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Tool

Storm Water Management Model (SWMM)

Urban planners and landscape designers use this downloadable program to simulate the quality and quantity of rainfall over urban and suburban areas. The model can be used for planning, analysis, and design related to stormwater runoff, combined and sanitary sewers, and other drainage systems in urban areas. SWMM can also model the hydrologic performance of specific types of low-impact development (LID) controls such as

  • Permeable pavement
  • Rain gardens
  • Green roofs
  • Street planters
  • Rain barrels
  • Infiltration trenches
  • Vegetative swales

Details

Hazards
Flooding – General
Flooding – Rainfall-induced
Assets
Natural Areas and Wildlife
Property
Water Infrastructure – Stormwater
Sources
EPA—U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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Steps Addressed

Get Started
Understand Exposure
Assess Vulnerability & Risk
Investigate Options
Prioritize & Plan
Take Action

Related Case Studies & Action Plans

  • The lighthouse at Agate Bay, Two Harbors, Minnesota. By Lorie Shaull, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/, via Wikimedia Commons

    • Two Harbors: Investments in Green Infrastructure Pay Off

  • Joseph Brody. Public domain, via Wikipedia

    • Watershed Protection Organizations Serve as Catalysts for Adaptation Planning

  • CGP Grey, http://www.cgpgrey.com. CC BY 2.0, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    • Students Design Low-Impact Landscape to Reduce Stormwater Runoff

  • Still image from video "Tools for Flood Resilience: Lessons from Fort Collins." Video footage: Kurt Mann.

    • Planning for the Future in a Floodplain
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