Title:
Creative Watershed Performance Requirements for New Development
Creative Watershed Performance Requirements for New Development
Author(s)
Jones, Dale
Scarbrough, James H.
Chastant, David B.
Hall, Ken C.
Shaikh, Farhan
Scarbrough, James H.
Chastant, David B.
Hall, Ken C.
Shaikh, Farhan
Advisor(s)
Editor(s)
Hatcher, Kathryn J.
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Abstract
Gwinnett County's Watershed Protection
Plan represents the culmination of a two-year
watershed assessment and modeling project. One key
component of the watershed protection plan is the
development and implementation of requirements for
new development in the watershed.
In areas where water quality criteria provide little
practical guidance for developing watershed protection
plans, statistical relationships between biotic integrity
(benthos, fish, and habitat scores) and pollutant
loadings for key parameters in kg/ha/yr (lb/ac/yr) were
used to develop watershed improvement guidelines.
An automated spreadsheet analysis tool (WISE) was
used to facilitate this analysis and allow interactive
evaluation with the County and citizens' group.
Performance based strategies were used to provide
needed protection as well as maximum flexibility for
the development community. A site specific
improvement guideline for TSS was developed and a
spreadsheet tool that assists with new development
layout to meet the target was developed. Options are
provided for implementing BMPs on the site and
designating the tributary drainage area to each BMP.
The form automatically graphs and compares the
uncontrolled and controlled loading rates to the
performance criterion. This tool can be used iteratively
in the site design process.
In addition to the new development tool which
focuses mainly on water quality controls, Gwinnett's
regulations were also revised to control water quantity
from new developments including four key hydrologic
design events, 1) major flooding (100 year events), 2)
out of bank flooding (10 to 25-year events), 3) channel
protection (1-year events) and 4) water quality
protection (1.2 inch rainfall). These design events are
managed to protect the environment and the public. In
combination with the BMP form, these strategies
provide needed protection to streams as well as
maximum flexibility for the development community.
Sponsor
Sponsored and Organized by: U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Natural Resources Conservation Service, The University of Georgia, Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology
Date Issued
2001-03
Extent
Resource Type
Text
Resource Subtype
Proceedings