Lower Columbia River Field Guide to Water Quality Friendly Development
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Reduced Impervious Surfaces

Narrow or shared driveway
Narrow parking lot spaces
Narrow travel lanes


Permeable Surfaces

Permeable pavement
Permeable pavers
Turf block
Gravel
Cobbles

Roof Systems
Ecoroof
Roof garden

Rainwater Harvesting Systems
Rain Barrels
Cisterns

Landscape Systems
Trees
Contained planter box
Infiltration planter box
Flow-through planter box
Vegetated/grassy swale
Vegetated filter strip
Vegetated infiltration basin
Sand filter


Subsurface Systems

Soakage trench/dry wells/French drain

Conveyance
Downspout disconnection
Curb alternatives


   

Cobbles

Site:
Alderwood Drive
Owner:

Address:
NE Alderwood Drive
Portland, OR
Contact:

 

Comments:
Rather than pave this area that likely receives occasional heavy truck traffic, the site owners have utilized cobbles to preserve permeability.


Site:
SE Portland
Owner:

Address:
Off SE Powell
Portland, OR
Contact:


 

Comments:
An alternative to pavement, cobbles provide a very tough, low maintenance ground cover while still preserving the ability of rainfall to infiltrate the area.



Site:
SW Portland
Owner:

Address:
SW Bertha Blvd.
Portland, OR
Contact:

 

Comments:
Cobbles are often used as a low maintenance ground cover. They come in a variety of sizes, but are generally considered to be rocks between 1-5 inches.


Site:
Longview Cobbles
Owner:

Address:
Longview, WA
Contact:

 

Comments:
At this site in Longview, cobbles have been used in a architectural way to provide the look of a stream bed. Rainwater falling on this site will infiltrate into the ground rather than run off into the street. The slight depression helps catch and store stormwater.