Stormwater runoff to an impaired lake: impacts and solutions

Steinman, Alan D.; Isely, Elaine Sterrett; Thompson, Kurt

doi:10.1007/s10661-015-4776-z

Cited by 17 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Results from the majority of studies suggest that implementation of SCMs reduces mass export of dissolved (e.g., soluble reactive phosphorus [SRP] and nitrate) and particulate (e.g., total suspended solids and total phosphorus) pollutants and that the primary mechanism underlying these patterns is hydrological rather than biogeochemical (Table ). Monitoring SCM implementation over time at the watershed scale, for both detention‐ and infiltration‐based networks, shows that pollutant load reductions are frequently tied to reductions in run‐off generation (Ahiablame et al, ; Dietz & Clausen, ; Hale et al, ; Selbig & Bannerman, ; Steinman et al, ). For example, Bedan and Clausen () observed significant reductions to peak discharge and total flow volume in an LID watershed, which translated to load reductions for nitrate (NO 3 − ) and total Kjedahl nitrogen, compared to a watershed with no SCMs.…”

Section: Results Of Existing Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When distributed rain gardens at the household level were added to the simulation, little further reductions were observed. Models have also been used to optimize pollutant removal and cost (Liu, Chen & Peng, 2015) and to determine most acceptable areas for siting of SCMs based on biophysical and societal constraints (Lee et al, 2012;Martin-Mikle et al, 2015;Steinman et al, 2015).…”

Section: Cumulative Effects Of Scms On Water Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Stormwater management network effectiveness and implications for urban watershed function: A critical review

Jefferson

Bhaskar

Hopkins

et al. 2017

Hydrological Processes

144

128

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Deleterious effects of urban stormwater are widely recognized. In several countries, regulations have been put into place to improve the conditions of receiving water bodies, but planning and engineering of stormwater control is typically carried out at smaller scales. Quantifying cumulative effectiveness of many stormwater control measures on a watershed scale is critical to understanding how small‐scale practices translate to urban river health. We review 100 empirical and modelling studies of stormwater management effectiveness at the watershed scale in diverse physiographic settings. Effects of networks with stormwater control measures (SCMs) that promote infiltration and harvest have been more intensively studied than have detention‐based SCM networks. Studies of peak flows and flow volumes are common, whereas baseflow, groundwater recharge, and evapotranspiration have received comparatively little attention. Export of nutrients and suspended sediments have been the primary water quality focus in the United States, whereas metals, particularly those associated with sediments, have received greater attention in Europe and Australia. Often, quantifying cumulative effects of stormwater management is complicated by needing to separate its signal from the signal of urbanization itself, innate watershed characteristics that lead to a range of hydrologic and water quality responses, and the varying functions of multiple types of SCMs. Biases in geographic distribution of study areas, and size and impervious surface cover of watersheds studied also limit our understanding of responses. We propose hysteretic trajectories for how watershed function responds to increasing imperviousness and stormwater management. Even where impervious area is treated with SCMs, watershed function may not be restored to its predevelopment condition because of the lack of treatment of all stormwater generated from impervious surfaces; non‐additive effects of individual SCMs; and persistence of urban effects beyond impervious surfaces. In most cases, pollutant load decreases largely result from run‐off reductions rather than lowered solute or particulate concentrations. Understanding interactions between natural and built landscapes, including stormwater management strategies, is critical for successfully managing detrimental impacts of stormwater at the watershed scale.

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Section: Results Of Existing Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Cumulative Effects Of Scms On Water Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Stormwater management network effectiveness and implications for urban watershed function: A critical review

Jefferson

Bhaskar

Hopkins

et al. 2017

Hydrological Processes

144

128

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…This study demonstrated that varying EMCs during calibration can improve model performance (Figures 5 and ; Table 2). Incorporating generic EMCs and treating them as a static input parameter is a common modeling practice (Steinman et al 2015; Fisher et al 2016; Alamdari et al 2017). In this study, applying the PADEP EMCs would have resulted in significant underestimation of TSS loads in stormwater and incorrect representation of settling and resuspension within the stream.…”

Section: Stormwater Tss Results and Emc Calibrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coupling PCSWMM and WASP to Evaluate Green Stormwater Infrastructure Impacts to Storm Sediment Loads in an Urban Watershed

Beganskas

Ryan

Walters

et al. 2020

J American Water Resour Assoc

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We coupled rainfall–runoff and instream water quality models to evaluate total suspended solids (TSS) in Wissahickon Creek, a mid‐sized urban stream near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Using stormwater runoff and instream field data, we calibrated the model at a subdaily scale and focused on storm responses. We demonstrate that treating event mean concentrations as a calibration parameter rather than a fixed input can substantially improve model performance. Urban stormwater TSS concentrations vary widely in time and space and are difficult to represent simply. Suspended and deposited sediment pose independent stressors to stream biota and model results suggest that both currently impair stream health in Wissahickon Creek. Retrofitting existing detention basins to prioritize infiltration reduced instream TSS loads by 20%, suggesting that infiltration mitigates sediment more effectively than detention. Infiltrating stormwater from 30% of the watershed reduced instream TSS loads by 47% and cut the frequency of TSS exceeding 100 mg/L by half. Settled loads and the frequency of high TSS values were reduced by a smaller fraction than suspended loads and duration at high TSS values. A widely distributed network of infiltration‐focused projects is an effective stormwater management strategy to mitigate sediment stress. Coupling rainfall–runoff and water quality models is an important way to integrate watershed‐wide impacts and evaluate how management directly affects urban stream health.

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“…The main sources of pollutants from daily operation identified were: wooden sleepers, herbicides, fueling and lubrication, wear and tear processes and corrosion resistant poles, embankment materials and human activities. A six steps novel approach was provided by Steinman et al (2015) to identify priority areas and subsequently reduce nonpoint source of pollution for the Spring Lake watershed in western Michigan. A best suited management practice was identified to be placed in the watershed and their optimal locations were assessed to model the degree to which their implementation would reduce TP and TSS.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%