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Urban Hydrology. Construction Impacts. Disturbed areas allow erosion to occur High concentrations of sediment can impact creeks and ponds Construction General Permit Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) must be prepared for project
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Construction Impacts • Disturbed areas allow erosion to occur • High concentrations of sediment can impact creeks and ponds • Construction General Permit • Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) must be prepared for project • Plan specifies measures to reduce discharge of sediment
Degradation of Hill Country Streams Green Hole on Lick Creek, west Travis County, Summer 2003 Green Hole on July 27, 2004, after rainfall caused overflow from the West Cypress Hills subdivision detention pond for development construction
Degradation of Hill Country Streams (cont.) Dead Mans Hole on Dead Mans Creek, east Hays County, before construction of a small dam in the watershed Dead Mans Hole after construction of the dam
Degradation of Hill Country Streams (cont.) Road cut for land development in Hamilton Creek basin began June, 2007 Hamilton Pool prior to June 2007
Degradation of Hill Country Streams (cont.) Road cut along Hamilton Creek Hamilton Pool--first rain after road cut construction began
Bee Creek Bee Creek near Hwy 71, West Travis County, prior to development in basin Bee Creek, August 2007, immediately after development began in basin
Bear Creek Channel Degradation Fort Branch ShoalCreek Boggy Creek
More of the Same Little Walnut Creek E. Bouldin Creek Shoal Creek Walnut Creek Tannehill Branch
Types of Pollution • Point Sources • Conventionally industrial or wastewater treatment • Any discharge from a pipe or ditch • Non-Point Source • Agriculture
Constituents in Urban Runoff • Bacteria • Nutrients • Insecticides • Herbicides • Metals – zinc, copper, lead • Hydrocarbons – PAHs • Sediment
Sources of Pollutants • Vehicles – Tires, Brake pads, Fluids, Tracking • Atmospheric Deposition • Fertilizers • Pesticides • Pets • Pavement abrasion • Channel Erosion
Stenstrom & Kayhanian, 2005 First Flush of Pollutants
Other Sources of Pollutants Sealants reapplied every few years. About 600,000 gallons of sealant are applied annually in Austin. coal-tar-emulsion-sealed asphalt-emulsion-sealed unsealed asphalt or concrete
Barton Creek Wastewater Leak Algae blooms March 2, 2002
Regulatory Strategies • Do nothing • Do something (structural) • Meet a performance standard • Meet water quality standards
Local Requirements • Austin – Achieve pollutant reduction comparable to a sand filter system, or “no discharge” of stormwater. • LCRA – Reduce TSS, TP, and O&G by 75% • TCEQ – Reduce the increase in TSS discharged by 80%. • Houston – Do something
Uniform Distributed Small-scale Controls Maintaining Natural Hydrology Functions