Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Urbanization changes the primary path by which water travels to streams, favoring a faster pathway. The excess water can cause problems when it leads to increased stream channel incision. The most common method of protecting streams and dealing with the excess runoff is to build a stormwater detention pond. Water is retained within a pond for a certain period of time with the aim of reducing the peak discharges flowing out to stream channels. Despite the widespread use of these ponds, little research has been done to see if they are performing as they should. This study focuses on using actual measurements from within one detention pond to evaluate the pond design in the engineering documents. A pressure transducer in the pond recorded the water pressure above the transducer through time, and the pressure was in turn converted to pond elevation, discharge, pond volume, and inflow. Throughout the study period, 104 individual storm events occurred. No rainfall events as large as the one year, 24 hour design storm occurred, yet multiple storm events had peak discharges exceeding those stated in the engineering documents for the one year, 24 hour storm. Two peak inflows approached the peak inflow for the 2 year, 24 hour design storm. Centroid lag times, mandated as 24 hours in James City County, were consistently less than 24 hours. The peak flows are higher than they should be and the centroid lag times are less than 24 hours, so the pond design should be reevaluated.

Date Awarded

2006

Department

Geology

Advisor 1

Gregory S. Hancock

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