Monitoring Stormwater and Green Infrastructure (Gary City Hall, Ind.)

This time-lapse video shows the construction of the new Gary City Hall parking lot and rain garden in Gary, Indiana. The City of Gary is utilizing green infrastructure in their redevelopment projects in the hopes of reducing the amount stormwater runoff that enters their storm-sewer system and, eventually, Lake Michigan. This project included reducing the amount of impervious surface and directing stormwater toward a central rain garden and peripheral grassed areas. The USGS is monitoring storm-sewer flow, groundwater, soil moisture, and meteorological conditions before and after installation to determine if there has been a reduction in stormwater volume. The data collected here, along with other case studies, will help assess the effectiveness of green infrastructure at reducing stormwater runoff.