JMU has grown from less than 45 acres in 1908 to nearly 800 acres today. To support our student population of over 20,000 students and facilitate the daily activities of campus life, FM is responsible for snow removal, turf and landscape management, arboriculture, sports and recreation field maintenance, and stormwater quality and quantity management on an everyday basis. We aim to consistently meet our commitment to sustainability through best management practices—as such, FM has undertaken a breadth of supplemental projects that improve our performance and reduce the environmental impact of campus. These projects are categorized and outlined below:
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Plan
An Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan is in place to help maintain an environmental-friendly campus. The goal is to make the grass healthy in order to reduce the amount of chemicals used on campus. The pest management program goal is to control infestation first before treating for pests.
Nutrient Management Plan (NMP)
The Landscaping Nutrient Management plan regulates the rates and frequencies at which nutrients are applied to the grounds so as to minimize our overall impact on stormwater quality and reduce our contribution to Bay pollution. For more information on the Chesapeake Bay and the impact of stormwater management techniques at JMU, visit the stormwater management page.
Stream Restoration Projects
We know the impact of our activities on the Chesapeake Bay is large—our stream restoration projects, supported in large part through grant funding, not only reduce impact and improve the quality of the water flowing into the Chesapeake Bay, but also protect the natural vegetation and wildlife local to our campus. Currently, we have completed several successful stream restoration projects that restored 3,700 linear feet of stream channel on campus. Facilities Management is also responsible for the installation and maintenance of several rain gardens throughout campus to help filter water and decrease run-off into our watersheds.
JMU's Stormwater BMPs are as follows:
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- 14 Detention Basins, 2 of which are underground
- 1 Retention Basin
- 34 Bio-Retention Filters (Rain Gardens)
- 1 Green roof with an additional green roof display between Warren Hall and Taylor Hall
- 11 Hydrodynamic Separators
- 1 underground infiltration practice
- 1 oil/water separator
- 1 rainwater harvester
- 1 sand filter
- 12 storm filter units
- 11 “tree in a box” units (1 plant rain garden inside a drop inlet)
Planting
Facilities Management continuously seeks out areas on campus where annual planting can be reduced and natural vegetation can be incorporated to help reduce the water and manpower needed to effectively run our operations. In addition to these efforts, FM hopes to increase the percentage of sod, mulch, and plant material produced in-house to lower costs and more efficiently utilize our resources.
Irrigation
JMU has recently updated its irrigation system to track and conserve water used for landscape maintenance. Our new water management system incorporates innovative sprinkler nozzles that deploy precise, wind-resistant, and low-flow spray patterns with flow sensors to track water usage and allow for quick detention and response to pipe breaks. Using this system, FM is able to manage controllers over a range of selected irrigation zones from one location. In addition to our new water management system and products, we have also located alternative water harvesting methods, such as collecting water from Newman Lake to use for irrigation and to prevent flooding.
Helpful Links
Want to learn more about our sustainability efforts across campus and what you can do to participate? View our Environmental Stewardship Tour.
