FOREST COVER,IMPERVIOUS‐SURFACE AREA,AND THE MITIGATION OF STORMWATER IMPACTS1

ABSTRACT: For 20 years, King County, Washington, has implemented progressively more demanding structural and nonstructural strategies in an attempt to protect aquatic resources and declining salmon populations from the cumulative effects of urbanization. This history holds lessons for planners, engineers, and resource managers throughout other urbanizing regions. Detention ponds, even with increasingly restrictive designs, have still proven inadequate to prevent channel erosion. Costly structural retrofits of urbanized watersheds can mitigate certain problems, such as flooding or erosion, but cannot restore the predevelopment flow regime or habitat conditions. Widespread conversion of forest to pasture or grass in rural areas, generally unregulated by most jurisdictions, degrades aquatic systems even when watershed imperviousness remains low. Preservation of aquatic resources in developing areas will require integrated mitigation, which must including impervious‐surface limits, forest‐retention policies, stormwater detention, riparian‐buffer maintenance, and protection of wetlands and unstable slopes. New management goals are needed for those watersheds whose existing development precludes significant ecosystem recovery; the same goals cannot be achieved in both developed and undeveloped watersheds.     

Fecal Coliform Export From Four Coastal North Carolina Areas1

Abstract: Fecal coliform (FC) bacteria in coastal waters impair the use of these waters for shellfish harvesting and recreation. This study was designed to quantify and compare FC levels and export in two coastal watersheds with different land uses. Continuous monitoring of rainfall and discharge at three sites in the Jumping Run Creek watershed and one site in the Pettiford Creek watershed were conducted during a 4.5‐year period. Primary land use in the drainage area of one of the three Jumping Run Creek sites is low density industrial, while the other two are residential. Land use in the Pettiford Creek watershed is managed national forest. Nonstorm or base‐flow grab and flow‐proportional storm‐event samples were collected and analyzed for turbidity, conductivity, suspended sediment, nitrogen, phosphorus, and FC. Geometric mean FC levels for the Jumping Run Creek monitoring sites ranged from 593 to 2,096 mpn/100 ml, while the mean level at the Pettiford Creek site was 191 mpn/100 ml. Levels of most other parameters were greater in storm discharge from the Jumping Run Creek sites as compared to Pettiford Creek indicating that pollutant export from a watershed increases with development. Statistical analysis of the monitoring data suggested that FC levels in stormwater samples consistently increased with storm rainfall, but were not consistently correlated with any other parameter, including total suspended solids. Multivariate analysis indicated that the weekly FC export for each of the four sites was lowest during the December‐February quarter. Export was highest during the spring and summer at the Jumping Run Creek sites, while for the Pettiford Creek site, FC export was highest during September‐November. The cause of the seasonal variability was unknown but was thought to be associated with human activity in the watersheds.     

Water-Quality Performance of a Constructed Stormwater Wetland for All Flow Conditions1

Wadzuk, Bridget M., Matthew Rea, Gregg Woodruff, Kelly Flynn, and Robert G. Traver, 2010. Water-Quality Performance of a Constructed Stormwater Wetland for All Flow Conditions. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(2):385-394. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2009.00408.x Abstract: Results from a multiyear study demonstrate that a constructed stormwater wetland (CSW) improves urban stormwater runoff quality mitigating downstream impacts. Best management practices, such as CSWs, can comprehensively treat the various scales of stormwater runoff issues. Discrete sample analysis was used to investigate the CSW effect for storm events and base-flow periods on water-quality parameters [i.e., total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, total nitrogen, phosphorous (total and reactive), chloride, heavy metals (zinc, lead, and copper), and Escherichia coli]. The primary finding was that stormwater sediment load was removed through the CSW for all flow conditions during all seasons. The mechanisms responsible for the removal of suspended solids, including slower flow velocity, longer retention times, and vegetative contact, also reduced the mass of nutrients discharged downstream throughout the year. Exceedance probabilities were used to evaluate the expected pollutant reductions of nutrients and to incorporate the effect of natural flow variation on quality. Other findings included the observation that there was no significant difference in the performance of the CSW over two-year-long periods four years apart, indicating that a CSW is effective for an extended period.     

Analyses of Urban Drainage Network Structure and its Impact on Hydrologic Response1

Meierdiercks, Katherine L., James A. Smith, Mary Lynn Baeck, and Andrew J. Miller, 2010. Analyses of Urban Drainage Network Structure and Its Impact on Hydrologic Response. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 1-12. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00465.x Abstract: Urban flood studies have linked the severity of flooding to the percent imperviousness or land use classifications of a watershed, but relatively little attention has been given to the impact of urban drainage networks on hydrologic response. The drainage network, which can include storm pipes, surface channels, street gutters, and stormwater management ponds, is examined in the Dead Run watershed (14.3 km²). Comprehensive digital representations of the urban drainage network in Dead Run were developed and provide a key observational resource for analyses of urban drainage networks and their impact on hydrologic response. Analyses in this study focus on three headwater subbasins with drainage areas ranging from 1.3 to 1.9 km² and that exhibit striking contrasts in their patterns and history of development. It is shown that the drainage networks of the three subbasins, like natural river networks, exhibit characteristic structures and that these features play critical roles in determining urban hydrologic response. Hydrologic modeling analyses utilize the Environmental Protection Agency’s Stormwater Management Model (SWMM), which provides a flexible platform for examining the impacts of drainage network structure on hydrologic response. Results of SWMM modeling analyses suggest that drainage density and presence of stormwater ponds impact peak discharge more significantly in the Dead Run subbasins than the percent impervious or land use type of the subbasins.     

Assessing Impervious Surface Connectivity and Applications for Watershed Management1

Abstract: Although total impervious area (TIA) is often used as an indicator of urban disturbance, recent studies suggest that the subset of impervious surfaces that route stormwater runoff directly to streams via stormwater pipes, called directly connected impervious area (DCIA), may be a better predictor of stream ecosystem alteration. We evaluated the differences between TIA and DCIA in the Shepherd Creek catchment, a small (1.85‐km²), suburban basin in Cincinnati, Ohio. Imperviousness determinations were calculated based on publicly available geographic information system (GIS) data and parcel‐scale field assessments, and these direct assessments were compared to DCIA calculated from published, empirical relationships. Impervious and semi‐impervious area comprised 13.1% of the catchment area, with 56.3% of the impervious area connected. When summarized by subcatchments (0.26‐1.85 km²), TIA measured in the field (11‐23%) was considerably higher than that calculated from the National Land Cover Data Imperviousness Layer (7‐18%). In contrast, TIA calculated based on aerial photos was similar to TIA calculated from field assessments, thus indicating that photo interpretation may be adequate for catchment‐scale (>25 ha) TIA determinations. While these GIS data sources can be used to calculate TIA, on‐site assessments were necessary to accurately determine DCIA within residential parcels. There was a wide variation in percent connectivity across parcels, and, subsequently, DCIA was not accurately predicted from empirical relationships with TIA. We discuss applications of DCIA data that highlight the importance of parcel‐scale field assessments for managing suburban watersheds.     

Stormwater Runoff Quality and Quantity From Traditional and Low Impact Development Watersheds1

Abstract: The quality and quantity of residential stormwater runoff from a control, traditional, and low impact development (LID) watershed were compared in a paired watershed study. A traditional neighborhood was built using typical subdivision standards while a LID design was constructed with best management practices including grass swales, cluster housing, shared driveways, rain gardens, and a narrower pervious concrete‐paver road. Weekly, flow‐weighted, composite samples of stormwater were analyzed for nitrate + nitrite‐nitrogen (NO₃ + NO₂‐N), ammonia‐nitrogen (NH₃‐N), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total phosphorus (TP), and total suspended solids (TSS). Monthly composite samples were analyzed for total copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn). Mean weekly storm flow increased (600x) from the traditional watershed in the postconstruction period. Increased exports of TKN, NO₃ + NO₂‐N, NH₃‐N, TP, Cu, Zn, and TSS in runoff were associated with the increased storm flow. Postconstruction storm flow in the LID watershed was reduced by 42% while peak discharge did not change from preconstruction conditions. Exports were reduced from the LID watershed for NH₃‐N, TKN, Pb, and Zn, while TSS and TP exports increased.     

表面改性非烧结生态砖材料对模拟城市暴雨径流中低浓度磷的吸附特性

为了寻求城市暴雨后地表径流中低浓度磷的去除方法,考察了粉煤灰、活性炭、沸石等材料对低浓度磷的吸附特性,进而利用筛选出的吸附材料对河岸护坡砖表面进行改性,制成非烧结生态砖材料,系统地研究了吸附材料添加量、磷酸盐浓度、反应时间等对生态砖材料吸附磷酸盐效率的影响,并探究了紫花苜蓿对生态砖表面磷酸盐的吸收能力.结果表明:①在3种吸附材料中,粉煤灰对磷酸盐的吸附效果最佳,3 h内其对磷酸盐的去除率分别比沸石、活性炭提高了54%、67%.②当生态砖表面搭载36 mg/cm2粉煤灰时,生态砖材料表现出最佳的磷酸盐吸附性能,比未搭载粉煤灰的生态砖材料对磷酸盐的去除率提高了14%.③生态砖材料对磷酸盐的吸附符合Freundlich吸附等温方程和颗粒内扩散方程,其对磷酸盐的吸附机理是由颗粒内扩散起主导作用的物理吸附.④在缺磷胁迫环境下,紫花苜蓿根系分泌出的柠檬酸将生态砖表面的磷酸钙晶体溶解,进而将其吸收进植物体内,15 d对生态砖表面磷的脱附比例为38.40%±0.37%.研究显示,粉煤灰改性的非烧结生态砖材料对磷酸盐具有较好的吸附效果,并且吸附的磷酸盐能够被植物所吸收可实现生态砖材料的天然再生.      

Pollutant concentrations and pollution loads in stormwater runoff from different land uses in Chongqing

To investigate the distribution of pollutant concentrations and pollution loads in stormwater runoff in Chongqing,six typical land use types were selected and studied from August 2009 to September 2011.Statistical analysis on the distribution of pollutant concentrations in all water samples shows that pollutant concentrations fluctuate greatly in rainfall-runoff,and the concentrations of the same pollutant also vary greatly in different rainfall events.In addition,it indicates that the event mean concentrations (EMCs) of total suspended solids (TSS) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from urban traffic roads (UTR) are significantly higher than those from residential roads (RR),commercial areas (CA),concrete roofs (CR),tile roofs (TRoof),and campus catchment areas (CCA);and the EMCs of total phosphorus (TP) and NH3-N from UTR and CA are 2.35-5 and 3 times of the class-III standard values specified in the Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water (GB 3838-2002).The EMCs of Fe,Pb and Cd are also much higher than the class-III standard values.The analysis of pollution load producing coefficients (PLPC) reveals that the main pollution source of TSS,COD and TP is UTR.The analysis of correlations between rainfall factors and EMCs/PLPC indicates that rainfall duration is correlated with EMCs/PLPC of TSS for TRoof and TP for UTR,while rainfall intensity is correlated with EMCs/PLPC of TP for both CR and CCA.The results of this study provide a reference for better management of non-point source pollution in urban regions.     

天津城区道路雨水径流水质监测及污染特征分析

城市市区道路由于交通活动产生大量的重金属、无机阴离子、营养盐、有机污染物等,对受纳水体的水质造成很大破坏,并影响了水体的生态环境.通过对天津城区不同功能区(商业区、文教区和居住区)的道路降雨径流的30个水质指标进行监测分析,评估天津市区道路雨水径流的污染程度,进而分析天津市区降雨污染的基本特征.结果表明,不同功能区理化指标平均浓度的大小顺序为:商业区>居住区>文教区,天津市区道路雨水pH接近中性;金属离子中铅在3个功能区中均超标,在商业区、文教区和居住区中分别超标1.16、1.05和1.28倍,且天津市区重金属污染浓度与南京和澳门相近;无机阴离子并未超出地表水质量标准V类标准或集中式生活饮用水地表水源地补充项目标准限值.TN、TP、COD和BOD_5最大值分别严重超出国家地表水环境质量V类标准的2.5、2.0、10和50倍.挥发酚在3个功能区中均未超标,而阴离子表面活性剂在商业区、文教区和居住区分别超过地表水质量标准V类标准的37、17和6.3倍.     

Alternatives to biodiversity offsets for mitigating the effects of urbanization on stream ecosystems

Globally, offset schemes have emerged in many statutory frameworks relating to development activities, with the aim of balancing biodiversity conservation and development. Although the theory and use of biodiversity offsets in terrestrial environments is broadly documented, little attention has been paid to offsets in stream ecosystems. Here we examine the application of offset schemes to stream ecosystems and explore whether they suffer similar shortcomings to those of offset schemes focused on terrestrial biodiversity. To challenge the applicability of offsets further, we discuss typical trajectories of urban expansion and their cascading physical, chemical and biological impacts on stream ecosystems. We argue that the highly connected nature of stream ecosystems and urban drainage networks can transfer impacts of urbanization across wide areas, complicating the notion of like‐for‐like exchange and the prospect of effectively mitigating biodiversity loss. Instead, we identify in‐catchment options for stormwater control, which can avoid or minimize the impacts of development on downstream ecosystems, while presenting additional public and private benefits. We describe the underlying principles of these alternatives, some of the challenges associated with their uptake, and policy initiatives being trialed to facilitate adoption. In conclusion, we argue that stronger policies to avoid and minimize the impacts of urbanization provide better prospects for protecting downstream ecosystems, and can additionally, stimulate economic opportunities and improve urban liveability.