It’s officially summer here in the Northern Hemisphere, although it’s looking to be an odd one, what with the ongoing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic; physical distancing still being encouraged or even mandated; and many of the usual summer activities like festivals, concerts, and going to the movies canceled. Many people will continue to work from home through the summer months; I will, and while I’m grateful to have the ability to work from home, I’ll be sorely missing the climate control of my office.

Even though this summer will be a little unusual, the stories we’ve brought you in this issue of Stormwater feel particularly summery.

First up, some sunshine. In “Growing in the Sun” (pg. 10), we look at the challenges of establishing vegetation and controlling erosion on solar sites in the “Transition Zone”—an area of the US that is both cool and warm, arid and humid, depending on the time of year.

For even more heat, check out “Solving a Desert Deluge” (pg. 16). Most of Qatar’s area is flat, low-lying desert—not exactly where you might imagine needing to deal with large volumes of stormwater. But when it does rain, it often drops huge volumes in a short period of time which can cause serious flooding. To address this, massive stormwater capture vaults were installed underground.

Speaking of rain, summer is also when hurricane season begins for many parts of the US. In "Channeling Resilience” (pg. 8), we outline ways natural channel design can deliver both restoration and resilience in the face of increasingly severe and frequent rain events.

Finally, don’t miss this issue’s Q&A, “Modern Monitoring,” on page 23. We reached out to a number of experts to look at the current state of stormwater monitoring, what they see in the future, and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although a lot has changed in the last few months, the job of the stormwater or erosion control specialist has not. Every professional I’ve spoken to has reiterated that while operations might look a little different this summer, their mission to preserve water quality and stabilize soil remains constant. The same is true for Stormwater’s mission—we’ll continue to provide the quality content you have come to expect, albeit from our kitchen tables rather than our offices.