Daniel Gonzalez
Many of my life milestones can be tracked with the phrase, “I never thought I’d ___________”. For instance, I never thought I’d be the first in my family to graduate from a 4-year university. I never thought I’d become a certified educator. I never thought I’d be an environmental scientist. I never thought I’d work in a research laboratory. And last but not least, I never thought I’d work at a research institution as a research and extension specialist. This year, I am serving the South Coast Research and Extension Center (SCREC) in Irvine, CA. My work there is somewhat similar to my assignments as an undergrad since it involves much studying and writing. However, instead of it primarily being for the sake of a letter grade, what I write now will actually have an impact on local communities. I specialize in communicating nature-based solutions on stormwater management in urban landscapes to general audiences primarily through creating informative blog posts and fact-sheet brochures.
My goal as the GrizzlyCorps fellow at SCREC is capacity-building in the form of community outreach and education as I believe all neighborhoods throughout Southern California, no matter the socio-economic standing, should be equipped with the proper tools and knowledge for climate resilience.
This month I wrote a blog for the UCANR’s Water Supply Security website on permeable materials and how they can function as a sustainable approach to stormwater. Impervious surfaces such as concrete or asphalt have allowed for large-scale urban development throughout Southern California as they provide stable foundations for building structures, efficient movement of pedestrians and vehicles, and timely transport of rain water away from buildings and streets. However, as the effects of climate change further intensify, so too does impermeable pavement’s negative environmental impacts of increased stormwater runoff and pollution. Because of this, the municipal landscapes and water resources of several communities in the Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties will only become more at risk. A counter-active measure to this phenomenon can be permeable pavement systems: a water-resilient alternative to traditional paved surfaces, allowing rainwater to infiltrate the ground.
This best management practice (BMP) supports both municipal and private developments by effectively managing stormwater while providing functional surfaces for transportation and recreation within urban landscapes throughout Southern California. Permeable pavements require low maintenance and are especially beneficial for developed areas with little open space unable to accommodate post-construction stormwater controls requiring dedicated land (suitable for driveways, parking lots, and patios). This green infrastructure practice can be categorized into the following types:
Porous Asphalt/Pervious Concrete: Modified forms of conventional asphalt and concrete material that contain less fine aggregates, which allows for better water passage. Ideal for large impervious areas like driveways and parking lots.
Permeable Paver Systems/Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavement (PICP): Designs comprising pavers with gaps that facilitate water flow, underpinned by highly porous gravel layers serving as reservoirs. This versatile option suits residential and commercial uses and is typically installed on crushed stone bases.
Turf Block Systems: Also known as “grass blocks”, they are similar to PICPs but with soil-filled spaces for planting grass or groundcover. Suitable for driveways.
Benefits of Permeable Pavements for Reducing Surface Runoff
Permeable pavement’s enhancement of water percolation can play an important role in reducing surface runoff. A larger surface area of porous material allows for more water to infiltrate urban soils and less stormwater discharges to occur. A decrease in runoff volumes would lower the chances of erosion, flooding, hydroplaning, and splashing of pollutant-holding vehicle undercarriages within urban settings. Furthermore, permeable pavements can prevent damage to municipal drainage systems by reducing the risk of sewer backups from runoff overflow. The gravel layered below permeable asphalt, pavers, or concrete also filters contaminants to improve water quality of community groundwater recharge basins and surface water bodies.
All of these feats can also indirectly contribute to fire safety. The runoff mitigation capabilities of permeable surfaces can prevent flooding that may impede fire trucks or other emergency vehicles in pursuit of fires. Stormwater captured by and stored under porous asphalts could serve as a valuable resource for fire suppression in areas with limited water supply. Lastly, permeable pavements can help reduce the urban heat island effect through enhanced infiltration and evaporation, which would cool down the surface and surrounding atmosphere.
Case Studies of Successful Permeable Pavement Projects
For my blog post, I had the pleasure of visiting two locations exhibiting permeable pavement demonstrations. At each location, I learned of the processes for design, installation, maintenance, and improvement.
Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District: As part of its project to create anti-polluting infrastructure that uses or mimics natural processes, the district constructed permeable pavement systems on its campus to assess the efficacy of various low impact development (LID) stormwater best management practices (BMP) within arid regions.
This included complementary aesthetic designs for pervious pavers, porous concrete, and porous asphalt.
Each design has the potential for groundwater recharge facilitation, pollutant concentration reductions, stormwater runoff reduction, and infiltration enhancement.
Initial testing emphasized necessary rehabilitation of the district's permeable pavement systems, which will only lead to improved designs in the future.
2. South Coast Research and Extension Center: Our site exhibits a demonstration of permeable pavement implementation on residential driveways. Three model homes were constructed side-by-side-by-side to show the effectiveness of 3 different types of pavement systems against stormwater runoff: 1) Impervious surface driveway, 2) Driveway combining traditional concrete with impermeable pavement, and 3) Fully permeable paver system driveway. The level of stormwater management capacity increases as you go down the examples from models 1 to 3.
a. The project is currently undergoing a revitalization process before continuing its construction. Once finished, we wish to share our demonstration and findings with the public.
Before Grizzly Corps, I felt that my knowledge of green infrastructure was basically nonexistent. And I know the same can be said for many other residents within the Inland Empire, an area primarily known for its culture of warehouses, manual labor, and commuting. This, along with the fact that environmental science as a career choice was never advertised to me while growing up is upsetting. It is why I approach my position as a research and extension specialist with the utmost importance.
To learn so much about nature-based solutions and the several ecological benefits they can bring to various regions in the IE has been such a rewarding experience. I have become more whole as I have gotten to engage, as both an educator and student, with my neighbors who once felt so distant on topics of mutual aid in climate action and environmental solidarity. I hope that these conversations have some part in inspiring more community members to connect not only with their peers, but also with the lands they inhabit. Because we do not own the land. The land owns us.
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