HR: 16:00h
AN: H14A-03 [Abstracts]
TI: The Hydrology and Chemistry of Bioretention During Storm Events
AU: * Stack, R C
EM: rcstack@comcast.net
AF: Biological Resources Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 United States
AU: Davis, A P
EM: apdavis@eng.umd.edu
AF: Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 United States
AB:
Bioretention is a key technology in the Low Impact Development (LID) approach to stormwater management. The LID principal is
to capture and treat stormwater runoff as close to its source as possible and to restore watershed functions at the most
localized level. Small bioretention units dispersed throughout an LID site are defined as infiltration/filtration systems
composed of plants, engineered soils, mulch and (typically) an under drain system with contributing drainage areas of less
than five acres. The goal is to avert the general degradation of physical characteristics, and periodic flushes of increased
pollutant concentrations, by steering clear of a single collection point for stormwater runoff from larger expanses of
developed land. Additionally, large sacrifices of land, difficult and costly maintenance issues, as well as the introduction
of safety hazards and the general decline in overall aesthetics are avoided.
Existing performance data on bioretention from simulated storm events in the field and laboratory models support the use of
bioretention for peak flow and volume attenuation, as well as a suite of pollutant removals, including total suspended
solids, lead, copper, zinc, phosphorus and nitrogen. The University of Maryland, in cooperation with the Prince George's
County Government, has constructed a research and education bioretention site on the UMD campus. Automated sampling devices
at the site have collected inflow and outflow hydrographs as well as water quality samples over the course of several storm
events over eighteen months. Clear evidence of peak flow reduction and timing delays has evolved. Pollutant removals rates
are consistent with simulation and laboratory experiments.
UR: http://www.ence.umd.edu/~apdavis/Rain%20Gardens.htm
DE: 1854 Precipitation (3354)
DE: 1860 Runoff and streamflow
DE: 1871 Surface water quality
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly