Grantee Research Project Results

Final Report: Risk Based Urban Watershed Management-Integration of Water Quality and Flood Control Objectives

EPA Grant Number: R825759
Title: Risk Based Urban Watershed Management-Integration of Water Quality and Flood Control Objectives
Investigators: Novotny, Vladimir , Griffin, Robert J , Clark, David
Institution: Marquette University
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: October 1, 1997 through September 30, 2000 (Extended to September 30, 2001)
Project Amount: $880,355
RFA: Water and Watersheds Research (1997) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Watersheds , Water

Objective:

The overall research objectives and goals of the project were to: (1) develop statistical flow, loading and water quality models applicable to risk assessment; (2) develop objective and quantitative risk assessment procedures for estimating ecological risks of stormwater and subsurface discharges from urban and suburban watersheds; (3) develop methodology for assessment of flood control and water quality benefits and resolve conflicts between flood control and ecological preservation-restoration objectives; (4) develop benefits/cost models for urban watershed management to optimize both flood control and receiving water integrity; (5) research innovative financing of urban watershed management, identify key players, and assess the willingness to pay for different watershed resident groups; and (6) examine homeowners' risk/benefit perceptions, values, effective responses to the risk, subjective norms, sociocultural backgrounds, and use of communication in the willingness to pay for these different types of benefits.

The goal of the research was to examine urban water bodies along two different dimensions: the degree to which the urban development influences flooding risks, and the degree to which it influences the ecology of the water bodies as represented by the ecological risks. The research effort developed quantitative measures of the two risks that will enable public officials and stakeholders to assess the level of flood and ecological risks and develop priorities for control and urban stream (water body) improvements. It has been recognized that urban streams have multipurpose roles from which conveyance of floods and pollutants are most important. Additional uses of urban water bodies include water supply, recreation (both primary and secondary), and some less common uses such as navigation and hydropower production. These uses are interrelated and often conflicting. The team used willingness to pay concepts and extensive surveys to weight the two major risks and provide quantitative information about the perceptions and attitudes of the citizens living within two pilot watersheds on the two issues: flood control and ecological restoration of urban streams.

The teams very rapidly established communications among themselves and with stakeholders from the community. The intermediate results were communicated to the stakeholders (i.e., representatives of the communities, nongovernmental organizations, other researchers). The project provided educational and research opportunities and partial funding to three postdoctoral fellows (from the United States, Italy, and Japan), two doctoral candidates, and eight Masters of Science candidates. In addition to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's STAR Watershed Program support, funds to conduct the watershed research also were received from Marquette University (co-share and development of the GIS laboratory) and the Wisconsin Foundation for Independent Colleges (S.C. Johnson Foundation). The project also provided summer internships to two undergraduate students.

The methodology developed in this research was applied to two watersheds: the mostly rural but rapidly urbanizing Oak Creek watershed and the Menomonee River watershed representing already developed watersheds.

The institute/research team has established a cooperation with scientists in Japan from Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto and with scientists from the Universities of Padova, Pavia, and Breccia in Italy.

Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):

Establishment of the GIS laboratory and development of analytical software for project analyses. Several research tasks were developed in the GIS environment (ArcInfo). These tasks included hedonic analyses of the effects of risks on values of residential properties, geocoding of the survey respondents, and analysis of the spatial distribution of the flooding and ecological risks.

Methodology for estimating the effect of urbanization high and low flows. A method originally published by McCuen (see Chapter 3) was used to modify the probability of urban high and low flows developed from long-term flow series that include periods with different degrees of urbanization.

Development of methodology for quantitative enumeration of flood risks within the GIS. A methodology has been developed to facilitate evaluation of risk due to flooding. Flood risk changes over time and is not a constant value. The methodology was then expanded by developing a GIS-based relationship between the magnitude of flows with the specified recurrence interval and the spatial flood risk.

Modification, development, and application of methodology for ecological risk assessment. The existing methodology on assessing ecological risk due to water column contamination has been modified and expanded to evaluate the risk in its three components: (1) acute toxicity risk from contaminated water column; (2) chronic toxicity risk from contaminated water column; and (3) chronic toxicity risk from contaminated sediment.

Development of a GIS-based urban watershed pollutant loading model. A model of wet weather nonpoint pollution has been developed and implemented in ArcView GIS. Two approaches were calibrated and verified: (1) annual load; and (2) event based load.

Data acquisition and monitoring. The retrieved databases included demographic census data, U.S. EPA's water quality database STORET; USGS databases and Web sites; GIS and other databases developed by the SEWRPC and Wisconsin DNR, databases developed and gathered by consultants on the ongoing (Oak Creek) and completed (Lincoln Creek) watersheds; and information gathered by the Friends of the Menomonee River.

Biologic monitoring surveys. Ecological integrity of investigated watersheds has been evaluated by fish and macroinvertebrate communities IBI surveys.

Surveys of residents in the pilot watersheds. The professional survey organization conducted eight focus group sessions in spring of 1999 before the first survey to help in the development of the survey instruments. A 25-minute telephone survey was then conducted at two points in time (1999-2000 and 2000-2001 winter periods) on approximately 1,000 randomly selected adult residents of the two pilot watersheds, the Menomonee River and the Oak Creek.

Willingness to pay estimates?economic issues. The surveys focused on the factors that determine willingness to pay for expenditures on flood control and expenditures on ecological risk reduction. The study developed the relationships between willingness to pay and key determinants and used the relationships to estimate benefits of urban flood control and ecological restoration. The surveys revealed that the willingness to pay for preservation and restoration of the urban water bodies is 2.5 times or more higher than that for flood control.

Environmental ethics study. We included a series of questions for respondents on basic environmental attitudes in the watershed survey questionnaire. Included were questions designed specifically to capture beliefs about the effects of humanity on the ecosystem (and vice-versa), the idea of a duty to restore the health of urban rivers, and valuation of urban rivers for their own sake. The study of attitudes confirmed the high weight that citizens placed on environmental issues related to urban water bodies and watersheds.

Transfer of the results to a neighboring watershed. Using additional funding, the results of the research were extrapolated to a neighboring urbanizing watershed of the Root River.

Journal Articles on this Report : 3 Displayed | Download in RIS Format

Publications Views
Other project views:	All 21 publications	8 publications in selected types	All 4 journal articles

Publications
Type	Citation	Project	Document Sources
Journal Article	Botham P, CXronin M, Currie R, Doe J, Funk-Weyer D, Gant T, Leist M, Marty S, van Ravenzwaay B, Westmorland C. Analysis of health concerns not addressed by REACH for low tonnage chemicals and opportunities for new approach methodology. ARCHIVES OF TOXICOLOGY 2023;	R825759 (Final)	Full-text from PubMed Abstract from PubMed Full-text: Springer Link - Full Text HTML Exit
Journal Article	Debad S, Aungst J, Carstens K, Ferrer M, Fitzpatrick S, Fritsche E, Geng Y, Hartung T, Hogberg H,:Li R, Mangas I, Marty S, Musser S, Perron M, Rattan S, Ruegg J, Sachana M, Schenke M, Schafer T, Smirnova L, Talpos J, Tanguay R, Terron A, Bandele O. State of the Science on Assessing Developmental Neurotoxicity Using New Approach Methods. ALTEX-ALTANATIVES TO ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION 2025;42(1):121-144.	R825759 (Final)	Abstract from PubMed Full-text: ALTEX - Full Text HTML Exit
Journal Article	Mantziou V, Baillie-Benson P, Jaklin M, Kustermann S, Arias A, Moris N. In vitro teratogenicity testing using a 3D, embryo-like gastruloid system. REPRODUCTIVE TOXICOLOGY 2021;105:72-90.	R825759 (Final)	Full-text from PubMed Associated PubMed link Full-text: ScienceDirect - Full Text HTML Exit Other: ScienceDirect - Full Text PDF Exit

Supplemental Keywords:

flooding, urbanization, urban economics, hydrological modeling, water quality modeling, urban drainage, property damages, probabilistic models, public opinion, watershed, risk assessment, ecological effects, land ethics, chemicals, toxics, PAHs, heavy metals, nitrogen, phosphorus, restoration, habitat, integrated assessment, decisionmaking, cost benefit, contingent valuation, willingness to pay, geographical information systems, great lakes, EPA Region 5, environmental ethics, biocentric values., RFA, Scientific Discipline, Economic, Social, & Behavioral Science Research Program, Ecosystem Protection, Water, Geographic Area, Hydrology, Water & Watershed, State, Aquatic Ecosystem, Wet Weather Flows, Environmental Monitoring, Ecological Risk Assessment, Environmental Engineering, Economics & Decision Making, Watersheds, ecosystem valuation, anthropogenic processes, urbanization, flood control, wateshed management, erosion, suburban watersheds, urban watershed rehabilitation method, watershed management, flood control objectives, ecosystem evaluation, runoff, community-based research, community based, citizen perceptions, socioeconomics, Wisconsin , quantitative risk assessment, aquatic ecosystems, human values, Milwaukee, water quality, wet weather modeling, ecology assessment models, water management options, climate variability, groundwater, flood hazard initiatives, aquatic biota, community values, ecological research, land use, Milwaukee

Relevant Websites:

http://www.marquette.edu/environment/Research.htm Exit EPA icon

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.