Low Impact Development
Low Impact Development (LID) is comprehensive land planning and engineering design approaches that have the goal of maintaining and enhancing the
pre-development hydrologic regime of urban and developing watersheds.
Natural drainage flow paths, minimal land clearing, clustering of buildings, and reducing impervious surfaces become stormwater best management practices (BMPs) to preserve the natural features and hydrology of the land, instead of the conventional methods of collecting, conveying, and piping away runoff .
The goal of these LID practices is to decrease the amount of stormwater runoff to reduce flooding and cycles of drought and improve water quality in our rivers, lakes and ocean.
LID practices are very important in urban watersheds where runoff is upwards of 55% or more because of the increase in impervious surfaces.
Keep Water ON SITE
For fact sheets on LID practices, check out
Smart Growth/Smart Energy Toolkit
University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center