FIELD EVALUATION OF HYDROLOGIC AND WATER QUALITY BENEFITS OF GRASS SWALES WITH CHECK DAMS FOR MANAGING HIGHWAY RUNOFF
FIELD EVALUATION OF HYDROLOGIC AND WATER QUALITY BENEFITS OF GRASS SWALES WITH CHECK DAMS FOR MANAGING HIGHWAY RUNOFF
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Date
2009
Authors
Jamil, Nor Eliea Eluziea
Advisor
Davis, Allen P
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Abstract
<bold>ABSTRACT<bold>
Title of Thesis: FIELD EVALUATION OF HYDROLOGIC AND WATER QUALITY BENEFITS OF GRASS SWALES WITH CHECK DAMS FOR MANAGING HIGHWAY RUNOFF<bold>
Nor Eliea Eluziea Jamil, Master of Science, 2009
Thesis Directed By: Professor Allen P. Davis
Departrment of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Managing highway runoff is a complex storm water management problem. This research is an input/output field study that specifically examines the hydrologic and water quality benefits of having grass swales with an additional pre-treatment area and incorporation of check dams for managing highway runoff at a Maryland highway. These swales manage the hydrology of the stormwater by increasing the lag time (2-3 hours), reducing the overall average peak (32-44%) and reducing the total runoff volume (4-46%). The overall mass pollutant loads are reduced for TSS (38-62%), nitrate (92-95%), nitrite (54-71%), lead (78-82%), copper (56-70%) and zinc (67-79%). On the other hand, TKN (-120 to 44%), TP (-5 to 40%) and chloride (-61 to -4%) show mass increase. Compared to previous study, swales with check dams do not show any significant improvement over swales without check dams. However, a check dam swale with a pretreatment area has higher reduction of the overall mass pollutants removal for all pollutants except for TSS.