Watershed-scale impacts of stormwater green infrastructure on hydrology, nutrient fluxes, and combined sewer overflows in the mid-Atlantic region
Open accessAbstract
Stormwater green infrastructure (SGI), including rain gardens, detention ponds, bioswales, and green roofs, is being implemented in cities across the globe to reduce flooding, combined sewer overflows, and pollutant transport to streams and rivers. Despite the increasing use of urban SGI, few studies have quantified the cumulative effects of multiple SGI projects on hydrology and water quality at the watershed scale. To assess the effects of SGI, Washington, DC, Montgomery County, MD, and Baltimore County, MD, were selected based on the availability of data on SGI, water quality, and stream flow. The cumulative impact of SGI was evaluated over space and time by comparing watersheds with and without SGI, and by assessing how long-term changes in SGI impact hydrologic and water quality metrics over time. Most Mid-Atlantic municipalities have a goal of achieving 10-20% of the landscape drain runoff through SGI by 2030. Of these areas, Washington, DC currently has the greatest amount of SGI (12.7% of the landscape drained through SGI), while Baltimore County has the lowest (7.9%). When controlling for watersheds size and percent impervious surface cover, watersheds with greater amounts of SGI have less flashy hydrology, with 44% lower peak runoff, 26% less frequent runoff events, and 26% less variable runoff. Watersheds with more SGI also show 44% less NO3(-) and 48% less total nitrogen exports compared to watersheds with minimal SGI. There was no significant reduction in phosphorus exports or combined sewer overflows in watersheds with greater SGI. When comparing individual watersheds over time, increases in SGI corresponded to non-significant reductions in hydrologic flashiness compared to watersheds with no change in SGI. While the implementation of SGI is somewhat in its infancy in some regions, cities are beginning to have a scale of SGI where there are statistically significant differences in hydrologic patterns and water quality.
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Rain gardens, bioretention, and vegetated roofs moderate runoff events and associated nutrient loads.
“Rain gardens, bioretention, and vegetated roofs moderate runoff events and associated nutrient loads (Pennino et al. 2016).”
From Applying cumulative effects to strategically advance large‐scale ecosystem restoration (2021) · cites this paper as Pennino et al. 2016
The Conclusions report that stormwater green infrastructure reduced flashy hydrology and nitrogen exports at the watershed scale. But §3.3 found no significant correlation between nutrient exports and any individual infrastructure type, and no significant reduction in phosphorus exports. The paper therefore does not establish that rain gardens, bioretention, and vegetated roofs each moderate runoff and associated nutrient loads. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredHigher densities of stormwater treatment areas implemented in watersheds are correlated with watershed-scale reductions in annual peak runoff, high-flow event frequency, coefficient of variation in runoff, and N loads.
“Higher densities of stormwater treatment areas implemented in watersheds are correlated with watershed-scale reductions in annual peak runoff, high-flow event frequency, coefficient of variation in runoff, and N loads (Pennino et al. 2016).”
From Applying cumulative effects to strategically advance large‐scale ecosystem restoration (2021) · cites this paper as Pennino et al. 2016
Detection of time- or space-crowding effects requires robust statistical modeling and experimental designs.
“The detection of time-or space-crowding effects requires robust statistical modeling and experimental designs (Diefenderfer et al. 2012; Pennino et al. 2016).”
From Applying cumulative effects to strategically advance large‐scale ecosystem restoration (2021) · cites this paper as Pennino et al. 2016
Section 2.5 (Statistical analysis; page unavailable) describes regression, ANOVA, and control watersheds for detecting effects of stormwater green infrastructure. Our copy does not address time- or space-crowding effects or say what methods their detection requires (searched: crowding effects, statistical modeling, and experimental design). (LLM, conf=0.76)
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Cites
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Zuniga-Teran, A. A., Staddon, C., de Vito, L., Gerlak, A. K., Ward, S., Schoeman, Y., Hart, A., & Booth, G. (2020) · Journal of Environmental Planning and Management · doi:10.1080/09640568.2019.1605890 · Cited by 255 · see citing works
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Spatial analysis of urban flooding and extreme heat hazard potential in Portland, OR
Fahy, B., Brenneman, E., Chang, H., & Shandas, V. (2019) · International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction · doi:10.1016/j.ijdrr.2019.101117 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Applying cumulative effects to strategically advance large‐scale ecosystem restoration
Diefenderfer, H. L., Steyer, G. D., Harwell, M. C., LoSchiavo, A. J., Neckles, H. A., Burdick, D. M., Johnson, G. E., Buenau, K. E., Trujillo, E., Callaway, J. C., et al. (2021) · Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment · doi:10.1002/fee.2274 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
- Authors
- Pennino, M. J., McDonald, R. I., & Jaffe, P. R.
- Affiliations
- Princeton University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Pennino, Michael J.
- ORCID
- Pennino, Michael J.
- Venue
- Science of The Total Environment
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-09
- Volume
- 565
- Pages
- 1044-1053
- ISSN
- 0048-9697 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2414773662
- Cited by
- 156
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 3
- FWCI
- 8.53
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- The Science of The Total Environment (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- NatureNet Science Fellowship Program
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Urban Stormwater Management Solutions
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Urban Heat Island Mitigation
- Keywords
- combined sewer overflows, urban hydrology, nutrient fluxes, nitrogen export, phosphorus export, peak runoff, rain gardens, detention ponds, bioswales, green roofs, urban water quality, Mid-Atlantic region, Washington, D.C., Montgomery County (Md.)
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