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Evaluation of Economic Incentives for Decentralized Stormwater Runoff
Management: Shepherd Creek Watershed Pilot Project, Water Quality Component
The effects of urization on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are complex and interconnected. Altered hydrology, resulting from changes in impervious surface area, often degrades the physical habitat of aquatic ecosystems through stream channel modification and baseflow reduction. Increased runoff peak flows in urbanized watersheds increase the risk of downstream flooding and increase contaminant loads to receiving waters. Human activity, both commercial and residential, in the watershed contributes increased concentrations and total loads of nutrients, organic contaminants, metals, suspended solids and pathogens to surface waters. Specific sources of pollutants include lawn and garden chemicals, surfaces such as driveways and rooftops, parking lots and automobile degradation products and emissions.
The Shepherd Creek
Watershed Pilot Project was initiated and is being led by researchers in National Risk Management Research Laboratory Sustainable Technology Division, Sustainable Environments Branch. The Shepherd Creek watershed occupies approx. 2 km2 within and around Mt. Airy Forest, an urban park within the City of Cincinnati. Residential on-lot storage (rain barrels) and infiltration (rain gardens) best management practices placed in established neighborhoods should reduce the transport of lawn and garden chemicals, rooftop runoff and pet waste to adjacent surface waters. If implemented in significant numbers within the watershed, hydrology, water quality and ecological condition may be restored to a more natural, less-impaired condition. Water quality is an important component of effectiveness monitoring protocols for best management practices. Water quality parameters may respond more quickly than biological ones to the implementation of BMPs and, if ecological condition improves, may provide causal evidence that will help identify the initial stressor or suite of stressors to the ecosystem. Specific water quality parameters that will be used to evaluate best management practice effectiveness for the Shepherd Creek project are nutrients (lawn and garden), suspended solids (roads and driveways, stream channel erosion), organic carbon (multiple sources), chloride (multiple sources) and trace metals such as copper and zinc (rooftops and automobiles).
Contacts:
Matthew
Morrison, 513/569-7441
William Shuster, 513/569-7244
Hale Thurston, 513/569-7627
Allison Roy, 513/569-7366
(EIMS#)