This project aims to measure and model how networks of urban stormwater systems reduce flooding and pollution during extreme storms.
Urban flooding and stormwater pollution are growing challenges, particularly during extreme rainfall events that overwhelm drainage systems. Although individual stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) are well studied, it remains difficult to assess how multiple BMPs work together across an entire watershed, especially when pre-installation monitoring data are unavailable. This project will develop and test an integrated monitoring and modeling framework to evaluate the watershed-scale effectiveness of existing BMP networks. Using a campus-based urban watershed as a representative test site, the team will combine continuous hydrologic monitoring, storm-event sampling, and spatial analysis to assess how distributed BMPs influence flooding and pollutant transport. A watershed-scale model will compare observed conditions with alternative scenarios, including reduced BMP performance and potential system improvements. The project will generate continuous hydrologic datasets, preliminary water-quality insights, and a transferable modeling framework for evaluating cumulative BMP performance. These outcomes will support improved stormwater infrastructure planning, design, and decision-making under extreme weather conditions.
