LTU hosted the 11th annual Stormwater Summit

Lawrence Technological University hosted the 11th annual Stormwater Summit on Friday, Oct. 4. The day-long summit introduced participants to various topics relating to infrastructure development and storm preparation.

The summit began with opening remarks from Donald Carpenter, Principal with Drummond Carpenter and LTU Professor of Practice; Elin Jensen, chair of the civil and architectural engineering department; and Jim Nash, Oakland County Water Resource Commissioner, followed by notable speakers.

"LTU has been a leading force in sustainability, and it's great to be partners with them. We know climate change is bringing in inclement weather and heavier storms, and my office is actively rebuilding our infrastructure to be resilient during such conditions," Nash said. Communities within Oakland County are already incorporating green infrastructure, and the county is supporting their initiatives and ensuring such infrastructure will be incorporated in the future.

One keynote speaker was Ryan Winston, Ph.D., associate professor in the Departments of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering and Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic Engineering at Ohio State University and is also a core faculty of the Sustainability Institute. Winston has led more than 50 projects focused on urban and suburban stormwater monitoring. "The goal for urban watershed managers and individuals interested in stormwater is to make waters in urban regions fishable, swimmable, and usable," Winston stated at the beginning of his presentation, which focused on bioretention, high-rate biofiltration, and a few other practices on ponds, commercial development, underground infiltration systems, and constructed wetlands.

Winston conducted green infrastructure research at marina facilities across the Great Lakes through a partnership between Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio sea grants. The research team designed and constructed constructs to monitor bioretention cells to figure out how well green infrastructure works at industrialized sites to control pollution in runoffs. The team also implemented six bioretention retrofits to study the effect of different plant palettes at the Cleveland Zoo. The team planted turf grass, forbes, native grass, and trees and concluded that runoff columns were effectively mitigated by native grass, forbes, and turfs. The team also proposed underground infiltration systems where local soils were sandy. Lastly, Winston's research team constructed stormwater wetlands. The team monitored water quality in the forby and focused on runoff reduction, which decreased over a three-year period.

"Green infrastructure provides runoff reduction completely," Winston explained and advised communities and cities to connect rivers and streams to their flood plain. "I would also ask you to think more holistically and push towards holistic management," Winston encouraged.

Another speaker was Burton C. Suedel, Ph.D., and a research biologist in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineer Research and Development Center. Suedel demonstrated how Engineering with Nature (EWN) principles and practices were being incorporated into infrastructure planning worldwide and presented projects with green infrastructure. In Illinois Beach State Park, Lake Michigan, EWN reduced shoreline erosion and nearshore habitat loss by designing innovative rubble ridges as natural infrastructure and formed three runnel ridges to reduce wave energy. In Sheridan, Lake MI, the organization did ravine and coastal restoration by mimicking natural reef function, utilizing natural materials and natural processes, and constructing offshore reeds using local limestone blocks. In Milwaukee Harbor, WI, EWN evaluated alternatives for enhancing aquatic ecosystem and recreation benefits at existing breakwater and navigation structures by constructing routine repairs and modifications during comprehensive structural repairs. In Cat Island, Green Bay, WI, EWN did a habitat restoration project reconstructing three islands, providing 272 acres of habitat for shorebirds, waterfowl, amphibians, turtles, invertebrates, and fur-bearing mammals. They restored 1,225 acres of shallow water and wetland habitat.

"We like to think about nature as a spectrum of opportunities. We recognize, as engineers, the importance of guidance and standards being updated, for we are asking you to be innovative. To enable such innovation, the engineering guidance is updated to help reduce risk with innovation related to integrated solutions."

The day continued with additional speakers, such as Congresswoman Haley Stevens; Evan Pratt, P.E., Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner; Rachael Barlock, Engineer, SEMCOG; Lisa Wallick, P.E., Field Services Director DWSD; Patrick Droze, P.E., Principal and Partner, OHM Advisors; Kaleigh Snoddy, Education and Stewardship Manager, Clinton River Watershed Council; Alyssa Taube, Community Engagement Representative, Oakland County Water Resources; and John H. Hartig, Visiting Scholar, University of Windsor's Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research.

Lawrence Technological University is one of only 13 independent, technological, comprehensive doctoral universities in the United States. Located in Southfield, Mich., LTU was founded in 1932, and offers more than 100 programs through its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, Engineering, and Health Sciences, as well as Specs@LTU as part of its growing Center for Professional Development. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation's top 11% of universities for alumni salaries. Forbes and The Wall Street Journal rank LTU among the nation's top 10%. U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best Midwest colleges. LTU is also listed in the Princeton Review's "America's Best 390 Colleges 2025," which includes the nation's top 15% of colleges and universities. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, "theory and practice" education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech's 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.

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