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Effectiveness of Natural Vegetated Areas for Stormwater Treatment: Monitoring of the Falconhead West DevelopmentJames McDonald, M.S., Michael Barrett, Ph.D., P.E., James Scaief, P.E., P.G., August 2009 ABSTRACT Urban development activity leads to increased non-point source pollution in the form of stormwater runoff. Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) are used to mitigate the effect of non-point source pollution. Vegetative filter strips (VFS) are a non-structural BMP that use sedimentation, infiltration, filtration, and biological uptake to treat stormwater pollutants. Two natural VFS with single-family residential contributing drainage areas were monitored from June 2008-June 2009. The VFS are located on the Glen Rose Formation common to the Hill Country of central Texas. Runoff volumes and quality are compared before and after natural VFS treatment. Volume reduction by infiltration was found as the most successful VFS treatment mechanism. Average volume and peak flow rate reductions ranged from 75-97% and 45-97% respectively. Removal effectiveness of total suspended solids, nutrients and metals was found to vary with influent concentration. Performance of 18 natural VFS was qualitatively reviewed during the monitoring period. Rainfall intensity and contributing drainage area stabilization were found to affect VFS performance. The highlighted links that follow are connected to Adobe pdf files of the corresponding material. To view them you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0. View the Report...(43.1 MB)
These materials may be used for study, research, and education, but please credit the authors and the Center for Research in Water Resources, The University of Texas at Austin. All commercial rights reserved. Copyright 2002 Center for Research in Water Resources. |
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