By Thad Wasklewicz, Ph.D; Richard Guthrie, Ph.D; Paul Eickenberg, PE; Benjamin Kramka, PE
Post-wildfire secondary hazards (debris floods and flows) play a prominent role in sediment transport along hillslopes, channels and alluvial fans.1 Wildfires have increased2,3 in conjunction with more frequent, intense rainfall4 where the rainfall is a key factor in secondary hazards.5 While awareness of debris flow initiation has...
By Jerald S. Fifield, Ph.D., CISEC
Years of conducting inspections have shown me that inlet protection methods are ineffective in capturing suspended particles in runoff waters discharging from active construction sites. Small amounts of sediment deposits may occur with pervious barriers in front of “sump” inlets. However, barriers in front of “on-grade” inlet openings divert runoff waters to downstream locations...
By Thomas Schneider, CPESC
In this series, we have discussed the three groups that a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) needs to educate to have a successful stormwater compliance program —citizens, MS4 employees and the regulated community. Previous articles touched on different strategies needed to accomplish this—public education, focused in-house training and outreach and education. This article looks at...
Improving Stormwater Treatment and Restoring Environment
By Matt Williams, AALA, OALA, CSLA
Dale Hodges Park is a transformative landscape along the Bow River in the City of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The project began with the need to restore the environmental health of the area while addressing stormwater treatment opportunities for runoff from over 1,700 hectares (4,200 acres) of adjacent urban area.
Once...
By Judith M. Guido
Most of us have heard the expression: sit back and take a good, hard look at yourself. Doing so can be a daunting and rewarding exercise. When extended to our organizations it can also be a daunting, eye-opening and valuable experience.
As I wrote in my last column, we have heard about supply chain, people and...
By Rich McLaughlin, Ph.D.
Controlling “fugitive” dust on construction sites is often required as it is a major source of air pollution and a health hazard. The most common approach is to apply water periodically to create adhesion between soil particles, but this is often very short lived. In recent experiments on gravel roads, for instance, we found that water...
By Thomas Schneider, CPESC
In the first article of this series, the importance of sampling to evaluate the progress of the MS4 program and to ensure the money you spend on education and outreach is used efficiently was discussed. Once sampling has helped identify the specific issue and location, it is important to accurately identify the target audience for education.
There...
By Jesse Kruthaupt; Cary Denison; Lydia Bleifuss
Extreme drought in Colorado’s Gunnison River region has negatively impacted agricultural operations, wildlife populations and watershed health. In October 2021, the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) awarded over $822 thousand to support Trout Unlimited’s (TU) Gunnison River Drought Resiliency and Restoration project (Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), Alternative Funding Arrangement). Supporting project partners...
By Ann Ryan; Carsten Dierkes, Dr.-Ing
Designers and manufacturers who are developing the next stage of advanced stormwater treatment are considering the impact deicing salts have on heavy metals. By increasing the mobility of heavy metals in runoff, the use of deicing salts poses two problems: increased damage to the ecosystem and decreased efficacy of filters traditionally used to protect...
By Aaron Mlynek, CPESC, CESSWI, CISEC, QSD/P; Joseph Ridley, CCIS, QSWPPP, CESCL
“Without a solid foundation, you will have trouble creating anything of value.” –Erika Oppenheimer
The rapid establishment of permanent vegetation in a uniform density is the foundation of a solar farm. Vegetation establishment, an often overlooked and undervalued process, will have adverse short and long-term effects on construction and...
