Magna Centre Low impact Development Project
Project Description
The western entrance of the Magna Centre Parking lot received a low impact development (LID) makeover. Prior to the retrofit, stormwater from the western paved entrance flowed unfiltered into the stormwater management pond adjacent to the driveway and eventually into Bogart Creek. This was a concern because unfiltered stormwater carries pollutants and contaminants into our creeks and streams and eventually into Lake Simcoe.
We partnered with the Town of Newmarket to construct a series of low impact development features along the side of the entranceway. These features capture, filter and infiltrate runoff from the driveway and adjacent areas while further naturalizing the entranceway.
What low impact development (LID) features were installed? 
All five low impact development features installed are grass swales with drain inlets (cuts in the concrete curb) that direct the rainwater away from catch basins and into the swales.
Once the water goes into the swale, it's directed down into a perforated piping system, which is surrounded by a layer of clear free draining stone. The clear stone can store substantial amounts of water, which is helpful during large storm events, until it slowly drains through the native soils below, promoting both filtration and infiltration into the ground.
To complete the feature, instead of using sod, we've used a native seed mix along with a recycled organic material called Terraseed to enhance pollinator habitat and increase biodiversity.
