Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2010NJ218B

Evaluation of three methodologies to document improvement of water quality through stormwater management measures in an urban subwatershed

Institute: New Jersey
Year Established: 2010 Start Date: 2010-03-01 End Date: 2011-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $20,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $40,000

Principal Investigators: Pat Rector, Christopher Obropta

Project Summary: This project is designed to evaluate three methods of tracking cumulative implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) on a subwatershed scale and determine the method that best documents water quality improvements. The criteria for determining the most appropriate methodology to document water quality improvement will include: ease of use; cost; technical expertise necessary; and the ability to indicate the effects of cumulative BMPs in a subwatershed. Three methods will be evaluated to document water quality improvement due to implementation. The three methods are: modeling; monitoring (chemical /biological); and monitoring of flow to determine volume reductions. Nationwide initiatives are underway to document pollutant removal efficiencies of various BMPs at EPA and University of New Hampshire but do not include the impacts on the receiving waterbody. Documenting “success” of management measures is critical, yet the documentation to this point tends to be either BMP specific or on a larger scale that may not reflect improvements on a subwatershed scale. Implementation projects may be costly, while others may be small in scope but cumulatively provide a reduction in pollutants to the waterbody (eg. Rain gardens). The expected outcome of this project is an evaluation that provides an appropriate method to evaluate the impacts of non-point source (nps) management measures, providing NJ and the nation with a much needed understanding of how management measures can be documented in an urbanized watershed.