Bioretention Infiltration and Evapotranspiration Performance
Location
ECC 303
Event Website
http://water.usu.edu/
Start Date
4-3-2012 2:10 PM
End Date
4-3-2012 2:30 PM
Description
There is limited information on infiltration and evapotranspiration rates from bioretention gardens in semi-arid climates. The effectiveness of a bioretention garden at capturing and infiltrating stormwater runoff from a nearby parking lot and surrounding buildings was evaluated for a system on the University of Utah campus. Inflow and depth of water within the bioretention garden was measured and recorded over time using the Solinist pressure transducer sensors, Levelogger Junior. A weather station was installed at the site to measure precipitation, wind, relative humidity, and temperature. Evapotranspiration rates were modeled using data from the weather sensors. The pressure transducers measured the total exfiltration rate of water leaving the storage reservoir of the bioretention garden. HYDRUS 2D/3D version 2, models water movement through variably saturated media; it was used to separate losses between evapotranspiration and infiltration. Preliminary results show that the exfiltration rate from the garden depends on temperature, higher exfiltration occurs during warmer ambient temperatures and the lowest exfiltration during the winter season. Because evapotranspiration losses are expected to be minimal during winter months, no evapotranspiration data were generated, but this information for March will be completed and presented at the conference.
Bioretention Infiltration and Evapotranspiration Performance
ECC 303
There is limited information on infiltration and evapotranspiration rates from bioretention gardens in semi-arid climates. The effectiveness of a bioretention garden at capturing and infiltrating stormwater runoff from a nearby parking lot and surrounding buildings was evaluated for a system on the University of Utah campus. Inflow and depth of water within the bioretention garden was measured and recorded over time using the Solinist pressure transducer sensors, Levelogger Junior. A weather station was installed at the site to measure precipitation, wind, relative humidity, and temperature. Evapotranspiration rates were modeled using data from the weather sensors. The pressure transducers measured the total exfiltration rate of water leaving the storage reservoir of the bioretention garden. HYDRUS 2D/3D version 2, models water movement through variably saturated media; it was used to separate losses between evapotranspiration and infiltration. Preliminary results show that the exfiltration rate from the garden depends on temperature, higher exfiltration occurs during warmer ambient temperatures and the lowest exfiltration during the winter season. Because evapotranspiration losses are expected to be minimal during winter months, no evapotranspiration data were generated, but this information for March will be completed and presented at the conference.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/runoff/2012/AllAbstracts/21