Presentation Abstract
We present preliminary findings of a stormwater retrofit analysis for the Miller and Walker Creeks watershed, located in southwest King County. Miller and Walker Creeks are highly urbanized, with flashy stream flows and impaired stream bug communities; adult coho returning to the creeks experience high rates of pre-spawn mortality. We developed an approach to identify sites where stormwater retrofit projects would provide the greatest potential for stream improvement. The watershed was evaluated for areas with the highest potential for stormwater retrofit based on impervious surface area, critical areas, steep slopes, soil infiltration potential, and other land use considerations. Eighty sites were initially selected for further investigation. Criteria were developed to select up to five sites for stormwater retrofit projects, and pre-design reports will be prepared for those sites. Benefits of the stormwater retrofit mitigation projects were evaluated by using Hydrologic Simulation Program Fortran (HSPF) to compare existing conditions to the predicted responses. Hydrologic metrics (e.g., high pulse count) associated with Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (BIBI) scores were used to estimate new BIBI scores following retrofit project implementation. This approach attempts to determine the relative improvement that may be gained for aquatic biota by changing the stream flow regime. However, improvements in water quality and physical habitat are among the other factors important to aquatic habitat.
Session Title
Session S-08B: Stormwater Quality, Impacts, Treatment Solutions
Conference Track
Stormwater
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2-5-2014 8:30 AM
End Date
2-5-2014 10:00 AM
Location
Room 608-609
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Urban runoff--Washington (State)--Miller Creek Watershed (King County)--Management; Urban runoff--Washington (State)--Walker Creek Watershed (King County)--Management
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Miller Creek Watershed (King County, Wash.); Walker Creek Watershed (King County, Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Using a stream bug index to prioritize areas for stormwater retrofits in an urban watershed
Room 608-609
We present preliminary findings of a stormwater retrofit analysis for the Miller and Walker Creeks watershed, located in southwest King County. Miller and Walker Creeks are highly urbanized, with flashy stream flows and impaired stream bug communities; adult coho returning to the creeks experience high rates of pre-spawn mortality. We developed an approach to identify sites where stormwater retrofit projects would provide the greatest potential for stream improvement. The watershed was evaluated for areas with the highest potential for stormwater retrofit based on impervious surface area, critical areas, steep slopes, soil infiltration potential, and other land use considerations. Eighty sites were initially selected for further investigation. Criteria were developed to select up to five sites for stormwater retrofit projects, and pre-design reports will be prepared for those sites. Benefits of the stormwater retrofit mitigation projects were evaluated by using Hydrologic Simulation Program Fortran (HSPF) to compare existing conditions to the predicted responses. Hydrologic metrics (e.g., high pulse count) associated with Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (BIBI) scores were used to estimate new BIBI scores following retrofit project implementation. This approach attempts to determine the relative improvement that may be gained for aquatic biota by changing the stream flow regime. However, improvements in water quality and physical habitat are among the other factors important to aquatic habitat.
