mi2
• 35 towns• Over 1
million residents
Infiltration trenches
Green Infrastructure precedents in the Charles River Watershed
• Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace
• US Army Corps of Engineers Natural Valley Storage Area
Photos courtesy Emerald Necklace Conservancy
The Emerald Necklace: A ‘Synthetic Landscape’
Charles River Natural Valley Storage Project
8,500 acres of wetlands protected in 17 discreet project areas
50,000 acre-feet of flood storage (similar to a New England flood storage reservoir)
Cost a fraction of dams and dikes, and added tremendous additional benefits in habitat, water quality and recreation
Opportunities for Green Infrastructure in the Charles River Watershed
• Landscape scale• Subwatershed scale• Street scale
Kate BowditchCharles River Watershed
Association190 Park Road, Weston, MA
Thank You
School of Public Policy & Urban Affairs | Northeastern University
Thomas BradyConservation Administrator, Conservation
Commission, Town of Brookline
Kate BowditchDirector, Projects, Charles River Watershed
Association; Chair, Conservation Commissioner, Town of Brookline
Any Questions?
The spring 2014 Myra Kraft Open Classroom lecture seriesMarch 12, 2014 – “Innovations in Urban Water Management”
School of Public Policy & Urban Affairs | Northeastern University
“Storms and Hazards”Featured Guests:
Next week (March 19, 2014)
Ken Nowak, PhDHydrolic Engineer, Boulder Canyon Operations Office, Lower Colorado
Region, Bureau of Reclamation
Laurens van der Tak, PE, D.WREVice President, Principal Water
Resources Engineer, Water Business Group, CH2M Hill
Top Related