Where Does All that Rain Water Go?
by Kathy Barnard, Marketing and News Services Where is all of the rain water of the past several weeks ending up, and more importantly to WSU Extension educator Curtis Hinman, how is it getting to its final destination? How development of once open, plant-covered spaces changes stormwater movement over and through the landscape is one of the greatest threats to water quality, supply and aquatic habitat in the Puget Sound area, according to Hinman, who works at the WSU Pierce County Extension office at Tacoma. One of five Extension faculty working on water issues in the Puget Sound Basin, he researches, designs and monitors low impact development strategies for that region. “Both resources and attention are turning to stormwater management throughout western Washington,” said Hinman. “We have started to realize that even a small amount of urbanization can dramatically affect the watershed.” The major challenge of stormwater management is its complexity, he added. “There are literally th
