Grantee Research Project Results

2016 Progress Report: Sustainable Community Oriented Stormwater Management (S-COSM): A Sensible Strategy for the Chesapeake Bay

EPA Grant Number: R835284
Title: Sustainable Community Oriented Stormwater Management (S-COSM): A Sensible Strategy for the Chesapeake Bay
Investigators: Leisnham, Paul
Current Investigators: Leisnham, Paul , Wilson, Sacoby M. , Davis, Allen , Montas, Hubert , Chanse, Victoria , McCoy, John , Foster, James , Rockler, Amanda , Shirmohammadi, Adel , Lipton, Douglas
Institution: University of Maryland - College Park
Current Institution: University of Maryland - College Park , Anacostia Watershed Society , Columbia Association , Maryland Sea Grant
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2017
Project Period Covered by this Report: July 1, 2015 through June 30,2016
Project Amount: $691,674
RFA: Sustainable Chesapeake: A Community-Based Approach to Stormwater Management Using Green Infrastructure (2012) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , Watersheds , Water , Sustainable and Healthy Communities

Objective:

The goal of this project is to efficiently improve urban stormwater conditions by increasing Best Management Practice (BMP) adoption, specifically on targeted hot spots, via a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) process. Objectives are to: (1) identify barriers to BMP adoption, (2) spatially target stormwater hot spots with appropriate BMPs, filtered by adoption likelihood, and (3) lower BMP adoption thresholds.

Progress Summary:

A large-scale survey quantified resident knowledge and attitudes of water resources and stormwater management. Relationships among household demographics, knowledge, attitudes and Best Management Practices (BMPs) were analyzed to better understand social processes that predict BMP implementation and to identify resident populations that need targeted education and outreach. BMP adoption likelihood models have been built using this social data. Biodynamic hydrologic models have been built and calibrated using environmental data. The framework of a Diagnostic Decision Support System (DDSS) that will help watershed managers prescribe the appropriate BMP for given environmental and social conditions has been developed and applied to the 2 study watersheds. The degree to which a generic BMP produces reductions in excessive surface runoff (Q), sediment yield (Sed), nitrogen yield (N), and phosphorus yield (P) was evaluated under different climate change scenarios and social conditions. Watershed Stewardship Academies (WSA) have continued in each study watershed as key CBPR interventions aimed at improving resident knowledge and attitudes of water resources and stormwater management and lower BMP adoption thresholds.

The Community Watershed Advisory Committee (CWAC), comprised of community leaders and outside experts met for a third time fall 2015 for bidirectional information sharing with the project investigators. The focus of that meeting was to identify work that remained in the last project year to ensure investigators will most appropriately share the findings of this study to all stakeholders. In Year 5, the DDSS will be completed to incorporate BMP-specific sub-models so that BMP adoption likelihood will be estimated by BMP type, which will likely lead to the prescription of the appropriate BMP for the given environmental and social conditions, and stronger spatial variations in BMP adoption and pollution reductions. In summary, DDSS development is progressing very well to satisfy the objectives of the proposed study and help to achieve the mission of the US EPA regarding stormwater management in urban/suburban watersheds. The results will help communities to develop educational material and to implement proper BMPs in order to prevent negative consequences of storms in their communities.

Journal Articles on this Report : 1 Displayed | Download in RIS Format

Publications Views
Other project views:	All 33 publications	3 publications in selected types	All 3 journal articles

Publications
Type	Citation	Project	Document Sources
Journal Article	Wang Y, Montas HJ, Brubaker KL, Leisnham PT, Shirmohammadi A, Chanse V, Rockler AK. Impact of spatial discretization of hydrologic models on spatial distribution of nonpoint source pollution hotspots. Journal of Hydrologic Engineering 2016;21(12):04016047. (12 pp).	R835284 (2014) R835284 (2015) R835284 (2016) R835284 (Final)	Full-text: University of Maryland-Full Text PDF Exit Abstract: ASCE-Abstract Exit Other: ResearchGate-Abstract Exit

Supplemental Keywords:

Pollution prevention, socio-economic, integrated assessment, stormwater management, Chesapeake Bay;

Relevant Websites:

Cleanwater For The Chesapeake | Sustainable Community Oriented Stormwater Management (S-COSM) and the Choptank Projects Exit

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.