Browsing by Subject "Green Infrastructure"
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Item Open Access AN OVERLAY DISTRICT TO ADDRESS STORMWATER RUNOFF QUANTITY AND QUALITY IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: EMPHASIS ON THE ANACOSTIA RIVER(2011-04-28) Backhus, TheresaThis Masters Project (MP) addresses the serious water quality issue of the Anacostia River in the District of Columbia. Focusing on non-point source pollution, the research explores the need for a more unified approach to stormwater runoff policy in DC and how specific examples from across the country can be applied to create a solution. It provides recommendations that will help reduce the burden on the combined sewer overflow (CSO) system that empties into the Anacostia River. Reducing the burden on the CSO system will reduce the number of overflow events during storms. Reducing overflow events and increasing runoff infiltration will have a direct effect on the water quality of the Anacostia River by reducing the quantity of raw sewage, trash, toxicants, and debris that enter the river. The research questions explored are: •What are the roadblocks to effective stormwater management in the District of Columbia? •What are the most effective strategies to eliminate CSO events? •How can a DC stormwater overlay district improve the water quality of the Anacostia River? Extensive literature review and interviews were conducted to define the current stormwater management approach in the District of Columbia. The interviews clarified common goals and conflicting objectives for stormwater management, as well as the degree of stormwater management fragmentation in the District. Analysis of the research and interviews led to the identification of gaps in stormwater policy. Further research was conducted to seek successful, model, local government stormwater district policies from across the country. Additional interviews were conducted with representatives of these municipalities (South Burlington, VT, Philadelphia, PA, Pittsburgh, PA, Anne Arundel County, MD, and Portland, OR) to learn about the development and implementation of the specific program, as well as its successes and opportunities for improvement. A cross-case comparison was conducted to compare each program’s features and explore its applicability to the District of Columbia. Limited content recommendations were then developed for an Anacostia-specific Stormwater Management Overlay District, and implementation strategies were suggested. The results of the research, interviews, and analysis indicate that a Stormwater Management Overlay District would be an effective tool to reduce the burden on the Anacostia River CSO system. The overlay district will help to increase stormwater infiltration as runoff passes through the watershed. This tool could be used as a model for urban cities across the country that are facing similar CSO and stormwater management issues.Item Open Access Analysis of Equity in Two Community-Based Public-Private Partnerships Focused on Green Stormwater Infrastructure(2023-04-28) Waheed, Arfa; Wimberley, KendallCommunity-based public private partnerships (CBP3s) are a novel approach in providing green stormwater infrastructure improvements and community co-benefits. The two long-term CBP3s in our study were located in Prince George’s County, Maryland and the City of Chester, Pennsylvania. We investigated policies, conducted interviews, and assessed stakeholders to better understand equity dimensions in the CBP3s and make recommendations for improvement. Our findings explore contexts around each case study, outcomes to date, data tracking, and how key themes related to equity and considerations around gentrification are described and incorporated. Major differences were identified in community buy-in and stakeholder involvement across our two cases. Recommendations of our study include better incorporating equity into CBP3s, more tracking of key metrics, and increased coordination between those involved in the partnerships.Item Open Access Ellerbe Creek Green Infrastructure Implementation Plan(2016-04-22) Close, Amanda; Davis, Christina; Williams, BethanyEllerbe Creek is a severely degraded urban stream located in Durham, NC. The high percentage of impervious surface within its watershed has contributed to altered hydrology and increased inputs of nitrogen, phosphorus, and other forms of aquatic pollution. This project expands on previous work by the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association (ECWA) to investigate opportunities for controlling the volume and pollutant load of stormwater runoff using dispersed green infrastructure technologies. A 3-pronged methodology that utilized geospatial analysis, field data collection, and scenario planning using cost-effectiveness optimization was employed to identify and prioritize potential green infrastructure retrofits within a sub-catchment of the watershed. Results of the project equip ECWA with both the data necessary to begin implementing the identified residential retrofits and a tool kit that can be used to expand the analysis to the entire Ellerbe Creek Watershed.Item Open Access Framework for Integrating the Value of Nature in Business Decisions: Utilizing Green Infrastructure for Stormwater Management(2016-04-28) Cough-Schulze, Maya; Hart, Jordan; Halperin, Matthew; Tsai, Jocelyn; Young, BenBusinesses contribute to the degradation of ecosystem services, but also depend on those services for their operations. Most businesses do not incorporate ecosystem services into their decision-making. Existing methods to do so are often costly and time consuming, yet fail to link the public benefits of these services directly to business value. We developed a framework to guide businesses towards accounting for the value of ecosystem services in decision-making, through the context of utilizing green infrastructure practices for stormwater management. We applied this framework to the Stream and Wetland Assessment Management Park, a constructed wetland on the Duke University campus. In our application, we illustrated how the choice between two separate models to predict green infrastructure performance may impact the decision to invest in the project. We also demonstrated that businesses are more likely to adopt green infrastructure, thus invest in ecosystem services, when additional ecosystem service benefits are defined in metrics that directly relate to specific business drivers.Item Open Access How Should the Fundacion Gonzalo Rio-Arronte Allocate $15 Million Annually to Address Mexico's Water Problems?(2018-04-26) Lee, Jason Yongwoo; Xu, Zoey ZhuyingMexico’s water issues are complicated by a heterogeneous distribution of water resources that is inverse to its distribution of socioeconomic resources. The Fundación Gonzalo Río Arronte is a Mexico City-based charitable foundation that would like to know the best practices in improving water supply and quality in Mexico. Possible water interventions were sorted into four categories: technology-based solutions, microfinance, community engagement and capacity-building, and green infrastructure. Best practices in each of these four areas were summarized with literature reviews, case studies, and interviews with global NGOs. We report the following. Technology-based solutions should be integrated with education and advocacy programs to ensure the longevity of the project. The key to a successful, self-sustaining microfinance program is a high repayment rate. Community-based projects must create a feeling of ownership of the water project or resources through provision of training, meaningful local control of decisions, and building local human capital. Constructed wetlands can be a low-cost, low-maintenance, decentralized option for local water quality treatment. Ecosystem restoration projects should have a consistent, scientific protocol of site selection to make these expensive projects cost-effective.Item Open Access Impacts of green infrastructure implementation within the Neuse River Basin(2015-04-24) Green, BenjaminAmerican Rivers is advocating for implementation of Green Infrastructure (GI) as a stormwater management strategy within the City of Raleigh. Incorporation of GI into future development plans is an appealing option for growing urban centers to minimize their impact upon surrounding aquatic ecosystems. Since Raleigh lies outside the regulatory boundary of the Falls Lake Nutrient Strategy, there is not a significant driver in place to encourage a shift towards GI. This study provided American Rivers with estimates of potential scale of GI retrofit implementation within a highly developed stormwater drainage basin, as well as the benefits those retrofits would provide in terms of nutrient load and peak flow reductions from stormwater flow. This was accomplished through the development of a GIS tool that identifies potential GI retrofit locations within Raleigh stormwater drainage basins, expediting the retrofit field reconnaissance process. The outputs of this tool were then incorporated into PLOAD, a GIS-based pollutant load modeling application for watershed-scale management, which provided estimates of mass loading rates of TN, TP, and TSS. The study area consisted of 11 subcatchments within Pigeon House Branch stormwater drainage basin (3200 acres, ~32% mean impervious coverage). Estimated annual pollutant load reductions resulting from GI implementation were 0.67, 9.92, and 16.82 tons of TP, TN, and TSS, respectively, although the accuracy of these numbers is questionable due to the coarse scale at which PLOAD operates. Ideally, other modeling efforts can be applied within this study’s framework to produce more informed scenarios within other drainage basins throughout the Neuse River Basin.Item Open Access Planning a Sustainable Tree Canopy for Durham(2020-04-24) Hancock, Grace; Vanko, Alex; Xiong, MingfeiTrees are a vital part of a city’s infrastructure. The urban forest provides many ecosystem services to residents including health benefits, air pollution removal, extreme heat reduction, stormwater mitigation, and even lower violent crime rates. Durham, North Carolina is 52% covered by trees, but its canopy is declining from urban development, and it is unevenly distributed due to a history of racial and socioeconomic inequity. Parts of the city that are more urbanized, non-white, and poor tend to have far less tree cover than more rural, white, affluent areas. This Masters Project sought to help TreesDurham and the City of Durham plan a sustainable tree canopy that meets the city’s goal of 55% cover by 2040. Expansion of Durham’s urban forest must address the concerns of the community, maximize ecosystem services, and consider possible changes to city development codes. We addressed these needs by (1) conducting a community survey to understand Durham residents’ attitudes towards city trees, (2) creating a tree-planting prioritization map based on ecosystem services, and (3) modeling the future of Durham’s urban forest under multiple development scenarios. We recommend that TreesDurham and the City of Durham (1) incorporate input from Durham residents, (2) target tree-planting to the areas that need tree ecosystem services the most, including heavily urbanized areas and roadside rights-of-way, and (3) greatly increase tree protection requirements in Durham’s development code. This will ensure that all residents of Durham enjoy access to the benefits of the urban forest.Item Open Access QUANTIFYING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS(2019-04-26) Garcia, SydneyThe City of Austin, Texas is evaluating a new landscape ordinance called Functional Green, which is intended to integrate nature in the city and meet the growth demands. With this ordinance, it is anticipated that 10,000 acres of the city’s highest developed land will be transformed with a minimum criterion of green infrastructure. In order to move forward with this ordinance, we need to demonstrate the evidence that green landscape elements are beneficial to the city. This study makes a recommendation for the city and private land developers by scoring different landscape elements on their ecosystem service benefit, creating a cost benefit analysis of implementation with different elements, identifying other social outcomes and economic costs, and recognizing areas of the city that will benefit the most from these ecosystem services.Item Open Access Scaling Up Payment for Watershed Services Programs in the Upper Neuse River Basin: A Feasibility Analysis and Guidance Framework(2012-04-27) Martin, Andrea; Reyes, June; Swanson, KaolaThe Falls Reservoir in the Upper Neuse River Basin (UNRB) of North Carolina is currently classified as “impaired,” meaning that it fails to meet state water quality standards for its classified use. To retain its designated use, come into compliance with the Clean Water Act, and enhance local watershed protection, the Falls Rules stipulate specific goals for nitrogen and phosphorus load reductions in the watershed. Payments for Watershed Services (PWS) could provide a cost- and environmentally-effective approach to meeting the Falls Rules goals. We examine successful PWS case studies across the United States to assess the feasibility of scaling up current PWS programs in the UNRB. We compile the relevant attributes, experiences, and lessons learned from these case studies to determine 1) the UNRB’s general state of “readiness” for scaling up PWS programs in the basin, 2) which case studies can serve as model programs for the UNRB, 3) what a basin-wide PWS program might look like and steps UNRB stakeholders can take to better ready themselves for such a program, and 4) potential challenges, limitations, and benefits of basin-wide PWS program implementation. Results from this study suggest that the UNRB is well-positioned for scaling up a payment for watershed services program, as the basin already satisfies many of the designated preconditions for success. We provide five actionable recommendations for UNRB stakeholders and offer a guidance framework for program design and implementation moving forward.Item Open Access Scaling Up Payment for Watershed Services Programs in the Upper Neuse River Basin: A Feasibility Analysis and Guidance Framework(2012-04-27) Reyes, June; Martin, Andrea; Swanson, KaolaThe Falls Lake Reservoir in the Upper Neuse River Basin (UNRB) of North Carolina is currently classified as “impaired,” meaning that it fails to meet state water quality standards for its designated use for aquatic life. To retain its designated use and come into compliance with the Clean Water Act, the Falls Lake Rules stipulate specific goals for nitrogen and phosphorus load reductions in the watershed. Payments for Watershed Services (PWS) could provide a cost- and environmentally-effective approach to meeting the Falls Lake Rules goals. We examine successful PWS case studies across the United States to assess the feasibility of scaling up current PWS programs in the UNRB. We compile the relevant attributes, experiences, and lessons learned from these case studies to determine 1) the UNRB’s general state of “readiness” for scaling up PWS programs in the basin, 2) which case studies can serve as model programs for the UNRB, 3) what a basin-wide PWS program might look like and steps UNRB stakeholders can take to better ready themselves for such a program, and 4) potential challenges, limitations, and benefits of basin-wide PWS program implementation. Results from this study suggest that the UNRB is well-positioned for scaling up a payment for watershed services program, as the basin already satisfies many of the designated preconditions for success. We provide five actionable recommendations for UNRB stakeholders and offer a guidance framework for program design and implementation moving forward.Item Open Access Study of Land Use Impacts and Options for Innovative Stormwater Management in a Rapidly Changing Watershed: Richland Creek, Wake County, North Carolina(2023-04) Fischer, Atalie; Sheldon, Jessica; Jacob, Natasha; Jing, YikaiThe Blue Ridge Corridor (BRC) in northwest Raleigh, NC is currently being redeveloped through a partnership between the Blue Ridge Corridor Alliance (BCRA) and the City of Raleigh. However, the scope of this development is unprecedented within the region and larger watershed of Richland Creek. Rapid urbanization can degrade water quality and functionality of these ecosystems. Our team’s goal is to provide a baseline for water quality and quantity in the watershed, assess land cover changes, develop a stormwater case study, and create a green stormwater framework that would provide guidance and opportunity for ecologically minded development. We analyzed and modeled recent and projected future land use and land cover change. Development in the Richland Creek Watershed has increased by 9.22% in the past 22 years, and an additional 24% of the watershed will become urbanized in the next 20 years, largely at the expense of forested land. Accelerating urban land pressures will require well-designed development to maintain water quality and ecosystem health. The results of our water quality and quantity assessment reveal signatures of increased urban land covers in Richland and Crabtree Creeks. Although rainfall has been constant, stream flow has increased, a change that can be attributed to runoff from increased impervious surface. Additionally, we see increased total hardness attributable to the weathering of asphalt, and increased turbidity attributable to the rapid transport of urban runoff. Improved monitoring of Richland and Crabtree Creek will help assessment of the watershed under increasing development. We modeled replacement of impervious surface cover (ISC) with pervious surfaces to determine how runoff could be reduced in current and future development. Decreasing ISC for three points of interest (POI) had varying effects, but overall decreased peak flows in all storm events. Development should focus on areas where a change in land cover does not greatly impact peak flows and avoid hydrologically sensitive areas. We identified relevant examples of green stormwater infrastructure that could be implemented in the corridor, outlined their benefits, and identified possible funding programs for their construction and maintenance. A public StoryMap was a step in the final synthesis of the project, which was to create a framework for ecologically minded development in the BRC. Our ArcGIS online StoryMap provides context of the project, overview of methods, results, and recommendations. Environmental and economic success of the Blue Ridge Corridor development will be more likely if engaged stakeholders possess a shared understanding of the development and how green infrastructure and low-impact design can reduce environmental costs and maximize environmental benefits throughout the project. This framework is achievable through the implementation of the following recommendations: (1) Maximize the use of green stormwater infrastructure throughout the BRC; (2) Regular monitoring of Richland Creek through placement of USGS gage; and, (3) Inform and engage stakeholders through creation of a publicly available StoryMap. These three steps address the findings, limitations, and next steps identified in the project. Incorporation of the framework into the BRC development plans is critical to the ecosystem health and resilience of the Richland Creek watershed.Item Open Access Valuing Nature in Business-A Case Study of Chemical Manufacturing and Forest Products Industries(2014-04-24) Browning, Peter; Gong, Mimi; Hu, Tianyang; Marx, Charles; Natake, TaichiOver the past several decades, there has been an increased realization of the extent to which the means of production in human society depend on and impact increasingly fragile natural systems. Working with our client, The Nature Conservancy, we researched trends in ecosystem valuation within the chemical manufacturing and forest product industries, discerning ways to identify and evaluate future ecosystem investment opportunities. This research resulted in a framework that businesses could use to identify future ecosystem service opportunities and then score the opportunities’ business values using a multi-criteria analysis approach. We identified potential ecosystem service opportunities by overlaying classifications of business risk on major operational subsectors within the industries, populating the resulting table with key ecosystem impacts and opportunities. Through the application of this process, we identified three hypothetical ecosystem service projects applicable to both the chemical manufacturing and forest product industries and used them to test our scoring framework. The identified projects were constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment, coastal habitat protection for storm surge protection, and forest carbon sequestration. We ranked the business value of each project using five criteria important to businesses: financial value, reputational benefits, environmental risk reduction, political and regulatory enabling conditions, and level of knowledge and activity in the field. According to our research, businesses emphasize financial benefits most highly when evaluating potential investments, so we weighted financial values most heavily in our ranking scheme. Our analysis indicated that a forest carbon sequestration project had the highest potential business value relative to the other project types due to its higher expected financial benefits. The constructed wetland project, which also had a relatively high expected financial benefit, followed second. Finally, the coastal habitat protection project had the lowest relative business value due to high costs, a low level of scientific knowledge, and weak regulatory support. The identification and ranking methodologies are designed to be flexible, allowing adaptation for use given varying business objectives. The weights on the five valuation criteria can be adjusted to reflect a business’s concerns. This scoring methodology is useful for businesses because few tools exist to enable comparative analysis of business ecosystem service investments. We believe this tool provides a useful approach to determining the value that nature and ecosystem services provide to a wide range of businesses, and we recommend its application outside the chemical manufacturing and forest products industry for further refinement.