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The Extreme BMP Makeover: James River Edition

The Extreme BMP Makeover: James River Edition. P hoto Source: James River Assoc. Laurel Woodworth Middle James Roundtable Annual Meeting March 25, 2010. About Us. Non-profit 501(c)3, non-advocacy organization Work with local watershed groups, local, state, and federal governments

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The Extreme BMP Makeover: James River Edition

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  1. The Extreme BMP Makeover:James River Edition Photo Source: James River Assoc. Laurel Woodworth Middle James Roundtable Annual Meeting March 25, 2010

  2. About Us • Non-profit 501(c)3, non-advocacy organization • Work with local watershed groups, local, state, and federal governments • Provide tools communities need to protect streams, lakes, and rivers

  3. The Problem: • Urban land use in the James Basin will increase to 12% by 2020 • 2,000 acres/year of new impervious cover (estimate) • Widespread approval of poorly performing stormwater BMPs • Many BMPs NOT functioning as designed • Poor design, installation, or maintenance Source: USDA - NRCS

  4. Extreme BMP Makeover: • Improve next generation of urban stormwater BMPs • Systematic way to Incorporate LID/ESD • Disseminate design information to James River Basin & Chesapeake Bay Watershed • Coordinate with Virginia regulatory & Handbook changes • Accelerate adoption of improved designs in James River “Early Adopter” communities • Focus on nutrient removal (Phosphorus)

  5. Project Partners • Early Adopters: • Albemarle County • Henrico County • Chesterfield County • James City County • Hampton Roads Planning District • James River Association • Hampton Roads PDC • Chesapeake Stormwater Network

  6. Summary of Tasks: • Form Early Adopter agreements (2008) • Update BMP Research – Runoff Reduction Method (2008) • BMP Field Performance Study (2008) • Local Gov’t Program Assessments (2008) • Workshops & Design Charettes (2008 – 10) • BMP Demonstration Projects – retrofits (2009) • Bay-Wide Training workshop (2010) • Technology transfer to James Basin & beyond

  7. Runoff Reduction Method www.dcr.virginia.gov/lr2f.shtml Updated BMP Research w/ nutrient removal & runoff reduction values #1 = TECH MEMO: #2 = SPREADSHEET:

  8. Benefits of RR Method • Wider spectrum of BMP types given credit • Green Roof, Cisterns • Soil Amendments, Filter Strips • Sheetflow to Open Space • Allows more flexibility in BMP options • Assigns nutrient removal rates to BMPs • More specificity in design guidelines

  9. VA Stormwater Regs & Handbook revisions • Extreme BMP Makeover research tied into revisions of VA regulations • Center and CSN providing technical tools: • Spreadsheet for site BMP planning & nutrient accounting • 11 DCR charettes; 300+ local gov’t staff, design consultants, and state agency staff • Draft design standards incorporated into new VA stormwater Handbook www.vwrrc.vt.edu/swc/StandardsSpecs.html

  10. BMP Field Survey: • ~200 BMPs in survey sample • Visual screening, NOT sampling water quality • Targeted BMPs: Newer types • Infiltration = 20% • Bioretention = 20% • Constructed wetlands = 14% • Dry swales = 10% • Others

  11. Extreme BMP Makeover Partner Communities

  12. Visual assessments of… • Installation Quality • Placement / Integration into Site • Sizing • Flow Paths • Stability • Vegetative Health • Soil Texture • Maintenance • Overall performance score

  13. A few highlights…

  14. Design Issues

  15. BMP Geometry • General flow path • Relation of inlets to outlets • Length/Width ratio • Shortest flow path

  16. Length-to-Width Ratio

  17. L/W = 3.4:1 Outlet Inlet

  18. L/W = 8.9:1 Outlet Inlet

  19. Outlet Weir Grass Channel Inlet

  20. Shortest Flow Path

  21. SFP = 25’/315’ Inlets Outlet

  22. SFP = almost none

  23. Outlet Last Curb Cut

  24. BMP Geometry Recommendations

  25. Other Design Issues…

  26. BMP not treating most polluted areas

  27. Inlets not well reinforced

  28. Poor Placement of BMP

  29. Construction Issues

  30. Deviations from design plans • 46% surveyed deviated from plans • Vegetation composition – 18% • Dimensions / volume – 13% • Soil composition – 10%

  31. Water Qual. Vol. Discrepancies Overall, most BMPs properly-sized or oversized. Of those undersized, bioretention and dry swales were the main culprits.

  32. Grading Problems

  33. Grading Problems

  34. Filter / Soil Media Problems Compacted bioretention soil (left) with high clay content (right)

  35. Maintenance Issues

  36. What percent of BMPs show signs of lack of maintenance? CAN YOU GUESS?

  37. Sediment Deposition

  38. Clogging at Inlets & Outlets

  39. Erosion

  40. Vegetation: Too much, too little – what’s the intended palette?

  41. Are YOUR inspectors this adventurous? Maintenance Access • BMP not very visible • Bad or NO maintenance access

  42. Maintenance Recommendations • Maintenance Access • Plan for sediment removal • Target vegetative communities at 1-year, 5-year, 10-year intervals • Stable slope grades

  43. Recommendations: Ch. 7 • Design • Construction • Maintenance • Also includes programmatic recommendations www.cwp.org

  44. What’s Next?

  45. Chesapeake Bay Stormwater Training Partnership

  46. About The Partnership: • For SW designers – local gov’t & private sector • VA, MD, WV, and D.C. • 3-tiered training program • Free or low-cost • Webcasts • 1-day workshops • Intensive “master” SW design seminars • Direct technical assistance (limited) • Self-guided web-based learning modules

  47. Enroll at: www.cwp.org/CBSTP

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