What is the intended outcome of stormwater management practices?

The intended outcome of stormwater management practices is to prevent flooding and protect water quality. Stormwater management involves strategies and techniques designed to control the quantity and quality of stormwater runoff. When it rains, excess water can accumulate, leading to flooding, especially in urban areas where impervious surfaces prevent natural absorption into the soil. By effectively managing stormwater, communities can mitigate these flood risks, ensuring public safety and reducing damage to property.

Additionally, stormwater often collects pollutants from the surfaces it flows over, including roads, buildings, and other urban infrastructure. These pollutants can then enter local waterways, negatively impacting water quality and aquatic ecosystems. Thus, stormwater management practices include implementing systems such as retention basins, green roofs, permeable pavements, and vegetative swales that help filter pollutants and manage runoff effectively.

In contrast, channeling stormwater into reservoirs may not address the immediate flooding risks or water quality issues created by stormwater runoff. Improving agricultural irrigation, while beneficial, is not the primary aim of stormwater management, which focuses more on urban environments. Supporting industrial growth is usually not a direct goal of stormwater management; instead, it prioritizes environmental protection and public safety.