Getting Started with SNEP Network Tools and Resources!
Over the years, the SNEP Network has worked closely with communities in the SNEP region to help build their capacity to move their climate resilience projects to implementation. Based on the communities’ needs, the Network has developed a suite of tools and resources that help support communities to advance their projects toward implementation and maintenance.
Where is your project on the Project Pipeline?
Depending on where you are on the project pipeline, you can access FREE Network tools and resources that will help support your community move toward project implementation.
Project Prioritization
Project + Community Planning
Design + Engineering
Funding + Financing
Implementation
Maintenance
Too many project ideas with limited resources to do them all?
Need community and project planning tools and resources?
Do you have a plan in place and are ready to start designing?
Ready to seek and apply for funding for your project?
Funding secured? Onward to implementation!
Need some guidance on maintaining your green infrastructure?
The tools can help
you prioritize your watershed/stormwater management, or climate resilience projects
Network tools can help you think about different project planning aspects and guide you through your planning process
You can use these tools to learn how to design stormwater control measures that meet your community’s needs
Check out the Network’s Funding and Financing inventory to find the right opportunities for your project
The Network can connect you to resources that can provide you support with getting that shovel in the ground!
Find resources and webinars that can help you maintain your green infrastructure projects
NOT SURE WHERE TO START?
Fill out this form to get in touch with a SNEP Network Liaison in your state!
Click on the phases below to access helpful Network Resources and Tools.
Pla
nning to Action Climate Tool
This tool guides communities through the process of turning climate planning into sustainable financing of on-the-ground projects
SNEP Network Partner, Throwe Environmental, has adapted and tested the US Climate Toolkit to a tool that supports its broad range of SNEP Network technical assistance projects. This new tool helps communities prioritize climate resilience actions while engaging community stakeholders and staff to build local capacity.
Nature Based Solutions Spatial Mapping Tool (Massachusetts)
This tool helps communities identify where nature-based solutions (NBS) can most effectively address natural hazards and contribute to resilience planning at a local level.
This tool uses existing statewide datasets and analyses to create easily understandable layers that highlight a range of potential actions and next steps. The results are intended as a high-level screening tool to identify places where conservation and restoration can help combat drought susceptibility, inland and coastal flooding hazards, and contribute to ecosystem co-benefits.
Stormwater Planning Series
Participants use the tools and techniques in the Stormwater Retrofit Manual and presented in the training to identify low-cost stormwater solutions to address the stormwater problem at their specific location.
In response to municipalities’ requests for stormwater planning assistance, the SNEP Network developed the “Stormwater Training/Facilitated Planning Series” which collectively guides communities to develop to a conceptual design for a nature-based stormwater retrofit option in their selected drainage area. The planning series is held virtually with five training sessions over the course of six months. At the outset of the series, a site visit to the selected area is scheduled for the SNEP Network team and community members to see first-hand and discuss the area’s challenges and opportunities with respect to managing stormwater.
Buffer Restoration Guide
This guide is intended to assist public and private property owners in RI and southeast MA who are interested in restoring and improving buffers along a river, pond, lake or the coast.
While this guide is not an exhaustive resource, it is intended to give buffer property owners enough information and resources to design and implement their own restoration project. This resource takes you through the process of identifying site factors and establishing the goals for the site, to considering buffer options, installation, and maintenance.
Bylaw Review Tool (Massachusetts)
The Bylaw Review Tool allows you to compare local land use regulations with best practices.
The analysis framework in the Bylaw Review Tool is designed to assist communities in applying cost-effective low impact development (LID) techniques. This template allows you to evaluate local land use regulations in relation to models. Key areas of analysis in the Bylaw Tool include:
Overall Site Design: Open Space Residential Design (OSRD) vs. conventional subdivisions
Project design and layout standards in relation to LID: Road layout width, curbing, drainage, sidewalks, parking, landscaping
Maintenance and operations, mechanisms for enforcement: Who is responsible for maintaining drainage/LID; easements, homeowner association option, municipal inspection and administration systems
Check out the Bylaw Review Tool storymap with step-by-step instructions on how to use the Bylaw Review Tool.
LID Checklist (Rhode Island)
The self-assessment allows an in-depth review of the standards, ordinances, and regulations that shape development in your community, which directly influences the health and quality of land and water resources.
The assessment attempts to guide you through a systematic comparison of your local development rules against current model development principles. The questions identify specific methods to reduce runoff from new construction and redevelopment and include topics ranging from open space and land disturbance to impervious surfaces and soil erosion control.
Hydrologic Response Units (HRU) Mapping
SNEP Network Partner, Cape Cod Commission, developed a methodology that used state-wide publicly available GIS layers for land use, land cover, and soil type to determine Hydrologic Response Units (HRUs).
Having a transparent method for determining Hydrologic Response Units will improve consistency of stormwater analyses, making regional comparisons and updates to analyses easier and more straightforward.Because Hydrologic Response Units are derived from data available for the entire State of Massachusetts, this process can be easily replicated anywhere within the state, and with minor modifications can be adapted to use other data sets (from other states or more specialized, local data).Methods used to estimate or model runoff and plan interventions can vary widely, and often utilize opaque or proprietary approaches which may be challenging to update.
While the technical challenges of the interactive viewer are being developed, staff can provide the HRU data files for exploration in ArcGIS, and may be able to provide other means to view and interact with HRU data for smaller geographic areas. For more information, please contact Tim Pasakarnis at tim.pasakarnis@capecodcommission.org
Stormwater Retrofit Manual
The manual takes practitioners through the fundamental approach for retrofit, sizing, design and performance characterization, an introduction of performance curves and stormwater control measure design criteria including detailed sizing requirements and guidance.
The manual offers an alternative approach that is practical, achievable, and can offer solutions to communities’ size restrictions, while achieving measured and verified infiltration and pollution goals. This manual does NOT intend to replace existing federal, state or local requirements for stormwater management. Instead it should be used as supplemental guidance and a resource to support smart choices in site design as it relates to the mitigation of stormwater impacts from existing developed areas.
Tree Trench Options Guide
This Guide is a tool to assist with the design process given specific stormwater objectives, site context, aesthetics, tree health, and maintenance capabilities. It is intended to encourage a creative, multi-functional design approach specific to each project’s needs, goals, and budget.
The guide will help improve communication between designers and municipalities as they plan and implement their green infrastructure projects. It was developed to give municipalities a manual to help design and maintain resilient tree trenches. It was developed in companion to other existing manuals and can be used to assist with the design process.
View the Tree Trench Options Guide Training HERE
EPA’s BMP Accounting and Tracking Tool (BATT)
BATT is a spreadsheet-based tool that provides accounting, tracking, and reporting for pollutant (nutrients and sediment) load reduction. The tool allows for aggregate, summary reporting (e.g., overall phosphorus reductions) for compliance with MS4 permit requirements for communities by major watershed.
The University of New Hampshire (UNH)- Stormwater Center, a SNEP Network Parnter, along with EPA Region 1, Paradigm, and the Consensus Building Institute worked together to develop training tutorials that helps support municipalities in using EPA’s BMP Accounting and Tracking Tool (BATT).
Emerging Stormwater Technologies in Rhode Island
Jellyfish Filters
This webinar will provide an overview on the process of selecting and designing a proprietary stormwater treatment device for permitting in Rhode Island, with a focus on the Jellyfish Filter. Although this training is specific to RI, the information that will be presented is extremely valuable and relevant for all designers, reviewers, and municipalities interested in learning about implementing proprietary stormwater treatment devices to meet water quality goals and/or TMDL requirements on challenging sites.
Focalpoint
FocalPoint is an on-line stormwater BMP that utilizes regionally acceptable vegetation planted in a high-flow rate biofiltration media layer that treats stormwater pollutants such as total suspended solids (TSS), nutrients, metals and bacteria. The high-flow rate media allows for a system footprint that is notably smaller than that of traditionally sized filtering BMPs, making it an ideal option for sites with limited amounts of available space. The system also has an optional modular underdrain which can be used to provide additional subsurface storage/detention.
Funding and Financing Inventory
The SNEP Network created a clearinghouse of federal, state, and philanthropic grant opportunities relative to stormwater/watershed management, ecological restoration and climate resilience. The grant funding list includes detailed information about the funding source, match requirements, type of funding, eligibility, time frame, funds available and how to apply.
Financing 101
What is stormwater financing? Check out this webinar to learn about how stormwater programs are managed, the basics of setting stormwater utility fees, and examples of stormwater program implementation. This webinar will also cover the legislation in Southern New England that enables communities to establish stormwater utility programs
Stormwater Innovation Center
The goal of the Stormwater Innovation Center is to demonstrate to communities throughout Rhode Island and Southeast New England strategies for improving urban water quality and associated wildlife habitat through the use of innovative green stormwater practices.
A wide range of green infrastructure has already been implemented in Roger Williams Park, to reduce stormwater contaminants from entering the ponds and degrading water quality. The Stormwater Innovation Center will use these structures and practices to provide hands-on training for municipalities, engineers, construction companies and scientists who will learn from the successes and failures of their design, implementation, and maintenance.
The Innovation Center has been developed by a partnership between the City of Providence Parks Department, Audubon Society of Rhode Island, The Nature Conservancy, the University of Rhode Island’s Coastal Institute, Restore America’s Estuaries, Rhode Island Department of Transportation, the SNEP Network, The Robbins-de Beaumont Foundation and the University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center.
On Demand Webinars on Green Infrastructure Maintenance
Green Stormwater Project Construction Oversight
Stormwater project designs are only effective when they are constructed correctly. This workshop describes the key phases for construction of stormwater practices, highlighting strategies that project managers can use to ensure proper installation. The training will include descriptions of lessons learned, illustrated with examples from the field. The training is for service providers involved with the construction and installation of green stormwater infrastructure
Maintaining Green Stormwater Infrastructure
This training is intended for supervisors and field staff responsible for maintaining green stormwater infrastructure projects. Without appropriate operation and maintenance activities GSI projects will not continue to function properly and yield expected water quality and environmental benefits, meet legal standards, and protect the communities’ financial investment. In this training with the Providence Stormwater Innovation Center, we will give an overview of GSI function and maintenance issues, how design and construction decisions affect future maintenance, lessons learned from the field and the importance of routine inspections and tracking changes over time.