Review of Urban Flood Mitigation and Stormwater Management by James C. Y. Guo

Urban flooding is becoming more frequent these days, perhaps because of climate change. Losses caused by urban flooding are huge and are increasing due to a growing urban population. The most recent example of flooding of the Houston area, caused by Hurricane Harvey, is estimated to cost more than $200 billion. This kind of flooding is devastating. Fundamental to flood mitigation is stormwater management. Since stormwater is a natural resource that supports water supply for meeting urban needs, refreshes lakes and rivers, recharges groundwater, transports pollutants, and helps maintain greenery, it is essential to manage stormwater and control floods in an environmentally sustainable manner. This book, dealing with urban flood mitigation and stormwater management, is a timely publication. Using both conventional and low-impact development (LID) techniques, the author brings his three decades of rich experience of teaching, research, and professional service to bear on the latest hydrologic and hydraulic techniques for stormwater management.

The subject matter of the book is divided into 20 chapters. The first six chapters deal with hydrology with a particular focus on the urban environment, and the remaining 14 chapters deal with hydraulic design. The first chapter is on urban stormwater planning and provides a good introduction to regional master drainage planning, principles for surface water drainage, design risk, urban stormwater facilities, and design risk and consistency. It is a well written chapter and several solved problems make it even better.

The second chapter is on rainfall analysis. It is good introductory chapter. The third chapter is titled “Watershed Hydrology,” but is essentially on unit hydrograph. The fourth chapter deals with frequency analysis and provides a good treatment. The rational method is discussed well in Chapter 5. Chapter 6 is a good introduction to watershed modeling with a focus on the urban environment.

Chapter 7 deals with flood channel design. It is a good chapter on earthen or grass channels and is a useful treatment. High-gradient concrete channels are dealt with in Chapter 8 and involve flow stability and roll waves. Chapter 9 deals with street hydraulics and Chapter 10 deals with street inlet hydraulics. Both chapters are good design chapters.

Culvert hydraulics are discussed in Chapter 11 and storm sewer design is discussed in Chapter 12. Both chapters deal with hydraulic principles and design procedures and are written clearly and are easy to understand.

Chapter 13 is on detention basin design, Chapter 14 on flow diversion, and Chapter 15 on grate and rock hydraulics. These chapters present procedures for design of different structures, such as detention basins, outlet works, flood gates, spillways, grates, weirs, and orifices. The hydraulic treatment in these chapters is very useful.

Stormwater quality capture volume is discussed in Chapter 16. Beginning with rainfall-runoff distributions, it presents runoff capture analysis, water quality capture volume, overflow risk, and retrofitting of detention basins. It is a well written chapter.

LID facilities are dealt with in Chapter 17 and design of infiltration basins is discussed in Chapter 18. Both chapters, dealing with the principles needed for designing LID facilities, are very good.

Hydraulic and hydrologic routing are discussed, respectively, in Chapters 19 and 20. Both chapters are a good introduction to routing methods.

Although limited in literature cited and despite some key references missing, students, faculty, and practitioners will find the book to be highly useful. The effect of climate change and global warming on urban environment is missing and the same can be said about the stochastic methods. Nevertheless, on the whole this is an excellent book on stormwater management, especially from a design perspective. The discussion clearly reflects the author’s vast knowledge of urban hydrology and hydraulics. The book contains a number of solved examples and homework problems which students and faculty will find attractive. Professor Guo deserves a lot of applause for bringing out this excellent volume.