Low impact development (LID) structures for groundwater management and watershed protection in the AMRC10 watershed, El Paso Texas
Abstract
The AMRC10 watershed was modeled in HEC-HMS and in Green Values. Theoretical storm water conveyance and capture models were tested in these programs along with several Low environmental Impact Development features to determine their applicability and performance at this site. Lots should all be designed with all roof downspouts draining into raingardens, at least half of all lawns should be natural landscaping using local vegetation, porous pavement should be used for all driveways, sidewalks and non-street pavement and drainage to the stormwater conveyance structures should make use of drainage swales instead of storm water pipes. To manage runoff three detention ponds should be constructed at the hydrologic top of the watershed placed to intercept runoff from above the watershed and manage its passage through the watershed. To convey runoff from the upper detention ponds through the watershed to the lower detention ponds there should be two unlined channels of widths 40ft and 70ft and each with side slopes of 25° and depth of 5ft, spanned by a number of slotted check dams along regular lengths, 2ft tall. Beneath these channels should be a fourth detention pond that feeds into a final pond via an overflow pipe. Sub-watersheds will drain either into one of the two channels, the forth detention pond, or the final pond. Flow rates in the channels will be below 1.5 ft/sec, for up to and passing a 10 year storm, but will be exceeded by a 100 year storm. The watershed will infiltrate 65.1 AC-FT annually into the lots and swales above what can be expected of a traditional design. The expected first year savings of this design are $4,200,000. The channel and detention pond designs can be expected to infiltrate at least 87 AC-FT annually.
Subject Area
Water Resource Management|Environmental engineering
Recommended Citation
Marmolejo, Ricardo Sabino, "Low impact development (LID) structures for groundwater management and watershed protection in the AMRC10 watershed, El Paso Texas" (2010). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI1484232.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI1484232