Environment and Waterways

The Town of River Bend is fortunate to be the steward of an extraordinary natural environment. Our commitment to this stewardship is evidenced by our continuing maintenance of the mile-long Plantation Canal and the wetlands to which it is connected.

The Town of River Bend is also committed to the appropriate use of energy and to conserving resources through recycling. Click on the link to the right to view the Town’s strategic energy plan.

We also remain committed to encouraging the responsible management of stormwater. Our ordinances requiring grassy swales, as opposed to the traditional curb and gutter, helps to clean stormwater as it travels to the receiving streams.

Our ordinances also encourage developers to use “Low Impact Development.” Low Impact Development, as defined in our ordinance is:  a design strategy with the goal of maintaining or replicating the pre-development hydrologic regime through the use of design techniques to create a functionally equivalent hydrologic site design.  Hydrologic functions of storage, infiltration and ground water recharge, as well as the volume and frequency of discharges are maintained through the use of integrated and distributed micro-scale stormwater retention and detention areas, reduction of impervious surfaces, and the lengthening of run-off flow paths and flow time. Other strategies include the preservation/protection of environmentally sensitive site features such as riparian buffers, wetlands, steep slopes, valuable (mature) trees, floodplains, woodlands, and highly permeable soils.

Of course, we also encourage existing homeowners to consider retrofitting their properties to enhance the treatment and management of stormwater. We have some information at Town Hall, and would be happy to point you to other sources as well.