Ellerbe Creek Green Infrastructure Implementation Plan

Abstract

Ellerbe 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.