Matching the critical portion of the flow duration curve to minimise changes in modelled excess shear

Abstract

Hydrologic and hydraulic modeling in the USEPA Stormwater Management Model (SWMM) were used to examine the effectiveness of typical stormwater management practices in reducing the potential for stream erosion. Fifty-year continuous simulations were used to produce flow duration curves and stream erosion rates for a variety of critical shear stress values representative of both cohesive and non-cohesive sediments. An excess shear stress erosion potential index was used to evaluate changes in erosion between undeveloped conditions of a 10 hectare watershed and four variations of post-development stormwater control. Evaluation of flow duration curves showed that when development takes place, the duration of mid- to low-range discharges increase significantly, especially when detention practices are applied. In channels with low entrainment thresholds for bed and bank materials, e.g. sands and highly erodible clays, the significant increase of the duration of mid- to low-range discharges results in erosion potential index values greater than two regardless of the detention practices used. Overcontrol detention resulted in erosion potential index values of less than one, indicating a loss of erosion potential for bed materials such as most gravels (d(s) > 6 mm) and resistant clays that have critical shear stress values greater than four Pa.