Runoff Characteristics and Washoff Loads from Rainfall-Simulation Experiments on a Street Surface and a Native Pasture in the Denver Metropolitan Area, Colorado (open access)

Runoff Characteristics and Washoff Loads from Rainfall-Simulation Experiments on a Street Surface and a Native Pasture in the Denver Metropolitan Area, Colorado

Abstract: Rainfall simulation studies were conducted in conjunction with the Denver Regional Urban Runoff Program to: (1) Compare runoff quantity and quality from two different intensities of rainfall on impervious plots having identical antecedent conditions, (2) document a first flush of constituent loads in runoff from 1,000-square-foot streetsurface plots, (3) compare runoff characteristics from a street surface subjected to simulated rainfall with those from a 69-acre urban basin of mixed land use subjected to natural rainfall, (4) perform statistical analysis of constituent loads in the runoff with several independent variables, and (5) compare the quantity and quality of runoff from 400-square-foot plots of native grasses used for pasture and subjected to simulated rainfall with that from a 405-acre basin covered with native grasses used for pasture and sub-jected to natural rainfall. The rainfall simulations conducted on the street surface showed that higher intensity simulated rainfall produced a higher percentage of runoff than lower intensity rainfall. A first flush of constituent loads occurred for most constituents in the runoff from most rainfall simulations on the street surface; however, a first flush did not occur in the runoff from simulated rainfall on the pasture. The event mean concentrations of constituents in the …
Date: 1987
Creator: Mustard, Martha H.; Ellis, Sherman R. & Gibbs, Johnnie W.
System: The UNT Digital Library