Improving Hydrologic Sustainability of Texas A&M University Campus

Abstract

This research investigates the hydrologic sustainability of urban development and stormwater management for a watershed on the Texas A&M campus. The main Texas A&M campus has become increasingly urbanized, resulting in areas of imperviousness that generate higher rates of runoff. This growth has proceeded unchecked, and significant growth and development are planned for the future. Both increased rates of runoff from previous development and the impact of anticipated development should be addressed through mitigation efforts. This research provides a means to assess watershed health through biological indicators, water quality indicators, riparian ecosystems, the floodplain footprint, and the long term flow regime. A modeling framework is implemented to couple hydrologic and hydraulics models to simulate a set of watershed management plans that employ alternative best management practices. Development plans will be evaluated based on a set of comprehensive metrics that synthesize ecological, hydrologic, and environmental aspects of watershed health. The selection of management plans based on these metrics will enhance the environmental sustainability of further campus development.