From the Mountains to the Coast — LID Case Studies from North Carolina

Low Impact Development (LID) projects have similar universal goals — maintaining or limiting impacts to the site's original hydrology and reducing water quality impacts — but differences in topography, soils, vegetation, and other project goals may result in projects that appear to be dissimilar, at least on the surface. Two case studies in North Carolina — one in the mountains, and one at the coast, are explored in detail, highlighting how local constraints and project goals shaped the outcome of the projects. Drover's Road Preserve in the North Carolina mountains is a rural large lot residential development on a 186-acre site that draws on conservation planning and source prevention methods for water resource protection. A notable feature of the site is the use of a large conservation easement, placing the highest risk areas of the development into permanent protection. Tonbo Meadow is located in coastal North Carolina in Wilmington, and is a 3.2 acre site with 10 single-family homes. Several variances were sought and granted, allowing the site to reduce its impervious footprint, while the judicious use of innovative stormwater BMPs allowed the site to further reduce hydrologic and water quality impacts.