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Hydrologic Characteristics of Low-Impact Stormwater Control Measures at Two Sites in Northeastern Ohio, 2008-13 (USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5030)
Citation:
Darner, R., W. Shuster, AND D. Dumouchelle. Hydrologic Characteristics of Low-Impact Stormwater Control Measures at Two Sites in Northeastern Ohio, 2008-13 (USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5030). U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Corvallis, OR, 2015.
Impact/Purpose:
This report updates and examines hydrologic data so as to characterize the performance of two stormwater control measures (SCM) sites in the Chagrin River watershed, near Cleveland Ohio.
Description:
This report updates and examines hydrologic data gathered to characterize the performance of two stormwater control measures (SCM) sites in the Chagrin River watershed, Ohio. At the Sterncrest Drive site, roadside bioswales and rain gardens were used to alleviate drainage problems in this residential neighborhood area. At the Washington Street site, a treatment train (including a pervious paver system, rain garden, and bioswales) was used to reduce and delay stormwater runoff at a small business development. Selected metrics were used to demonstrate SCM system performance with regard to stormwater management objectives at each site. Rain-garden overflow frequency data collected at the Sterncrest Drive site from 2008-2013 was used to characterize system sensitivity to rainfall characteristics. Approximately 70 percent of storms exceeding 0.75 inches over 3 hours or more resulted in an overflow. Drainage design features that may restrict flow through the system were identified. Overall, the data and local observations confirmed the continued success of the SCM at Sterncrest Drive in preventing roadway closure due to flooding. The additional years of data collected at Washington Street site indicated that a previous analysis of increased runoff removal, based on only the first two years (2009-2010) of data, provided premature conclusions. With five years of data (2009-2013) and adjusting for changes in rainfall characteristics, it appears that the percentage of runoff removed by the system is decreasing; however, the lag time (time from onset of rainfall to runoff) has remained nearly constant. The annual mean percent removal for 2010 through 2013 ranged from 55 to 37 percent with an overall mean of 45 percent, and this does meet the project objective of reducing runoff from the business complex. One possible explanation for the combination of increased volume of runoff and no change in the timing of runoff is that preferential flow paths developed in the SCM, increasing the capacity for internal drainage. Data indicated that the SCM system at this site had reduced functionality over time.
