Impact of Alternative Stormwater Management Practices on Highway Infrastructure

John Nieber, Professor
Robert Sykes, Associate Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture
Caleb Arika, Assistant Scientist
Funding Source
Local Road Research Board

Objective

To assess the cost impact that alternative stormwater management practices have on public utilities and to assess the acceptability of alternative stormwater management practices among public officials, contractors, and landowners.

Need or Impact

Alternative stormwater management practices are becoming popular because of the need to better control the quantity and quality of surface runoff. One common alternative stormwater management practice is the use of infiltration features such as rain gardens, dry swales, and dry ponds. There is a perceived concern among public utilities personnel that the adoption of these practices could lead to increased cost of utility infrastructures due to the need for more frequent maintenance.

Project Status

Currently we are completing an annotated bibliography on the topic of alternative stormwater management practices. We are locating case study sites within the Twin Cities metropolitan area where responsible utilities personnel have identified potential problem facilities. Surveys of utilities personnel, contractors and landowners will be performed during 2004.