As specified by the Clean Water Act, municipalities must have plans in place to prevent pollutants from being discharged with stormwater into nearby waterways. While point sources are thought to be major contributors to the water quality issue, non-point source pollution can be equally or more harmful as it originates from multiple, often unknown sources, consists of multiple contaminants, and flushes into the watershed at irregular intervals. Located at the end of the Maumee River watershed and the western basin of Lake Erie, the municipal area of the City of Toledo includes a number of waterways that have been identified as impaired by the EPA, including the Maumee River. The City of Toledo has been diligently working to reduce the number of combined sewer overflows via the Toledo Waterways Initiative, reducing point source pollution by monitoring industrial waste streams, and reducing non-point source pollution by incorporating green infrastructure (GI) in commercial and residential areas. GI has been shown to have many benefits beyond improving water quality; it also has social and economic impacts. By incorporating GI into neighborhood master plans, urban non-point pollution is prevented and treated at the neighborhood level as was done by the Junction Coalition (JC), a community-based organization whose plan of action is based on four pillars of justice–social, economic, environmental and peace education. JC mobilized its neighborhood to implement a neighborhood revitalization program that includes green spaces and storm water management. Analysis of land use maps, demographics, crime statistics, educational and transportation systems, and other economic indicators provided a basis for their concept. By working over a three year period with the Toledo Design Center and the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments on the Junction Urban Waters project, the Junction Coalition with many community partners developed a master plan that focused on community participation and revitalization of vacant and abandoned parcels into beautiful, useful green spaces. Their master plan will be included in the City of Toledo 2020 Plan and will result in the JC Community being restored to a vibrant area that will reduce crime and blight, improve water quality, and educate citizens about the steps they can take to reduce pollutants in surface water. Best practices for community involvement and planning will be presented as a template for community revitalization.

Reducing storm water pollution with increased green space planning as part of a community driven neighborhood revitalization project

2019 Fall National Meeting

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