Stormwater, Flooding

& Green Infrastructure

Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve

Chesterton, Indiana
Katie Rizer
Executive Director
COFFEE CREEK WATERSHED
CONSERVANCY, INC.

The mission of the Coffee Creek Watershed

Conservancy, Inc. is to identify, maintain, and
enhance the remnant biodiversity of the Coffee
Creek Watershed Preserve while providing
educational and recreational experiences for all.

501(c)(3)
157 Acre Nature Preserve
5 Miles of Trails
Pavilion & Amphitheater
25 Management Units
Really cool Stormwater BMP's
 Coffee Creek Master Plan

640 acres
3 Million sq ft of Commercial Space
2,000 Home sites
Sprawl vs Smart Growth
 2016

Coffee Creek
Center
Live * Work * Play
1996
 Coffee Creek Watershed
Preserve Role
• Restoration

• Recreation

• Quality of Life

• Connectivity

• Stormwater Management

Level Spreader System 2016

 "Coffee Creek Center is creating a
stormwater system that integrates
The community and the community's
Stormwater." 1996 Master Plan

Burbank, Illinois 1982

 GRAY
INFRASTRUCTURE

• single-purpose
• conventional piped
drainage and water
treatment systems
• moves urban stormwater
away from the built
environment
 Drinking water
Starts HERE

Lake Michigan
Starts HERE
 GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

• is a cost-effective, resilient
approach to managing wet
weather impacts that provides
many community benefits.
• reduces and treats stormwater
at its source while delivering
environmental, social, and
economic benefits.
• multi-purpose
• Quality of Life
• Connectivity
Restoration
Recreation
Stormwater & Recreation
1980’s
Level Spreaders
Level Spreader Video
Level Spreaders 2018
Pervious Pavers
Green Roofed
Restroom
Constructed Wetland Cell
 LID at CCWP
Easy as 1,2,3
PRESERVE AND PROTECT
THE COFFEE CREEK WATERSHED PRESERVE
Best Management Practices (BMP's) is a term used to describe a type of water pollution control. Stormwater BMPs are
techniques, measures or structural controls used to manage the quantity and improve the quality of stormwater runoff.
The goal is to reduce or eliminate the contaminants collected by stormwater as it moves into streams and rivers.
Low Impact Development (LID) includes a variety of practices that mimic or preserve natural drainage processes to
manage stormwater. L IDE practices typically retain rainwater and encourage it to soak into the ground rather than
allowing it to run off into ditches and storm drains where it would otherwise contribute to flooding and pollution
problems.
Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve - The 157-acre Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve is the focal point of Coffee Creek
Center and the greater Chesterton community. The Preserve encompasses over 5 miles of mixed-use trails, the beautiful
Chesterton Amphitheater, a 3,300 square foot Pavilion, and one-mile of Lake Michigan tributary, Coffee Creek

Low Impact Development Tools & Techniques

• Rain Gardens
• Grassed Swales
• Green Parking Design
• Permeable Pavement
• Permeable Pavers
• Rain Barrels & Cisterns
• Riparian Buffers
• Vegetated Roofs
• Tree Boxes
• Level Spreader System
• Storm Water Separator
• Hydrodynamic Separator
• Wet Bottom Detention Basin
• Dry Bottom Detention Basin
• Wetland System
• Bioretention Pond
• Underground Stormwater Chamber
• Native Plant landscaping
 Urschel
Laboratories
2013
8 1/2 Acre Building
350,000 sq ft Building
158 Acre Site
1/3 of CCC
Relationship vs Regulation
 Eagle
Crossing
At Coffee
Creek

Relationship vs. Regulation

 Mainstreet
Symphony of Chesterton

Relationship vs. Regulation

Homeowners
(Stakeholders)

Relationship vs. Regulation

Stormwater Management
 Proof Positive of
Successful Stormwater
Management

Natural reproduction in Coffee Creek

Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve
Chesterton, Indiana
Katie Rizer
Executive Director