The Road to LID Plan Approval in Coastal North Carolina: Development of a Spreadsheet Modeling Tool for LID Based Designs

North Carolina has an abundance of natural resources and a climate that has helped make it one of the fastest growing states in the nation. With the growth and the jobs, comes the challenge of protecting the environment and quality of life that makes it such a desirable place to live. This is especially true for the 20 coastal counties, where stormwater policies are being updated to protect shellfish habitats and enhance water quality. In theory Low Impact Development (LID) practices are one means to achieve high water quality standards, but until recently guidance for implementing this type of program at any level has been scarce. To that end the North Carolina Coastal Federation (NCCF) with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grant funding and contributions from three jurisdictions: the City of Wilmington, New Hanover County, and Brunswick County, spearheaded the development of LID specific stormwater design manuals and a spreadsheet based modeling tool for each local government. The model was developed to assist engineers and developers with the permitting and approval of LID stormwater management plans as well as act as a tool for the reviewing agencies to use in the approval process.