Rivers and streams flow across the boundaries of 52 communities before reaching New Hampshire ’s Great Bay. As they travel through each community, they collect pollution from stormwater runoff and deliver it to the bay, where its impact is already evident in declining fisheries and the increase of invasive algae. With development on the rise, the regional climate in flux, and regulatory pressure to address water quality mounting, more effective stormwater management has become a top priority for decision makers. In response, the Great Bay Reserve worked with the University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center and other partners to help New Hampshire communities adopt “green infrastructure ” techniques.

This factsheet, compiled by the 2012 Collaborative Research project team, describes the advantages of incorporating climate change projections into the design of stormwater management systems and discusses the benefits of using green infrastructure and low impact development to adapt to climate change.