Rain Garden Design & Monitoring

Jay Martin, Ph.D., and Derek Schlea Ohio State University

What the results will be used for

Increase guidance
Lack of information on networks

Engineering design standards Retrofits Promote the technology

Table 1. Summary of individual and laboratory studies of benefits of rain gardens or bioretention areas related to storm water flow and quality (Davis et al. 2009). Previous results have reported reductions of metals (Davis et al. 2003, Hunt et al. 2008)

Site location / description

Burnsville, MN Haddam, CN Greensboro, NC College Park, MD Charlotte, NC College Park, MD College Park, MD Durham, NH Villanova, PA Haddam, CN Greensboro, NC Chapel Hill, NC

Parameter
flow flow flow flow flow TSS TSS TSS TSS Total N Total N Total N

Load Reduction (%)

Stormwater Flow Results
90 98 ~50 49-58 96

Citation
Barr Engineering 2006 Dietz and Clausen 2006 Hunt et al. 2006 Davis 2008 Hunt et al. 2008 Davis 2007 Davis 2007 UNHSC 2006 USEPA 2006 Dietz and Clausen 2006 Hunt et al. 2006 Hunt et al. 2006

Water Quality Results

59 54 97 99 32 40 40

Louisburg, NC
Durham, NH

Total N
Total N

65
97

Sharkey 2006
UNHSC 2006

Pilot boxes
College Park, MD College Park, MD Haddam, CN Greensboro, NC Chapel Hill, NC Louisburg, NC Villanova, PA Pilot boxes Laboratory columns College Park, MD College Park, MD Villanova, PA Durham, NH

Total N
Total P Total P Total P Total P Total P Total P Total P Total P Total P Zn Zn Zn Zn

30-99
79 77 -111 -240 65 69 28 50-99 63-85 54 69 74 99

Davis et al. 2006

Davis 2007 Davis 2007 Dietz and Clausen 2006 Hunt et al. 2006 Hunt et al. 2006 Sharkey 2006 USEPA 2006 Davis et al. 2006 Hsieh et al. 2007 Davis 2007 Davis 2007 USEPA 2006 UNHSC 2006

Goals and Objectives

Hydrology
Quantify volume and peak flow reductions Compare to control neighborhood

Water Quality
Quantify nutrient reductions

Modeling
Application to additional watersheds

Garden Locations

Street-Side Garden Design

Retrofit
Space limited Utilities Tile drainage

Street-Side Garden Design

Sizing Terracing

Street-Side Garden Construction

Excavate
In situ clay soil

Backfill
Higher % sand 20% organic matter

Plant Mulch

Monitoring What to Measure

Hydrology
Rainfall Volume, peak flow, time to peak Rise in water table in gardens

Water Quality
Nutrients Solids

Monitoring - Equipment
Tipping bucket rain gauge Storm sewer flow meters

Monitoring - Equipment
Water quality grab samples
Storm events Various locations Time intervals

Monitoring - Equipment
Water level logger / pressure transducers
Piezometers

Preliminary Results Hydrology

Water level hydrograph

Preliminary Results Hydrology

Controlled Experiments
What?
Observe garden response to known water volume and rate inputs Water balance equation

Controlled Experiments
Eliminate the unknowns of water balance
Inflow volume Bi-pass flow Tile drain flow

Controlled Experiment (12-10-10)

Controlled Experiment (12-10-10)

Controlled Experiment Results

0.0 0 5 10 -1.0 15 -1.5 20 K -2.0 L Inflow -2.5 30 0:00 4:00 8:00 12:00 16:00 20:00 0:00 4:00 8:00 12:00 16:00 20:00 Time 25

-0.5

Water Depth, feet bgs

Inflow, gpm

Controlled Experiment Results

Water balance Tile drainage

Next Steps
Quantify maximum volume retention = depth * width * length * porosity Quantify seepage losses Better estimations of water balance Compare with outfall flow data Mass balance for nutrients
Load reductions

Ongoing Learning
Modify methods to increase accuracy Develop a model
Use data we have Gather data we need

Current Status
Observations show the gardens are working Working to quantify these observations Continuing controlled experiments
More data Predict infiltration rates for different inflows

Thank you!