Smart Planning for Watershed Protection

Kaid Benfield writes about how smart land use planning benefits watershed protection.

In particular, in parts of watersheds that remain rural or natural, we need to curb the spread of suburban sprawl, which inevitably brings with it more impervious surface in the form of roads, streets, parking lots, and rooftops. Impervious surface, in turn, in turn prevents rainwater and other precipitation from soaking into the ground and, instead, causes it to run off, picking up volume and pollutants along the way to receiving waters. In many urban areas, polluted runoff is the greatest cause of dirty water.

Benfield is bringing attention to watershed protection following the release of a report by the Potomac River Conservancy titled River Friendly Growth. According to Benfield, "[with] excellent illustrations and clear writing, the report elaborates upon these strategies in rural, urban, and suburban areas of the massive watershed that drains into the Potomac's 380 meandering miles through Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC. "

Benfield goes on to provide several more resources on how of smart planning and development protects watersheds.