Texas Society of Architects - LID Edwards Aquifer

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SUSTAINABLE STORMWATER FOR THE EDWARDS AQUIFER | TSA 2010 | GEAA | URBANBIOLOGY 1 Low Impact Design: Managing Stormwater for the Edwards Aquifer Annalisa Peace, Executive Director Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance Marita Roos RLA LEED AP, Principal UrbanBiology Texas Society of Architects Annual Meeting October 2010

description

shows why Edwards Aquifer recharge zone ought to receive greater protection, and sustainable stormwater measures that can be used above the karst aquifer

Transcript of Texas Society of Architects - LID Edwards Aquifer

Page 1: Texas Society of Architects - LID Edwards Aquifer

SUSTAINABLE STORMWATER FOR THE EDWARDS AQUIFER | TSA 2010 | GEAA | URBANBIOLOGY 1

Low Impact Design: Managing Stormwater for the

Edwards Aquifer

Annalisa Peace, Executive Director

Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance

Marita Roos RLA LEEDAP, Principal UrbanBiology

Texas Society of Architects Annual Meeting October 2010

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SUSTAINABLE STORMWATER FOR THE EDWARDS AQUIFER | TSA 2010 | GEAA | URBANBIOLOGY 2

The Edwards Aquifer Ecosystem

The Heart of Texas

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SUSTAINABLE STORMWATER FOR THE EDWARDS AQUIFER | TSA 2010 | GEAA | URBANBIOLOGY 3

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Edwards Aquifer Region

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Edwards Aquifer Region

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Edwards Aquifer Ecosystem

Home to over 50 plant and animal species that live nowhere else in the world.

Golden cheeked WarblerBlack capped Vireo

Barton Springs salamander

(Eurycea sosorum)

Texas Blind salamander

(Eurycea rathbuni)

Texas wild rice

Fountain darters

Edwards Aquifer Ecosystem

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Edwards Aquifer Ecosystem

Providing the sole source of drinking water

to more than 1.5 million

citizens…

Del Rio’s municipal water supply

Edwards Aquifer Ecosystem

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Edwards Aquifer Ecosystem

…and sustaining essential

freshwater flows to bays

and estuaries during times

of drought

Guadalupe Estuary – San Antonio Bay

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SUSTAINABLE STORMWATER FOR THE EDWARDS AQUIFER | TSA 2010 | GEAA | URBANBIOLOGY 9

HILL COUNTRY GULF COASTAL PLAIN

Edwards

T r in it y G r ou p

E d w a rd s

T rin it y

Balcones fault zone

G r o up

Groups

Midway Group

D el R io Cl ay , B ud a

E a gl e Fo r d , A u s t in , Ta y lo r,

Trinity Group

Edwards Group

a n d N a va r ro Gro u p s

Catchment area

Ed war d s G ro u pTrin ity

Gro up

L i mes t o n e , a n d

Wilcox and Claiborne

H a m m e tt S h a le

G r o u p

Group

Recharge

Zone

EDWARDS PLATEAU

Artesian

Zone

Edwards Aquifer AreaEdwards Aquifer Area

CrossCross--SectionSection

AA BB

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Thin to non-existent Hill Country soils . . .

Edwards Aquifer Ecosystem

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. . . rapid, groundwater recharge. . .

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. . . rapid open channel flow . . .

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. . . provides minimal

filtration of pollutants

that enter the aquifer…

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. . . combine to make the Edwards Aquifer more vulnerable to pollution than any other major aquifer in

Texas.

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Rapid, unsustainable urbanization threatens pollution of

the Great Springs of Texas.

Edwards Aquifer Ecosystem

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SUSTAINABLE STORMWATER FOR THE EDWARDS AQUIFER | TSA 2010 | GEAA | URBANBIOLOGY 17

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SUSTAINABLE STORMWATER FOR THE EDWARDS AQUIFER | TSA 2010 | GEAA | URBANBIOLOGY 20

Carbaryl and Diazinon in Barton Springs

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Overpumping of the aquifer also threatens the economic

and ecological health of the central Texas coast

100 200 300 400 500 600

Comal Springs

San Marcos Springs

Min

imu

m s

pri

ng

flo

wT

ho

usan

d a

cre

-ft/

ye

ar

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Total pumpage (thousand acre-ft/year)

Edwards Aquifer Ecosystem

a treasure at risk

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Barton Springs salamander with gas bubble disease

Rapid, unsustainable urbanization is pushing

aquatic species to the brink of extinction

Edwards Aquifer Ecosystem

A Treasure at Risk

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Current measures are inadequate.

Structural controls often fail

to prevent pollution.

Edwards Aquifer Sustainability InitiativeEdwards Aquifer Sustainability Initiative

A Need for ActionA Need for Action

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Current measures are

inadequate.

Increased impervious

cover increases

stormwater flows,

erosion, and flooding.

Edwards Aquifer Sustainability InitiativeEdwards Aquifer Sustainability Initiative

A Need for ActionA Need for Action

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• Rapid regional population and urban growth predicted

to continue.

• 4 out of the nations 10 fastest growing counties are

within Texas Hill Country

• Multiple jurisdictions with no coherent plan or vision

for the region

Edwards Aquifer Sustainability InitiativeEdwards Aquifer Sustainability Initiative

A Need for ActionA Need for Action

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Based on regional scientific consensus

“Government, private corporations and citizens should act promptly to direct urban development away from the aquifer through control of infrastructure investment….”

“Restrict impervious cover to levels to levels that will sustain existing water quality.” (<12%)

Edwards Aquifer Sustainability InitiativeEdwards Aquifer Sustainability Initiative

A Need for ActionA Need for Action

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Based on regional economic consensus

Chamber of Commerce’s “New Century Economic

Report” confirms that a high quality environment is

necessary for a healthy economy

Edwards Aquifer Sustainability InitiativeEdwards Aquifer Sustainability Initiative

A Need for ActionA Need for Action

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Save It, Don’t Pave It

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For more information about GEAA

and our member groups visit

www.AquiferAlliance.org

You may contact me:

Annalisa Peace

210-320-6294

[email protected]

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Sustainable Stormwater Management

for the Edwards Aquifer

… not there yet

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Some issues with the current regulations

Development may fail to follow the natural system of drainage

& recharge

Stormwater management must be established AND stabilized

before construction

Leak inspections conducted every 5 years; leaks fixed within 1

year

Improper installation and lack of maintenance are typical

causes of BMP failures

Site planning does not always lead development process

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Building to regulation – isolated, single purpose, spatially

dead BMP structures – and they may not work anyway

Sand filters are primary BMP, require regular

cleaning after storm events, fencing

10-15% of 3,000 BMPs are non-compliant

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Communities across US, internationally are implementing

LID as part of improved regulatory environment

Biofiltration may capture up to 100% rainfall

Filters out 95% pollutants in plant + soil layer

Special soil mix applied in areas of thin soils

Applications: parking lot islands, filter strips, pre-treatment swales, rain

gardens

Villanova University traffic island

Portland OR streetscape swale

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LID methods ideally used in sequence for water quality

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LID principles for the Edwards Aquifer

Respect the context of the Edwards Plateau and nearby Texas

Hill Country

Balance growth with preservation of the natural drainage and

infiltration system

Take a systems approach to development, integrating water

planning from the onset

Use every building project as an opportunity to improve

groundwater collection, quality and monitoring

Integrate aquifer management into site programs through LID

multiple use projects

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Respect the context of the land

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Karst regions have special issues for LID

Stormwater runoff carries pollutants from impervious roadways

and parking lots, which enter aquifer quickly through porous

karst.

Stormwater in urbanizing karst regions tends to concentrate

water, eroding and destabilizing limestone bedrock.

Investigation of subsurface geology and avoidance of known

sinkhole areas important if considering use of infiltration

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Balance growth with preservation of the natural drainage

and infiltration system

75% of aquifer recharge infiltration occurs in streambeds

Photo Comal Springs, New Braunfels

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Case study:

UNC Stormwater Master

Plan 2004

Taking a systems approach

to water protection from

the onset of new

development

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LID practices meet & beat federal, state regulations for

controlling runoff, improving water quality

Rainwater harvested from roofs reduces detention requirements

Floodplain functions restored to channelized stream

UNC

Stormwater Plan

Implementation

TREATMENT SWALE

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Reduce detention, practice multiple use

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Multipurpose campus space protects stream valley, saves

water & enriches community life

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Use every building as an opportunity – capture LEED

credits, save energy, integrate landscape

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Water treatment integrated with green building –

Sidwell Friends Middle School, NW Washington DC

©Andropogon Associates

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Water treatment as part of curriculum

Opportunity for LEED ID credit + grant funding

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LID principles for the Edwards Aquifer

Respect the context of the Edwards Plateau and nearby Texas

Hill Country

Balance growth with preservation of the natural drainage and

infiltration system

Take a systems approach to development, integrating water

planning from the onset

Use every building project as an opportunity to improve

groundwater collection, quality and monitoring

Integrate aquifer management into site programs through LID

multiple use projects

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SUSTAINABLE STORMWATER FOR THE EDWARDS AQUIFER | TSA 2010 | GEAA | URBANBIOLOGY 53

Source: USGS 2005 Geologic Map of the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, South-Central Texas

UTSA

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UTSA Main Campus – campus core has large hardscape areas

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UTSA Main Campus – native landscape, maintained landscape

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UTSA 2009 Master Plan – dense building grid predominates

Green reserve preserves campus edges

Buildings constructed on existing parking

Wooded stream valley on east side preserved

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First goal of aquifer management: protect stream recharge

LOOP 1604 NW

LEON CREEK

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Location of linear LID features can protect aquifer recharge

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Loop 1604I-10

UTSA

UTSA

Geologic features influence patterns of campus development

and inform the type of LID implementation

UTSA

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Campus core and planned housing are over the

permeable Edwards limestone

Clean water captured at source

can be directly infiltrated

Parking and vehicle use areas

should be minimized

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Rainwater from roofs is stored separately in cisterns for reuse

Stormwater from sidewalks, paved surfaces must be treated with bioretention prior to recharge

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Proposed campus expansion, athletic fields and most

parking is located in less permeable limestones

Water simply drains to pipes with

no treatment

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Treatment swales with amended soils for infiltration

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Proposed campus expansion, athletic fields and most

parking is located in less permeable limestones

Runoff from sports fields receives

minimal treatment in grass swales

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Hedgerow swales combine treatment with shade, habitat

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Using LID as “treatment train” will improve recharge amount,

improve water quality and integrate landscape + buildings

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SUSTAINABLE STORMWATER FOR THE EDWARDS AQUIFER | TSA 2010 | GEAA | URBANBIOLOGY 69Swales, bioretention & tree trenches used in combination

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Bioretention swales

Hedgerow swales

Tree trenches

Green roofMeadow strips

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Marita Roos RLA AICP LEEDAP

[email protected]

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