Understanding the Effects of Stormwater Management Practices on Water Quality and Flow
Urban development can have detrimental impacts on streams including altering hydrology, increasing nutrient, sediment, and pollutant loadings, and degrading biological integrity. Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) can be used to mitigate the effects of urban development by retaining large volumes of stormwater runoff and treating runoff to remove pollutants. This project focuses on understanding how the presence, type, and spatial pattern of urban stormwater BMPs in a watershed impacts ecosystem processes and function.
Research Objectives:
Better understand the effects of stormwater BMPs on water quality, water quantity, groundwater recharge, geomorphology, denitrification potential, and benthic macroinvertebrate communities.
Study Area:
We are studying the use of stormwater BMPs in watersheds located within the Clarksburg Special Protection Area in Montgomery County, Maryland. Clarksburg is a suburb of Washington, DC, located approximately 30 miles northwest of Washington DC. We are monitoring a forested watershed, an urban control watershed, and three urban treatment watersheds that have housing developments with a high density of stormwater BMPs that were designed to retain and infiltrate stormwater.
The U.S Geological Survey, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection have monitored conditions in these watersheds since 2004. The project team is currently expanding this research to include urbanizing areas in the southeastern US.
Streamflow, Groundwater, and Water Quality Monitoring:
We use streamgages and precipitation gages to assess hydrologic alterations by comparing the frequency, magnitude, timing, and rate of change of stormflow events in watersheds with different types and densities of BMPs. We monitor groundwater levels in shallow wells to assess the impacts of infiltration-focused BMPs on groundwater recharge and water table fluctuations. We collect water quality samples during baseflow and stormflow conditions to monitor differences in sediment, nutrient, and bacteria concentrations in the study watersheds. Soil samples are collected to identify soil microbial community structure and function, with a focus on soil denitrifiers.
Detecting Geomorphic Changes:
Repeat lidar-derived digital elevation models and field surveys are being used to assess changes in topography and stream geomorphology in watersheds undergoing urban development. These datasets allow us to track changes to overland flow paths, hydrologic connectivity between impervious surface and the stream network, and stream channel geometry during and after watershed development. Tracking geomorphic change provides insight into the movement water and sediment through the landscape.
Related Publications:
Groundwater recharge amidst focused stormwater infiltration
Release Date: 10/3/2018
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
The videos marked with "AD" contain Audio Descriptions for increased accessibility.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Hydrologic signals and surprises in U.S. streamflow records during urbanization
Stormwater control impacts on runoff volume and peak flow: A meta-analysis of watershed modelling studies
Seasonal drivers of chemical and hydrological patterns in roadside infiltration-based green infrastructure
Changes in event‐based streamflow magnitude and timing after suburban development with infiltration‐based stormwater management
Influence of governance structure on green stormwater infrastructure investment
Stormwater management network effectiveness and implications for urban watershed function: A critical review
Research note: Mapping spatial patterns in sewer age, material, and proximity to surface waterways to infer sewer leakage hotspots
Modeling watershed-scale impacts of stormwater management with traditional versus low impact development design
Comparison of sediment and nutrient export and runoff characteristics from watersheds with centralized versus distributed stormwater management
Urban base flow with low impact development
Effects of urbanization and stormwater control measures on streamflows in the vicinity of Clarksburg, Maryland, USA
Effects of distributed and centralized stormwater best management practices and land cover on urban stream hydrology at the catchment scale
Below are partners associated with this project.
Urban development can have detrimental impacts on streams including altering hydrology, increasing nutrient, sediment, and pollutant loadings, and degrading biological integrity. Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) can be used to mitigate the effects of urban development by retaining large volumes of stormwater runoff and treating runoff to remove pollutants. This project focuses on understanding how the presence, type, and spatial pattern of urban stormwater BMPs in a watershed impacts ecosystem processes and function.
Research Objectives:
Better understand the effects of stormwater BMPs on water quality, water quantity, groundwater recharge, geomorphology, denitrification potential, and benthic macroinvertebrate communities.
Study Area:
We are studying the use of stormwater BMPs in watersheds located within the Clarksburg Special Protection Area in Montgomery County, Maryland. Clarksburg is a suburb of Washington, DC, located approximately 30 miles northwest of Washington DC. We are monitoring a forested watershed, an urban control watershed, and three urban treatment watersheds that have housing developments with a high density of stormwater BMPs that were designed to retain and infiltrate stormwater.
The U.S Geological Survey, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection have monitored conditions in these watersheds since 2004. The project team is currently expanding this research to include urbanizing areas in the southeastern US.
Streamflow, Groundwater, and Water Quality Monitoring:
We use streamgages and precipitation gages to assess hydrologic alterations by comparing the frequency, magnitude, timing, and rate of change of stormflow events in watersheds with different types and densities of BMPs. We monitor groundwater levels in shallow wells to assess the impacts of infiltration-focused BMPs on groundwater recharge and water table fluctuations. We collect water quality samples during baseflow and stormflow conditions to monitor differences in sediment, nutrient, and bacteria concentrations in the study watersheds. Soil samples are collected to identify soil microbial community structure and function, with a focus on soil denitrifiers.
Detecting Geomorphic Changes:
Repeat lidar-derived digital elevation models and field surveys are being used to assess changes in topography and stream geomorphology in watersheds undergoing urban development. These datasets allow us to track changes to overland flow paths, hydrologic connectivity between impervious surface and the stream network, and stream channel geometry during and after watershed development. Tracking geomorphic change provides insight into the movement water and sediment through the landscape.
Related Publications:
Groundwater recharge amidst focused stormwater infiltration
Release Date: 10/3/2018
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
The videos marked with "AD" contain Audio Descriptions for increased accessibility.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Hydrologic signals and surprises in U.S. streamflow records during urbanization
Stormwater control impacts on runoff volume and peak flow: A meta-analysis of watershed modelling studies
Seasonal drivers of chemical and hydrological patterns in roadside infiltration-based green infrastructure
Changes in event‐based streamflow magnitude and timing after suburban development with infiltration‐based stormwater management
Influence of governance structure on green stormwater infrastructure investment
Stormwater management network effectiveness and implications for urban watershed function: A critical review
Research note: Mapping spatial patterns in sewer age, material, and proximity to surface waterways to infer sewer leakage hotspots
Modeling watershed-scale impacts of stormwater management with traditional versus low impact development design
Comparison of sediment and nutrient export and runoff characteristics from watersheds with centralized versus distributed stormwater management
Urban base flow with low impact development
Effects of urbanization and stormwater control measures on streamflows in the vicinity of Clarksburg, Maryland, USA
Effects of distributed and centralized stormwater best management practices and land cover on urban stream hydrology at the catchment scale
Below are partners associated with this project.