They improve water quality by assimilating and removing excess nutrients that could fuel harmful algae blooms; provide valuable ecological habitat for a variety of beneficial species; help mitigate wave and wind erosion impacts; provide an aesthetic element; and add significant biodiversity enhancement within open freshwater environments.
Full Answer
Why is understanding the ecohydrological processes important?
We synthesize current literature to illustrate the importance of understanding the ecohydrological processes for accurately quantifying ecosystem services under different environmental and socioeconomic settings and scales.
What is Sustainable Stormwater Management and why is it important?
Sustainable stormwater management focuses on reducing runoff and improving water quality. LID practices help maintain natural hydrologic cycles through site grading, vegetation, soils and natural processes that absorb and filter stormwater onsite. They also help minimize erosion, flooding and water pollution downstream from EPA facilities.
What are stormwater best management practices?
Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) can be used to mitigate the effects of urban development by retaining large volumes of stormwater runoff and treating runoff to remove pollutants.
How can we improve stormwater quality?
Since stormwater is not routed to off-site wastewater treatment facilities, but is usually piped directly into local streams, improving stormwater quality usually occurs by directing the site runoff to low impact development (LID) practices or units designed to improve stormwater quality.
What are some ways to improve the amount and quality of stormwater runoff?
Following are some of the green infrastructure and LID practices EPA uses to reduce stormwater runoff and pollution:Green Roofs.Rain Barrels and Cisterns.Permeable Pavements.Bioretention Areas.Vegetated Swales/Dry Swales.Curb and Gutter Elimination.Vegetated Filter Strips.Sand and Organic Filters.More items...•
What is the best way to manage stormwater?
10 Ways To Manage Runoff WaterAdd plants. Incorporate plantings, especially in areas where runoff collects. ... Protect trees. Like other plant roots, tree roots help absorb and filter runoff. ... Break up slabs. ... Go permeable. ... Catch runoff. ... How to Divert Water Runoff from Driveway. ... Plant a rain garden. ... Cover soil.More items...
How do sustainable designs manage stormwater runoff?
Increased water supply More than half of the rain that falls in urban areas covered mostly by impervious surfaces ends up as runoff. Green infrastructure practices reduce runoff by capturing stormwater and allowing it to recharge groundwater supplies or be harvested for purposes like landscaping and toilet flushing.
How can you reduce your impact to stormwater pollution?
You can do a lot to help minimize stormwater problemsMaintain your car or truck. ... Wash your car at a commercial car wash rather than in the street or in your driveway. ... Drive less. ... Cut down on fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. ... Remove part or all of your lawn. ... If you are on a septic system, maintain the system.More items...•
Why is stormwater management important?
Effective stormwater management reduces the amount of runoff and runoff pollution by slowing runoff and allow- ing it to soak in. When stormwater stays close to where it falls, less soil erosion occurs and fewer pollutants are car- ried to surface water.
What are 2 examples of best management practices?
URBAN BMPSUse Fertilizers Wisely.Apply Pesticides Wisely.Use Landscaping Practices that Prevent Erosion.Wash Your Vehicle Wisely.Dispose of Pet Waste.Use and Dispose of Household Chemicals Safely.Evaluate Existing Roads.Proper Planning of Roads.More items...
How can water sustainability be improved?
10 Ways to Conserve Water for a Sustainable LivingTurn off the tap when it's not in use. ... Soak your dishes in warm water first. ... Run your dishwasher and laundry only when its full. ... Cut those long showers short. ... Use energy-efficient, water-saving devices. ... Use a water softener to tackle hard water problems. ... Fix plumbing leaks.More items...
Why can rainwater management be an environmentally friendly approach?
Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is the most traditional and sustainable method, which could be easily used for potable and nonpotable purposes both in residential and commercial buildings. This could reduce the pressure on processed supply water which enhances the green living.
How can urban water sustainability be improved?
To enhance the urban natural water environment, it is necessary to improve the efficient collection and utilization of rainwater, increase the surface permeability rate, and promote rain-collecting roof and road-surface materials.
How can city managers mitigate stormwater runoff?
Practices known as “green infrastructure,” including rain gardens, green roofs and tree planting in urban areas, help reduce polluted runoff and CSOs while also providing additional community benefits like energy savings, flood reduction, water reuse, and cooler temperatures.
What can be done to reduce runoff pollution?
10 Things You Can Do to Prevent Stormwater Runoff PollutionUse fertilizers sparingly and sweep up driveways, sidewalks, and roads.Never dump anything down storm drains.Vegetate bare spots in your yard.Compost your yard waste.Avoid pesticides; learn about Integrated Pest Management (IPM).More items...•
How can you limit the downstream negative effects of stormwater runoff?
How can you limit the downstream negative effects of storm water runoff? Reducing the rate at which storm water moves will allow for greater absorption, leading to less water ending up rivers or other large bodies of water. Points are based upon the percentage of permeable areas.
Ecohydrology and the Critical Zone: Processes and Patterns Across Scales
Georgianne Moore, ... Greg Barron-Gafford, in Developments in Earth Surface Processes, 2015
Mountain Ice and Water
Clearly, snow plays a significant role in annual ecohydrological processes in Great Basin mountains, even in times of regional drought and very low snowpack.
ECOHYDROLOGY OF LARGE RIVERS
There has been a rapid growth in understanding of the ecohydrological processes occurring within rivers and their catchments, and on the interactions between them.
New Challenges and Dimensions of Ecohydrology, Part II
José Galizia Tundisi, Takako Matsumura Tundisi, in Ecohydrology & Hydrobiology, 2016
The dryland social-ecological systems in changing environments
Bojie Fu, ... Xi Chen, in Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 2021
Hydrological services in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil: An ecosystem-based adaptation using ecohydrological monitoring
Denise Taffarello, ... Eduardo Mario Mendiondo, in Climate Services, 2017
Abstract
The framework for ecosystem services has been increasingly used in integrated watershed ecosystem management practices that involve scientists, engineers, managers, and policy makers.
Conclusions
The ecosystem service framework offers an effective way to connect nature to people’s well-being.
Acknowledgements
Financial support for this study was provided by the USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, the Joint Fire Science Program (project number 14-1-06-18), and the US Forest Service Research Participation Program administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) through an interagency agreement between the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the USDA Forest Service.
Author information
Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center, Southern Research Station, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, 920 Main Campus Dr. Suite 300, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
Rights and permissions
Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author (s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made..
How to improve stormwater quality?
Infiltrating stormwater into the soil or passing stormwater through a soil/media mix such as mulch or compost is the most effective and successful approach to improving stormwater quality. This means every effort must be made to infiltrate the stormwater into the soil.
Why is the quality of water less when stormwater comes in contact with soil-like media or mulch?
The improvements in water quality were somewhat less when the stormwater came in contact with soil-like media or mulch. Collecting the stormwater into water-based systems, such as wetlands and wet basins were less effective, often because of limited contact time with the microorganisms present.
How effective are LIDs in removing pollutants from stormwater?
Though a great deal of variability is shown in the New Hampshire Stormwater center data reported herein, it is clear that those LIDs that bring the stormwater in contact with the soil were most effective in removing pollutants from the stormwater runoff. The improvements in water quality were somewhat less when the stormwater came in contact with soil-like media or mulch. Collecting the stormwater into water-based systems, such as wetlands and wet basins were less effective, often because of limited contact time with the microorganisms present. The least effective methods of stormwater pollutant removal were those treatment LIDs that did do not expose the stormwater to soil, media, or a wet environment.
What is the process of a pollutant in stormwater reacting with another chemical in the soil to form
Chemical precipitation is the process of a pollutant in stormwater reacting with another chemical in the soil to form a relatively insoluble compound. An example is that phosphate in the stormwater will react with aluminum or iron in the soil to form relatively insoluble iron or aluminum phosphate.
What is the role of soil in stormwater?
The stormwater becomes part of the soil-water matrix where microbes can break down organic forms of carbon and nitrogen, and nitrogen and phosphorus can be adsorbed onto the soil parti cles. The soil also acts as an effective filter that removes pathogens, sediment, and other particulates from the stormwater.
What is the process that kills pathogens in stormwater?
The sunlight and the desiccation process will usually kill most pathogens. It is important that pets and wildlife are prevented from depositing their wastes in stormwater sensitive areas. Sedimentation and filtration are physical processes that remove soil particles, litter and other debris.
Why is biological treatment less effective?
Collecting the stormwater into water-based systems, such as wetlands and wet basins where biological treatment can be facilitated is less effective because substantial time is required for the biological processes to improve the stormwater quality.
What is stormwater?
Stormwater is rainwater or melted snow that runs off streets, lawns and other sites. When stormwater is absorbed into soil, it is filtered and ultimately replenishes aquifers or flows into streams and rivers.
What causes a storm drain to overflow?
In developed areas, impervious surfaces such as pavement and roofs prevent precipitation from naturally soaking into the ground. Instead, water runs rapidly into storm drains, sewer systems and drainage ditches and can cause: 1 Downstream flooding 2 Stream bank erosion 3 Increased turbidity (muddiness created by stirred up sediment) from erosion 4 Habitat destruction 5 Combined storm and sanitary sewer system overflows 6 Infrastructure damage 7 Contaminated streams, rivers and coastal water
Manufactured Treatment Devices
Manufactured Treatment Devices (MTDs) are pre-fabricated stormwater treatment structures used to address stormwater issues in highly developed, urban areas. MTDs capture and remove sediments, metals, hydrocarbons, and other pollutants from stormwater runoff before the runoff reaches surrounding waterbodies and/or storm sewer systems.
Rain Garden Renovation
Rain gardens are a cost effective, attractive, and sustainable way to minimize stormwater runoff and filter out pollutants. This aesthetic, low-maintenance addition to any outdoor landscape creates a functioning habitat that attracts pollinators, beneficial insects, and birds.
Floating Wetland Islands
Floating Wetland Islands (FWIs) are a low-cost, effective green infrastructure solution used to mitigate phosphorus and nitrogen stormwater pollution. FWIs are designed to mimic natural wetlands in a sustainable, efficient, and powerful way.
Dry detention basins
Also called dry ponds, dry detention basins are a BMP used primarily for controlling water quantity versus quality, as they only confine stormwater for a short amount of time.
Retention basins
Retention basins are artificial lakes or ponds that treat stormwater runoff by emulating the water treatment capabilities of natural watersheds. Runoff that collects in the basin undergoes natural treatment processes:
Vegetated swale
Vegetated or grassed swales are shallow, open channels tasked specifically with slowing stormwater runoff while also removing pollutants. The sides and bottoms of the channel are lush with vegetation, as you may have guessed from the name.
Coverings
Anything stored outside and exposed to rain and/or runoff should have a covering if it has the potential to contaminate stormwater. Coverings include anything temporary, like a plastic covering or tarp, or something more permanent such as a roof or building enclosure.
Introduction
Linkages Among Ecosystem Services and Ecohydrological Processes
Energy Partitioning and Climate Moderation
Water Cycle and Supply
Carbon Cycle and Ecosystem Productivity
Nutrient Cycles and Water Quality
- Ecosystems improve water quality by regulating nutrient cycling through various physical (i.e., dilution, uptake), chemical (phytoremediation, transformation), and biological processes (microorganism activities) (Chapin et al. 2002). Nutrient cycling in ecosystems is closely linked to water availability, movement, and carbon cycles in plants, soils...
Introduction
Processes and Principles Used to Remove Pollutants
- Processes used to remove stormwater pollutants utilize physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms. Specific removal mechanisms include chemical adsorption, microbial transformation, plant uptake, sedimentation, and filtration. Each of these mechanisms is shown below in Table 1 and briefly explained. Before we look at mechanisms and processes tha...
Non-Soil Stormwater Pollutant Removal Processes
Effectiveness of Pollutant Removal
Summary
References