Urban Best Management Practices Active
Many cities and towns in the Great lakes basin are utilizing urban stormwater best-management practices (BMPs) to reduce the stormwater runoff to local combined sewer systems and ultimately, the Great Lakes. Urban stormwater BMPs can include permeable pavement, bioswales, infiltration basins, and planters. USGS scientists are supporting these efforts by providing data and other information to help managers understand the impacts of BMPs on stormwater runoff.
Urban Stormwater Volume Reduction Through Implementation of Green Infrastructure
The main goal of the GLRI Urban Stormwater Monitoring effort is to measure changes in the volume of urban stormwater through assessment of rainfall, runoff, inflow, outflow, and infiltration characteristics of green infrastructure and the potential benefits to local streams, rivers, lakes, and groundwater.
Evaluating the effectiveness and performance of green infrastructure through a comprehensive, scientific assessment will provide valuable information about the viability and benefits of green infrastructure over a range of conditions and settings. Through these and other future case studies, the GLRI Urban Stormwater Monitoring effort will collect valuable data and develop innovative methods and monitoring techniques that will improve the design, construction, and assessment of green infrastructure in communities across the Great Lakes and the Nation.
Evaluating BMP Effectiveness of GLRI Restorations at Urban Beaches (Lake Michigan)
This project is evaluating the effectiveness of projects that are closely associated with restoration of local habitat and contact recreational activities at two Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funded sites in Southern Lake Michigan and one non-GLRI site in Western Lake Michigan.
Evaluation of GLRI projects will assess whether goals of recipients are on track and identify any developing unforeseen consequences. Including a third, non-GLRI project site in the evaluation allows comparison between restoration efforts in GLRI and non-GLRI funded projects. Projections and potential complications associated with climate change impacts on restoration resiliency are also being assessed. Two of the three sites to receive evaluation represent some of the most highly contaminated beaches in the United States (NRDC 2014) and include restoration BMPs which could benefit urban beaches and nearshore areas throughout the Great Lakes. The urban beaches chosen for evaluation are at various stages of the restoration process and located in Indiana (Jeorse Park Beach), Illinois (63rd Street Beach), and Wisconsin (North Beach). Evaluation of effectiveness of restoration efforts and resiliency to climate change at urban beaches will provide vital information on the success of restoration efforts and identify potential pitfalls that will help maximize success of future GLRI beach and nearshore restoration projects. Data used for evaluation include continuous monitoring and synoptic mapping of nearshore currents, bathymetry, and water quality to examine nearshore transport under a variety of conditions. In addition, biological evaluations rely upon daily indicator bacteria monitoring, microbial community and shorebird surveys, recreational usage, and other ancillary water quality data. The pre- and post-restoration datasets comprised of these physical, chemical, biological, geological, and social data will allow restoration success to be evaluated using a science-based approach with quantifiable measures of progress. These data will also allow the evaluation of the resiliency of these restoration efforts under various climate change scenarios using existing climate change predictions and models.
Measuring and Evaluating GLRI-funded Best Management Practices
USGS is evaluating the immediate and long-term effectiveness of GLRI-funded Best Management Practices (BMPs) in urban areas across the basin. Selected projects are being monitored before, during and after implementation to determine the effectiveness of various storm water reduction efforts. Results from this effort will help to inform future BMP type selection and placement.
- Overview
Many cities and towns in the Great lakes basin are utilizing urban stormwater best-management practices (BMPs) to reduce the stormwater runoff to local combined sewer systems and ultimately, the Great Lakes. Urban stormwater BMPs can include permeable pavement, bioswales, infiltration basins, and planters. USGS scientists are supporting these efforts by providing data and other information to help managers understand the impacts of BMPs on stormwater runoff.
Sources/Usage: Some content may have restrictions. View Media Details(Public domain.) Urban Stormwater Volume Reduction Through Implementation of Green Infrastructure
The main goal of the GLRI Urban Stormwater Monitoring effort is to measure changes in the volume of urban stormwater through assessment of rainfall, runoff, inflow, outflow, and infiltration characteristics of green infrastructure and the potential benefits to local streams, rivers, lakes, and groundwater.
Evaluating the effectiveness and performance of green infrastructure through a comprehensive, scientific assessment will provide valuable information about the viability and benefits of green infrastructure over a range of conditions and settings. Through these and other future case studies, the GLRI Urban Stormwater Monitoring effort will collect valuable data and develop innovative methods and monitoring techniques that will improve the design, construction, and assessment of green infrastructure in communities across the Great Lakes and the Nation.
Evaluating BMP Effectiveness of GLRI Restorations at Urban Beaches (Lake Michigan)
This project is evaluating the effectiveness of projects that are closely associated with restoration of local habitat and contact recreational activities at two Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funded sites in Southern Lake Michigan and one non-GLRI site in Western Lake Michigan.
Sources/Usage: Some content may have restrictions. View Media Details(Public domain.) Evaluation of GLRI projects will assess whether goals of recipients are on track and identify any developing unforeseen consequences. Including a third, non-GLRI project site in the evaluation allows comparison between restoration efforts in GLRI and non-GLRI funded projects. Projections and potential complications associated with climate change impacts on restoration resiliency are also being assessed. Two of the three sites to receive evaluation represent some of the most highly contaminated beaches in the United States (NRDC 2014) and include restoration BMPs which could benefit urban beaches and nearshore areas throughout the Great Lakes. The urban beaches chosen for evaluation are at various stages of the restoration process and located in Indiana (Jeorse Park Beach), Illinois (63rd Street Beach), and Wisconsin (North Beach). Evaluation of effectiveness of restoration efforts and resiliency to climate change at urban beaches will provide vital information on the success of restoration efforts and identify potential pitfalls that will help maximize success of future GLRI beach and nearshore restoration projects. Data used for evaluation include continuous monitoring and synoptic mapping of nearshore currents, bathymetry, and water quality to examine nearshore transport under a variety of conditions. In addition, biological evaluations rely upon daily indicator bacteria monitoring, microbial community and shorebird surveys, recreational usage, and other ancillary water quality data. The pre- and post-restoration datasets comprised of these physical, chemical, biological, geological, and social data will allow restoration success to be evaluated using a science-based approach with quantifiable measures of progress. These data will also allow the evaluation of the resiliency of these restoration efforts under various climate change scenarios using existing climate change predictions and models.
Measuring and Evaluating GLRI-funded Best Management Practices
USGS is evaluating the immediate and long-term effectiveness of GLRI-funded Best Management Practices (BMPs) in urban areas across the basin. Selected projects are being monitored before, during and after implementation to determine the effectiveness of various storm water reduction efforts. Results from this effort will help to inform future BMP type selection and placement.