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In an effort to improve and protect regional water quality, Bard College recently completed work on a green parking lot with a new stormwater management system. Funded by a $732,738 grant from New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation’s (EFC) Green Innovation Grant Program (GIGP), the Bard Regional Green Infrastructure Demonstration Project retrofits a heavily used parking lot near Olin Hall by using green infrastructure practices to mimic a natural ecosystem. Bioretention areas, a constructed wetland and permeable pavement were installed at the site to capture, treat, and infiltrate stormwater before it enters local waterways or the existing stormwater drainage system. Runoff from the existing lot at the main instructional building on campus currently enters a small tributary of the Saw Kill Creek, which supplies the drinking water for the College before flowing into the Hudson River.

“This project turns a problem area into an asset,” said Laurie B. Husted, sustainability manager at Bard. “Eliminating an impervious area and transforming it into a permeable one in the most heavily trafficked sections of the campus will provide both environmental and educational benefits.”

“EFC’s award-winning Green Innovation Grant Program has been the catalyst for dozens of unique, eco-friendly projects across the state and this regional demonstration project at Bard College is no exception,” said EFC Executive Vice President Sabrina M. Ty. “This project not only protects and improves the water quality of the Saw Kill Creek but serves as a model for the entire Mid-Hudson Region, as communities seek to leverage the multiple benefits of green infrastructure.”

The project’s goal is to create a linked series of green stormwater infrastructure practices, which will be monitored and studied to demonstrate performance. Bioretention practices help slow the speed of stormwater runoff and treats it, while porous asphalt allows water to drain through the pavement surface into a stone recharge bed, which facilitates infiltration. Working as a system, these practices will help recharge groundwater and improve and protect regional water quality. The project, completed on budget and ahead of schedule will help improve water quality and biodiversity while promoting a healthier, more resilient watershed.

As part of EFC’s Green Infrastructure Summit 2015 at Bard earlier this month, Dutchess County Executive Marcus J. Molinaro, Dutchess County Tourism President & CEO Mary Kay Vrba, and Dutchess County Legislator Micki Strawinski and other local community leaders joined representatives from municipalities across New York and Bard officials at the parking lot for a demonstration and dedication of the project.

EFC’s award-winning GIGP will have $14.8 million in grants available this year for green stormwater projects through Governor Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Council and New York State’s Consolidated Funding Application. For more information, visit www.efc.ny.gov/GIGP.