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Enhancing Transportation Project Delivery Through Watershed Characterization

Enhancing Transportation Project Delivery Through Watershed Characterization. Richard Gersib Watershed Program Manager Washington State Department of Transportation. Robert Bailey wrote:.

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Enhancing Transportation Project Delivery Through Watershed Characterization

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  1. Enhancing Transportation Project Delivery Through Watershed Characterization Richard Gersib Watershed Program Manager Washington State Department of Transportation

  2. Robert Bailey wrote: “A spider web is analogous to an ecosystem. When the web is disturbed at one spot, other strands of the web are affected because of linkages.” Disturbance Source: Ecosystem Geography 1996 Springer-Verlag, New York

  3. Increase Environmental Benefit Reduce Cost • Assess project impacts (site) • Avoid/minimize impacts (site/landscape) • Assess condition of ecological processes (landscape) • Maximize benefits by identifying areas capable of matching #1 and #3 (landscape/site) • Target sites maximizing long-term environmental benefits (landscape) • Tell the story(site/landscape)

  4. Mitigate project impacts, first and foremost Focus on landscape recovery and ecosystem health

  5. Target mitigation for maximum benefits Target landscape, not artificial, storage and treatment Engineered Flow Control Example, stormwater detention pond No benefits beyond water quality/quantity Restoring Natural Control Example: wetlands restoration Many benefits beyond just water quality/quantity

  6. Target mitigation where it’s most effective <5% TIA 100% 5-10% TIA >20% TIA Environmental Function Forested Rural Residential Suburban Residential Urban 10 20 30 40 50 60 Total Impervious Area (TIA, %)

  7. At Landscape Scales,Focus on Ecological Processes Movement of Sediment Movement of Large Wood Movement of Water Movement of Nutrients, Bacteria, Toxicants Movement of Heat

  8. Characterize Condition of Target Ecological Processes Target Key Areas for Recovery Translate landscape processes back to site functions Translate site functions to landscape processes Watershed-scale Site-scale = Assess project impacts type, area, function Assess mitigation potential type, area, function

  9. I-405 North Renton Study Area

  10. Establish Spatial Scales for Analysis and Mitigation Interstate 405, North Renton

  11. Establish Temporal Scales 2020 Buildout Assess multiple temporal scales Current Pre-Development

  12. CharacterizeCondition of Study Area • Water • Sediment • Pollutants • Wood • Heat • Aquatic Integrity • Upland Integrity

  13. Develop Potential Wetland Restoration Site Database

  14. Potential riparian area Not a potential riparian area Develop Potential Riparian Restoration Site Database

  15. Develop Potential Floodplain Restoration Site Database Potential floodplain mitigation area Not a potential floodplain restoration area

  16. Develop Potential Stormwater Retrofit Site Database

  17. May Creek Site Locations

  18. “We are confronted by insurmountable opportunities”gersibd@wsdot.wa.govhttp://www.wsdot.wa.gov/environment/watershed/technical_report.htm

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