Watershed, Stormwater, & Integrated Water Management
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- University of Iowa Stormwater & Bioengineering Design
the challenge The University of Iowa’s new Athletic-Recreation Facilities Complex includes an Athletic Building, a Visitor’s Center, outdoor tennis courts and parking lots. Prior to development the site received large volumes of stormwater from adjacent residential neighborhoods and the proposed development significantly increased impervious surfaces. The Bioengineering Group was tasked to design a state-of-the-art stormwater management system that was ecologically sound, conformed with hydraulic and hydrologic requirements, and formed an aesthetically pleasing yet functional landscape.
the interdisciplinary approachIn order for water to be a visually appealing and ecologically healthy resource on site, several existing problems needed to be addressed. This demanded that the project go beyond the normal mandate to reduce or mitigate its own environmental impacts, and embrace a stewardship and restoration model to use the site to also fix problems generated off site as well. This was accomplished by daylighting two buried streams on site and allowing water to infiltrate and evaporate in wetland and open channel areas created as part of the landscape pattern. Not only were on-site sources of pollutants managed, but off-site issues were treated using separator units and natural filtering processes through vegetated soils, settling basins, and a pond. The objectives were to improve water quality before discharge to sensitive downstream wetland habitats, while creating a comfortable and enjoyable setting for recreating students. We prepared construction documents and provided construction supervision to ensure quality control during the installation.
Regulated wetlands, greater than 1.5 acres in size were impacted by the new development. The Bioengineering Group actively improved habitat and water quality to acquire the expedited permits needed for the project. Working closely with the Landscape Architect to incorporate these objectives into the design, Bioengineering Group staff conducted hydrologic modeling for the site and the watershed and evaluated the suitability of the soils for infiltration. This team effort led to the development of the design for the stormwater treatment train, the pond, and the outlet stream restoration.
the resultsOriginal project design plans would have required a lengthy federal permitting process, higher costs for drainage infrastructure and roads, and excluded beautiful meadows, forests, streams, and wetlands in the final landscape. By coordinating planning, engineering, and permitting strategy, results were greatly improved. This project is a prime example of how stormwater can positively drive and shape site design, resulting in an ecologically functional, sustainable, and beautiful landscape that also serves as an example of state-of-the-art environmental stewardship.