making science ‘real’
UGA-Griffin’s new Green Stormwater Demonstration Site offers solutions to urban water challenge
For 138 years, the University of Georgia’s Griffin campus has been rooted in the mission of improving agriculture and the environment in Georgia.
Today, that mission is tackling one of the most pressing infrastructure challenges of the modern era: how we manage our water.
To address the mounting impacts of urban stormwater runoff, the Center for Urban Agriculture has installed the Green Stormwater Demonstration Site and launched a nine-stop walking tour at the UGA-Griffin Research and Education Garden, transforming technical stormwater science into an accessible, hands-on educational experience.
Understanding the basics
What is stormwater?
Every rainfall sets stormwater in motion. In natural landscapes, most of it slowly filters into the soil. In developed communities, it hits impervious surfaces, like roads and roofs, instantly transforming into high-velocity runoff that sweeps up contaminants on its way to local streams through drainage systems.
What are green practices?
Green practices, often called green stormwater infrastructure, use nature-based systems to mimic natural hydrology. Instead of rushing water through concrete pipes, these systems use plants, soil, and stone media to capture, filter and slowly return water back into the ground.
A needed niche
UGA Cooperative Extension water agents Martin Wunderly and Rolando Orellana work with Extension agents, landscape professionals, engineers and local communities across Georgia to promote research-based approaches to urban water management. Through statewide trainings and technical guidance, they help professionals incorporate green infrastructure practices that mimic natural systems to reduce runoff and improve water quality.
They recognized a need for a place where those practices could be seen firsthand.
With support from Orkin Distinguished Professor in Urban Entomology Dan Suiter, who served as interim director of the Center for Urban Agriculture and secured matching funding for the project, Wunderly and Orellana began developing the Green Stormwater Demonstration Site.
While Wunderly designed the project, met with engineers and UGA leadership, and completed up-front applications, Orellana focused on logistics — from on-site execution to working with contractors who donated plant materials and provided expert installation.
Wunderly said the demo site filled a needed niche in Georgia. “There is nothing like it in the entire state that covers such in-depth practices,” he emphasized.
Nine stops
The demonstration site highlights nine distinct green infrastructure practices through a self-guided tour. The tour includes features such as a green roof display, rain barrels, permeable paver blocks, bioswales and a dry well. Rather than static exhibits, the features show practical, engineered solutions operating in real time.
Each stop features QR codes that link directly to urbanstorm.org, providing visitors with technical design specifications and “try it yourself” guides for residents to implement these solutions in their own backyards or for landscape professionals and local governments to adapt these practices in their own communities.
Strides in sustainability
In addition, the site represents a larger collaboration between UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) and the urban water and landscaping industries to promote educational efforts around water conservation and sustainability. Moreover, it affirms the college’s commitment to environmental conservation and aligns with related efforts, such as the Georgia Green Landscape Stewards program.
Georgia’s rapid population growth is reshaping the landscape, placing greater emphasis on how communities manage stormwater. As development expands, integrating green infrastructure into new and existing communities can help reduce flooding and build long-term resilience.
“Water conservation and stewardship are fundamental to our economic well-being and effective management of our state’s natural resources,” said Michael Toews, associate dean for Extension at CAES.
A land-grant legacy
This practical translation of science-based research is at the heart of UGA’s land-grant identity.
“Our role as a land-grant is to take our research and turn it into something people can apply to their day-to-day work, whether that’s as a homeowner, a city planner, or someone working in the landscaping or construction industries,” said CAES Dean and Director Nick T. Place. “It’s not just something to look at today; it’s something people can learn from and take back to their own communities.”
Praising the time, effort and collaboration necessary to develop the site, Place said that by modeling these customized, site-specific solutions, UGA is helping engineers and residents select the right tools for their local terrain.
“This demonstration site takes something that can feel technical and makes it real. We’ll be able to bring in industry partners, landscape professionals and members of the public to actually show what water efficiency and responsible water use are,” he said.
“We all share the same goal, and that is protecting water quality and helping communities grow in a sustainable way,” said Place. “This project reflects that shared commitment.”
To learn more about each of the nine practices at the UGA Green Stormwater Demonstration Site, visit urbanstorm.org.
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