Evaluating the efficacy of distributed detention structures to reduce downstream flooding under variable rainfall, antecedent soil, and structural storage conditions

Thomas, Nicholas W.; Amado, Antonio Arenas; Schilling, Keith E.; Weber, Larry

doi:10.1016/j.advwatres.2016.07.002

Cited by 23 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…The RGSM platforms were a part of a monitoring plan to measure hydrologic processes deemed important in flood‐producing events. The stations were installed in watersheds selected for detailed hydrologic modeling and project implementation as part of the Iowa Watersheds Project (Thomas et al, 2016).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inverse Modeling of Soil Hydraulic Properties in a Two‐Layer System and Comparisons with Measured Soil Conditions

Thomas

Schilling

Amado

et al. 2017

Vadose Zone Journal

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Core Ideas Soil hydraulic properties were inverse modeled to in situ soil water content. The most appropriate soil property depths were identified. Best‐fit soil parameter depths compared well with characterized soil stratigraphy. Site‐specific monitoring and subsurface boundary conditions improved performance. Modeling of spatial and vertical variability in soil hydraulic properties is a pervasive dilemma in computational hydrology. In an effort to provide guidance in inverse modeling of soil hydraulic properties, this study (i) calibrated soil hydraulic properties, for different soil layer depths, to measured soil moisture, (ii) identified the best‐suited soil thickness through validation, and (iii) post‐validated the resulting best‐fit soil properties and layer depth to the observed soil stratigraphic conditions. Soil property depths were varied to identify the most important stratigraphic features in soil water modeling. Statistical and graphic goodness‐of‐fit measures indicated that calibration and validation simulations performed better at shallow depths and generally worsened with depth. A comparison of differences in modeled soil layering at two field sites reflected differences in the observed soil stratigraphic conditions. Comparison with in situ soil stratigraphy indicated the importance of soil horizon changes and human‐induced alterations to the near‐surface soils. These results indicate that soil moisture dynamics can be effectively modeled using basic soil input data and inverse methods. However, to improve model performance, a site‐specific field monitoring campaign is needed to properly account for the effects of soil stratigraphy and boundary conditions.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inverse Modeling of Soil Hydraulic Properties in a Two‐Layer System and Comparisons with Measured Soil Conditions

Thomas

Schilling

Amado

et al. 2017

Vadose Zone Journal

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“…The average annual wetland NO3-N removal predicted with temperature dependent kinetics from the integrated watershed simulations was 4 kg ha -1 yr -1 based on watershed area (50 g m -2 wetland yr -1 ) during the 4-yr study period, corresponding to an average annual percent removal of 10%, but revisions to several components of the hydrologic and water quality models are necessary to improve these initial estimates. with the physically-based hydrologic model HydroGeoSphere (Thomas et al, 2016). Hydrologic simulations ran with variable synthetic design storm rainfall totals, antecedent moisture conditions, and initial project storage conditions indicated that the nine flood detention structures could reduce peak discharges at the BCW outlet by 3-17%.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As part of the Iowa Watersheds Project (IWP), six dual purpose flood mitigation and nutrient removal wetlands costing $1.5 million were built in the agricultural Beaver Creek Watershed (BCW) in north central Iowa in the summers of 2015 and 2016. The flood reduction impacts of the six wetlands were previously evaluated on an event basis for different design storm return periods (Thomas et al, 2016). The purpose of this study was to expand upon these initial efforts to evaluate the six IWP wetlands for flow and NO3-N reduction under variable hydrologic conditions using continuous watershed simulations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Wetlands provide various environmental and societal benefits including habitat for plants, wildlife, and fish, recreation, flood control, carbon sequestration, and the improvement of water quality (Crumpton, 2001;Zedler, 2003;Mitsch et al, 2014;Thomas et al, 2016). In the U.S. Midwest and other agriculturally intensive areas, wetlands are a particularly important conservation practice for nutrient retention to lessen the environmental impacts associated with nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) loss in tile drainage (Baker et al, 1975;Crumpton and Goldsborough, 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A study of nitrogen fate and transport in agricultural landscapes at the field, wetland, and watershed scales

Drake¹

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“…A similar study performed byThomas et al (2016) using HydroGeosphere investigated the effects of nine retention basins on a considerably smaller basin of 45 square kilometers and saw peak flow reductions of 3 to 17% Babbar-Sebens et al (2013). specifically modeled wetlands using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool 2005 and showed peak reductions of up to 14.6%.…”

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confidence: 99%

Modeling of conservation practices on a HUC-12 watershed scale using Hydrological Simulation Program -- FORTRAN

Geimer¹

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSMy thanks go out to Dr. Allen Bradley for his patience and tutelage. What I have learned from you has helped me be successful at Iowa and will continue to do so in the future. I would also like to thank Dr. Larry Weber for giving me the opportunity to come to Iowa and be a part of IIHR and Dr. Antonio Arenas Amado for working with and guiding me on a range of topics over the past two years.To my family, for helping me realize my aspiration of going to graduate school, your support is always appreciated and never taken for granted. To the friends I made while here, especially Chad Drake and Trevor Rundhaug for being close colleagues throughout the past two years, my time at Iowa would not have been the same without you. To everyone I met and worked with at IIHR, I cannot imagine a more welcoming place and have thoroughly enjoyed my time here.ii ABSTRACT Conservation practices are frequently used to try and restore the natural resilience of the landscape to retain water, decrease nutrient loads, and mitigate flooding. Quantifying the potential benefits of conservation practices can inform stakeholders and improve the effectiveness of watershed planning. To this end, an existing Hydrological Simulation Program -FORTRAN (HSPF) model of the English River was enhanced to enable detailed modeling of conservation practices. Using site-specific nutrient removal wetlands and water and sediment control basins (WAS-COBs) derived from the Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework (ACPF) two 12-digit hydrologic unit code (HUC-12) watersheds within the English River, Headwaters North English River and Gritter Creek, were selected for modeling. Wetlands drain much larger areas than ponds that currently exist in the two watersheds. Average flood peak reductions are over 50% near the wetland sites, and diminish moving downstream to a few percent or less at the watershed outlets. Many WASCOBs exist in the two watersheds, but WASCOB use is minimal in other areas of the state.WASCOBs provide slightly more flood storage than ACPF wetlands but the storage isy distributed throughout the watershed. As a result the simulations show that the peak reduction is greater than for wetlands at many locations.iii PUBLIC ABSTRACTConservation practices are frequently used to try and restore the natural resilience of the landscape to retain water, decrease nutrient loads, and mitigate flooding. Quantifying the potential benefits of conservation practices can inform stakeholders and improve the effectiveness of watershed planning. To this end, an existing Hydrological Simulation Program -FORTRAN (HSPF) model of the English River was enhanced to enable detailed modeling of conservation practices. Using site-specific nutrient removal wetlands and water and sediment control basins (WAS-COBs) derived from the Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework (ACPF) two 12-digit hydrologic unit code (HUC-12) watersheds within the English River, Headwaters North English River and Gritter Creek, were selected for modeling. Wetlands drain much ...

show abstract

Evaluating the efficacy of distributed detention structures to reduce downstream flooding under variable rainfall, antecedent soil, and structural storage conditions

Cited by 23 publications

References 77 publications

Inverse Modeling of Soil Hydraulic Properties in a Two‐Layer System and Comparisons with Measured Soil Conditions

Inverse Modeling of Soil Hydraulic Properties in a Two‐Layer System and Comparisons with Measured Soil Conditions

A study of nitrogen fate and transport in agricultural landscapes at the field, wetland, and watershed scales

Modeling of conservation practices on a HUC-12 watershed scale using Hydrological Simulation Program -- FORTRAN

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