EPA Awards Water Quality Grant to Little Rock
By: John Kushmaul
Updated: July 8, 2012
The City of Little Rock has been awarded a $900,000 federal grant today by the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission to work on a water quality demonstration project.
The project will take place on Main Street.
Randy Young, the Executive Director of the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, said, "This project has the potential to "set the bar" in the approach to managing runoff in urban areas by utilizing proactive environmentally sound practices and techniques that are aesthetically pleasing."
This is the first such project of its magnitude and diversity that has been funded in the Central Arkansas area.
The project will include work in the 100, 200 and 500 blocks of Main Street to demonstrate the benefits of green infrastructure applications.
There will be porous pavers, tree wells, rain gardens and other water filtration practices to enhance water quality.
The goal is to restore some hydrologic connection within the urban environment while educating the community about such techniques and their benefits.
