City presents green stormwater program and neighborhood rain-garden pilots

Zoe Isacson, the city's river and watershed manager, told the Quality of Life Committee that the city is prioritizing nature-based stormwater solutions to improve water quality, reduce erosion and increase infiltration into local aquifers. "All water in our watershed drains to the Santa Fe River either above or below ground," Isacson said, framing the city's obligations under its MS4 permit and the goals of the Alama Rain Garden Program.

Isacson described a mix of interventions the city is using: small rain gardens, larger infiltration galleries at parks, residential outreach and a new Runoff to Roots program that pairs city staff with neighborhoods to design curb cuts, rain gardens and maintenance agreements. She noted the Sycamore rain garden at Alto Park manages "up to 100,000 gallons of water a year," and said the city is updating older site maps to prioritize new builds.

Consultant Reese Baker of The Rain Catcher detailed field pilots, including a Seringo Road experiment that installed five unattended rain gardens to compare soil moisture and vegetation without planting or soil amendments. "At six inches in the rain garden in comparison to the standard roadside verge, we are keeping the soil moisture at above 20% whereas the regular verge is at 7%," Baker said, citing early data that he said will be analyzed over the coming year. He also cited a local soil study coordinated with Sandia Labs that found widespread contaminants in retention basins and described work to harness microbial and fungal processes to improve infiltration and pollutant breakdown.

Councilors pressed for practical next steps. Counselor Cassett asked how residents, HOAs and councils can identify sites; Isacson said the city will launch a program website and has prepared standard specifications to reduce barriers for private-property implementations and to enable maintenance agreements to keep installations functioning. Councilors also tied the work to the city's Trees Smart Santa Fe initiative: data from pilots, Isacson said, will inform "right tree, right place" decisions and expand what the city considers suitable planting sites.

Presenters said Midtown redevelopment already incorporates green stormwater infrastructure, with permeable pavements and on-site retention designed so "every drop of water that falls during a 100-year 24-hour storm event stays on site," and that two parks under design will highlight royo features, pollinator gardens and native species. Isacson and Baker asked the public and neighborhood groups to contact the department to nominate sites and participate in maintenance partnerships.

The presentation concluded with councilors encouraging coordination with schools, medians and other city projects; presenters said outreach and curriculum pilots are already underway with local schools and colleges and that the city has published a 140-page Green Stormwater Infrastructure manual for Santa Fe County.