Surface water run-off can be very dangerous for the land and water around the impervious surface (such as the parking lot). The problem with an impervious surface is that it does not have any of the natural filters, such as grass, leaves, and soil, that soak up and slow down the passage of water. When water builds up in/on an impervious surface, the runoff will be a huge amount of water hitting the ground very quickly. This can "scar" the earth, pushing the natural filters out of the way and causing bad erosion. Another danger is that as this water moves along the ground tearing up layers of top-soil, it becomes contaminated with pesticides, chemicals, and other things that were in the soil. This turbidity is a big problem, since the water will drain eventually in to another source of water, like the Ocmulgee River, and will contaminate it. This can lead to health dangers for the plants, fish, and other organisms, as well as for the people who eat those fish or play in the water itself.
(The above picture has Willet Science Center's parking lot traced in a white line)
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