Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2010TX361B

Low Impact Development (LID) Structures for Groundwater Management and Watershed Protection in the AMRC10 Watershed, El Paso Texas

Institute: Texas
Year Established: 2010 Start Date: 2010-03-01 End Date: 2011-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $5,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $11,071

Principal Investigators: Ricardo Marmolejo, John Walton

Abstract: The Ivey Property is subject to excess peak runoff as a result of improperly designed upstream developments. A conservation orientated design will be developed for the property that will a) allow for increases in peak flow resulting from upstream development, b) increase recharge of groundwater, and c) incorporate rainwater harvesting to reduce water use and decrease stormwater runoff. Experimentation will be executed, and computer models will be constructed to predict the response of the AMRC10 watershed to the development of the Ivey property located in the lower, undeveloped portion of the watershed. This will center on the construction of the passive rainwater capture and energy dissipation structures in the existing drainage pathways (arroyos) to accommodate the structures in an aesthetically pleasing design. The desired outcome is to determine the effects of this development on recharge of the underlying aquifer, and what methods can be used to maintain that recharge.