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


   

Narrow or Shared Driveway

Site:
Buckman Heights
Owner:
Pendergast and Associates, Inc.
Address:
430 NE 16th Avenue
Portland, OR 97232
Contact:

 

Comments:
Placing parking underneath the building minimizes impervious surfaces that receive rainwater.


Site:
Residential House
Owner:

Address:
NE Portland
Contact:


 

Comments:
Grass strips minimize impervious surface and collect stormwater runoff, while still providing a hard driving surface



Site:
Residential House
Owner:

Address:
NE Portland
Contact:

 

Comments:
Grass strips minimize impervious surface and collect stormwater runoff, while still providing a hard driving surface


Site:
Residential House
Owner:

Address:
SE Portland
Contact:

 

Comments:
Gravel can also be used to reduce impervious surfaces and provide a place for stormwater to infiltrate in a driveway. While many new homes have large 2 car width driveways, this narrow drive contains only two strips of impervious surface.


Site:
Residential House
Owner:

Address:
NE Portland
Contact:

 

Comments:
Large evergreen trees absorb and evapotranspirate a large amount of stormwater runoff. This driveway successfully saved a large tree near the garage by narrowing the pavement width.


Site:
Residential House
Owner:

Address:
NE Portland
Contact:

 

Comments:
Shared driveways are common throughout Portland. They reduce paving costs, minimize impervious surfaces, and increase yard space.


Site:
Residential House
Owner:

Address:
NE Portland
Contact:

 

Comments:
Shared driveways are common throughout Portland. They reduce paving costs, minimize impervious surfaces, and increase yard space.



Site:
Residential House
Owner:

Address:
SW Portland
Contact:

 

Comments:
Many driveways in rural areas utilize gravel and grass together for a low cost but effective driveway that is able to infiltrate most rainfall.