What is the role of green stormwater infrastructure in managing extreme precipitation events?

Lauren E. McPhillips, Marissa Matsler, Bernice R. Rosenzweig, Yeowon Kim

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

35 Scopus citations

Abstract

Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) is increasingly used to comply with stormwater management requirements under the Clean Water Act, but there is growing interest in leveraging GSI as part of climate change adaptation strategies. Success in contributing to this goal depends on what types of GSI are being used and how they are sized. Here we review GSI design storm requirements for the seven Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network (UREx SRN) cities in the United States. We find that while GSI in most of our study cities is designed for smaller, more common precipitation events (e.g., 1-year event) considered by current water quality regulations; GSI in several UREx cities is primarily focused on flood control and require design for much larger storms (e.g., 100-year events). In order for GSI to contribute to climate change adaptation, it is critical to ensure that design guidelines align with that goal.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)133-142
Number of pages10
JournalSustainable and Resilient Infrastructure
Volume6
Issue number3-4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2021

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Civil and Structural Engineering
  • Geography, Planning and Development
  • Building and Construction
  • Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality

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