Building Resilience: A University-Community Partnership to Develop a Green Stormwater Infrastructure Maintenance Protocol for Tucson, Arizona

Project Overview

Project Title: Building Resilience: A University-Community Partnership to Develop a Green Stormwater Infrastructure Maintenance Protocol for Tucson, AZ

Funded by: University of Arizona's Office of Research, Innovation and Impact (RII) via a Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF) Water, Environmental and Energy Solutions (WEES) grant, awarded in February 2021 in the amount of $80,799.

Project Goals: The aim of this project is to establish and disseminate a Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) maintenance protocol for the City of Tucson via a collaborative, participatory dialogue process. This project includes several objectives: (1) Conduct community trainings for capacity building; (2) Implement and test new GSI protocol; (3) Monitor and evaluate GSI protocol; and (4) Share findings widely.

Background

What is GSI?

Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) describes the use of natural systems (or systems that are engineered to mimic natural systems) to collect, clean, and absorb stormwater; shade and cool buildings and surfaces; reduce flooding; create lush wildlife habitats; and provide other services that improve environmental quality and the quality of life for communities. 

Properly maintained GSI can provide greater public benefits over time as vegetation matures and soil life and organic content increase. Maintenance activities include managing sediment, vegetation, and groundcover; creating water channels; and tree trimming. GSI maintenance is complicated by drought, varying aesthetic preferences, as well as resource and capacity challenges. Improperly or unmaintained GSI features cause traffic and pedestrian hazards and flooding of adjacent properties, and often lose their ability to capture and retain stormwater and support healthy vegetation.

How is GSI used in Tucson, AZ?

The City of Tucson approved a new GSI Fund for the construction and maintenance of GSI features in 2019 that capture and retain stormwater, providing a means of passive irrigation to trees and vegetation. The GSI Fund formalizes shared responsibility between city departments, provides needed funding for GSI maintenance, and allows NGO partners to perform GSI maintenance tasks for the city. Despite the new program, there is a lack of integrated GSI maintenance protocol that guides practice. The four City departments (Tucson Water, Environmental and General Services, Transportation & Mobility, Parks & Recreation) performing GSI maintenance follow different internal operating procedures. Further, there is the absence of a shared understanding of or training in GSI maintenance needs and the best practices required to maintain and improve GSI function.

How are we improving it?

In 2021, the University of Arizona (UArizona) and the City of Tucson partnered to create a GSI maintenance protocol for the City of Tucson via a collaborative, participatory dialogue process. The effort aims to provide a clear and unified approach across city and county departments, local landscapers, and community organizations. The project was funded by the Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF), administered by UArizona’s Office of Research, Innovation and Impact and the Arizona Institutes for Resilience (AIR). The partnership included several phases:

1. Community Dialogue
2. Community Training and Capacity Building
3. Design of GSI Maintenance Protocol
4. Dissemination of Project Outcomes

Who We Are

If you or your organization are interested in partnering with the Tucson GSI initiative, please contact Blue Baldwin, the City of Tucson's GSI Program Coordinator, or Brooke Bushman, the City of Tucson's GSI Maintenance Coordinator, through the City's webform.

GSI Maintenance Protocol

The maintenance protocol, which was drafted in coordination by researchers, community members, and other stakeholders, will be housed on the City of Tucson's Green Stormwater Infrastructure webpage.