Urban Development

During the site planning and review process, proper design and policies should be followed to manage nonpoint source pollution. These controls and policies ensure that nonpoint source concerns are incorporated when development occurs - specifically during site selection, project design, and review phases. Good site planning will not only reduce runoff from development, but also improve the effectiveness of the conveyance and treatment components of a runoff management system.

As population growth puts pressure on expanding suburbs and rural areas, development in and around both urban and rural areas in the Texas Coastal Zone is inevitable. The following management practices provide standards for site development that allow both the environment and development to thrive.

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Sustainable Site Design

Sustainable site design incorporates approaches to new and redevelopment projects, which reduce impacts on watersheds by conserving natural areas and better integrating stormwater treatment and flood protection.

When development occurs in previously undeveloped areas, it can be destructive to the natural landscape and hydrology of an area. New development and the associated increase in hard, impervious surfaces often has the unintended consequence of increasing the volume while decreasing the quality of stormwater runoff that makes its way into rivers and bays.

Using the following management measures when planning for new development in the Texas Coastal Zone can both reduce the amount of stormwater exiting a site and improve its quality.

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Low Impact Development Standards

Find recommended performance standards and design approaches to protect water quality through low-impact development and conventional practices, while also reducing water supply demand and promoting resilient practices.

While it is increasingly common that new development projects are required to incorporate stormwater BMPs, many existing developments were not subject to such regulations. When redevelopment opportunities present themselves, they pose an opportunity to correct design flaws and better address stormwater-related challenges such as poor water quality and large amounts of runoff. Retrofitting existing development gives us the chance to better protect and restore our coastal waterways.

Existing developments can utilize the following management practices to reduce issues caused by surface water runoff in developed areas.

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Increasing the Resiliency of Existing Spaces

Explore how new installations or upgrades can be incorporated into existing developments to better address stormwater runoff.