Urban Water Movement

Urban Water Movement. Black's Run - And Its Importance To Harrisonburg's Past, Present, and Future. , In the Natural World , In forests and meadows, about 80-percent of rain and melted snow soaks into the ground. Roots, soil, and rocks filter impurities, and then the water joins underground reservoirs. Only during heavy rains or rapid snow melts does water run across the surface to get to a stream or river., In an Urban World , Urban environments have hard surfaces such as parking lots, roads, sidewalks, and roofs. Water cannot soak into these impervious surfaces, so gutters and storm drains move the water directly to streams. This water is not slowed or filtered, increasing the potential for flooding, erosion, and pollution. Streams and rivers then carry those pollutants downstream., Slow Down , Drainage plans with plantings that allow water to soak into the ground instead of being channeled directly to the stream create many benefits. The water is filtered by soil and foots, replenishing ground-water, before slowly entering streams. As you walk, look for how water moves in downtown Harrisonburg., (captions) , The Spring House: Groundwater feeds springs like the one marked by the Spring House at the southwest corner of Court Square., Liberty Park was once a parking lot that created an impervious surface. The lot was transformed into a pocket park with grass, pollinator flowers, shrubs, and trees., Follow this map for a 1.75-mile walk through downtown Harrisonburg along Blacks Run.