Thermal Mitigation of Urban Storm Water by Level Spreader–Vegetative Filter Strips
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VIEW CORRECTIONPublication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 137, Issue 8
Abstract
A study was conducted in Louisburg, North Carolina, to determine the effect of level spreader–vegetative filter strip (LS-VFS) storm-water control measures (SCMs) on runoff temperature and thermal loading. Two LS-VFS systems draining an urban catchment were monitored during the summers of 2008 and 2009. The first VFS was 7.6 m wide and entirely grassed. The second was 15.2 m wide, with the first-half grassed and the second-half wooded. Runoff temperatures and thermal loads from the urban catchment tended to peak toward the beginning of a storm event. Median and maximum storm temperatures were significantly reduced across both the 7.6-m and 15.2-m LS-VFSs. However, median and maximum effluent temperatures for both filter strip lengths were significantly greater than the 21°C trout threshold. Mean and median effluent temperatures from the 15.2-m LS-VFS were slightly lower () than those from the 7.6-m LS-VFS, which may show the impact of increased filter strip width and/or the shading from wooded vegetation on effluent temperatures. Expected differences between influent and effluent temperatures (both median and maximum) were greater as the influent temperature increased. Substantial and statistically significant () thermal load reductions were observed in both LS-VFSs because of measured reductions in both temperature and flow volume. Thermal load was eliminated in seven of 38 storm events because of infiltration of the entire runoff volume in the filter strips. The ability of LS-VFS systems to reduce storm-water temperatures and thermal loads supports their use in thermally sensitive watersheds.
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Acknowledgments
The authors appreciate the U.S. EPA (USEPA319h) program administered by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NC DENR) for funding this study. Thanks to Dr. Matthew Jones for inspiring the collection of these data. The authors appreciate the town of Louisburg, North Carolina for hosting the research site. Thanks to Mr. Shawn Kennedy for his expertise with monitoring installations. The authors also acknowledge the assistance of Drs. François Birgand, Deanna Osmond, and Jason Osborne of North Carolina State University for assistance with data analysis.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 137 • Issue 8 • August 2011
Pages: 707 - 716
Copyright
© 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 20, 2010
Accepted: Jan 31, 2011
Published online: Feb 1, 2011
Published in print: Aug 1, 2011
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