Browsing by Subject "Watershed"
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Item QuickLET : a web-based tool for estimating pollutant loads in a watershed(2015-05) Gambone, Marilyn Aldover; Aziz, Adnan; White, Michael JWeb-based modeling tools for estimating pollutant loads in watersheds are few in literature. Those that are available for public access often require domain expertise, making them relevant mostly among environmental researchers. Aside from intensive efforts required to gather enormous amount of data, the complexity of the modeling tools themselves hinder their application among non-technical users. Consequently, environmental decision makers often rely on outside consultants to perform watershed assessments for them. This report presents the Quick Load Estimating Tool (QuickLET), a Web-based tool for estimating pollutant loads in watersheds across the contiguous US. QuickLET empowers users to visualize the effects of land use patterns, cultivated crops, and conservation practices through graphical representation. QuickLET implements an export coefficient approach for predicting the pollutant loads resulting in significant simplification of the estimating process.Item The gray & green stitch : blending green infrastructure into urban transportation right-of-ways(2019-12-06) Patel, Priya Mahendrabhai; Paterson, Robert G.Rapid growth and climate change are two main challenges that the majority of the cities of the United States currently face. For this reason, it is time for cities to use smart and multidisciplinary techniques to address these challenges. To present an example, this study proposes ideas and strategies on how to manage stormwater runoff to reduce some of the impacts of floods. The consequences of stormwater are often hardly noticed until it is too late. In Texas, the cities have become hotter than before and are predicted to become more intolerable in the future. Hotter temperatures increase the frequency of storms annually, and with an increase in the number of storms comes heavy rainfall. In turn, heavy rainfall and an increase in impervious cover due to population growth can be the worst nightmare for the cities of Texas. One of the sustainable techniques that few cities in the USA are implementing to overcome the issues of managing stormwater runoff is Green Streets. Green Streets allow the public right of way (ROW) to manage stormwater runoff with comparatively very affordable solutions than other longtime expensive grey infrastructures. As the concept of Green Street is new, not many cities have this program implemented. However, the cities that have implemented them agree that it has not only helped to reduce the impact of floods, but it has also greatly improved the quality of the surrounding neighborhoods. The objective of this report is to investigate the challenges regarding stormwater management at three levels—Macro (Colorado River Watershed-the city of Austin), Meso (the Shoal Creek Watershed), and Micro (Clay Street), and help the city of Austin implement a Green Street program. This study can act as an information guide, providing steps to be taken to implement green streets for the City of Austin where no such program yet exists. It will provide recommended strategies to the city to tackle some of the climate issues highlighted in the “Atlas 14” Report and reduce the risks of flooding and polluted waters due to the increase in impervious cover