Oregon State University
IN-1: Innovation 1

The Oregon State University Sustainability Office, in collaboration with the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition’s Water Action Team, created a Rainwater Resources Guide and map to help illustrate the many stormwater mitigation features on the OSU Corvallis Campus. The Guide is intended for all audiences and includes less common features like rain collection tanks and permeable pavement, as well as more common storm sewer access structures, bioswales and raingardens. This gives the reader/tourer a more comprehensive picture of how a developed campus addresses rainwater and stormwater on site. The document includes an illustrated map of campus features and details on each type of feature, which include bioswales, green roofs, permeable pavement, raingardens and storm sewer access structures. Feature details are provided on the brochure, and in a way that makes the technical information relevant and appealing to a diverse audience.

The process to create this brochure started with a community member and local volunteer who provided and continues to provide great leadership, expertise and connection to the community around water-related issues. The effort gather and consolidate information that could be presented to a diverse audience brought together faculty and staff from engineering, horticulture and other academic programs, with OSU's Capital Planning and Development unit and Sustainability Office. Because of this resulting relationship, a collaboration of OSU community, faculty, students and staff has teamed up to perform critical research and design projects.

Several of these projects have located - and resulted in the university addressing - stormwater problems like leaking condensate water from the campus steam system going into a local stream, potable water leaks being identified, and other outcomes that have built on awareness that resulted from the Guide. The conversations from this new relationship have also poised OSU to view future development in a new manner. And it all started with the research and development performed to create and distribute this one brochure.

An additional benefit of the development of this brochure and the resulting partnership between community groups like the Water Action Team, academic units and university operational units, is OSU's upcoming EPA RainWorks Challenge participation. Our RainWorks Challenge team will implement a Low Impact Development bioremediation system for a high impact area on OSU campus that is in severe need of retrofitting. Seventeen civil engineering students and four horticulture students are involved.