Sustainable Stormwater Management: Examining the Role of Local Planning Capacity in Mitigating Peak Surface Runoff

Hyun Kim,Ming-Han Li

doi:10.3390/su8090763

Abstract

The Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States, is rich in natural resources. Its watershed has been impacted by excessive and degraded stormwater runoff from rapid urbanization. We used an empirical approach to investigate how local planning capacity in the Chesapeake Bay watershed affected stream flow. A multiple regression analysis was employed to examine to what extent that the planning factors and other contextual variables were associated with peak runoff. Counterintuitively, we found that sub-basins included in the sample jurisdictions with a relatively high plan quality score tend to generate higher volumes of peak runoff. Results further indicate that specific geographical, basin characteristic, and biophysical factors affected mean annual peak runoff significantly. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of local planning capacity and sustainable stormwater management concepts in mitigating excessive runoff.

Highlights

The occurrence of excessive runoff and flooding events is increasing in the United States due to rapid urbanization and aging stormwater infrastructure
The relationship between land use and stormwater quantity has been researched for a while, this study is unique by utilizing planning capacity linked with hydrologic measures
In contrast to large-scale flooding caused by hurricanes and extreme rainfalls, stormwater runoff and/or flooding can be more effectively controlled at the local level

Summary

Introduction

The occurrence of excessive runoff and flooding events is increasing in the United States due to rapid urbanization and aging stormwater infrastructure. According to the most recent U.S Census, from 1950 to 2010, urbanized areas expanded by almost 210 percent, and population in urban areas increased by more than 130 percent. Land consumption rate is outpacing the population shift from urban areas to suburban areas [1]. The influences of land use changes, such as urbanization and deforestation, led to the rising increment of stormwater runoff volume and pollution [4,5]. Previous studies [6,7,8] have discovered that increased impervious surfaces caused by urbanization generate negative hydrologic consequences, including excessive overflow, lack of infiltration, and insufficient aquifer recharge

Results

Discussion

Conclusion