scholarly journals Decision-Support System for LID Footprint Planning and Urban Runoff Mitigation in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 3152
Author(s):  
Javier Guerrero ◽  
Taufiqul Alam ◽  
Ahmed Mahmoud ◽  
Kim D. Jones ◽  
Andrew Ernest
Keyword(s):  
Decision Support ◽  
Decision Support System ◽  
Support System ◽  
Rio Grande Valley ◽  
Rio Grande ◽  
The United States ◽  
South Texas ◽  
Lower Rio Grande Valley ◽  
Commercial Development ◽  
Lower Rio Grande

To address regional flooding in the United States, federal and state agencies are adopting strict drainage policies in any large-scale commercial development within the watershed boundary. The conventional approach of implementing a wet detention pond (WP) reduces the land cover and causes operation and maintenance challenges eventually. The present study developed a decision-support system (DSS) in the Lower Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas for optimal selection of Best Management Practices (BMPs) by substituting a portion of the WP footprint with three regionally promising low-impact development practices, namely, porous concrete pavement (PCP), bioretention (BR), and bioswale (BS). Source Load Assessment and Management Model for Windows (WinSLAMM) was used as the foundation for the DSS database and algorithm development. This tool suggested that the implementation of bioswale alone can considerably reduce the footprint and construction cost. Less than 0.95 ha of installation of BR and BS can mitigate 79–91% of runoff from a maximum of 5 ha of commercial development. A combination of BR, BS, and WP was found to reduce runoff significantly (~100%), which suggests that the successful adoption of DSS might support better planning of the urban stormwater management in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV).

scholarly journals WinSLAMM Simulation of Hydrologic Performance of Permeable Pavements—A Case Study in the Semi-Arid Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, United States

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1865 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taufiqul Alam ◽  
Ahmed Mahmoud ◽  
Kim D. Jones ◽  
Juan César Bezares-Cruz ◽  
Javier Guerrero
Keyword(s):  
Rio Grande Valley ◽  
Rio Grande ◽  
Concrete Pavement ◽  
South Texas ◽  
Lower Rio Grande Valley ◽  
Permeable Pavements ◽  
Runoff Reduction ◽  
Semi Arid ◽  
Lower Rio Grande ◽  
Hydrologic Performance

This study used the Source Loading and Management Model for Windows (WinSLAMM) to develop a set of calibrated hydrologic models for three types of regional permeable pavements—porous concrete pavement (PCP), permeable interlocking concrete pavement (PICP), and interlocking block pavement with gravel (IBPG). The objective was to assess the hydrologic performance of permeable pavements, including the runoff depth, peak discharge, percentage increment in runoff reduction of pavements as a function of rainfall depth, development area, and base aggregate porosity, respectively. The permeable pavements were monitored over a wide range of rainfall events in the semi-arid Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. Data regarding rainfall intensities, source characterizations, runoff coefficients, and pavement design were initialized as WinSLAMM input. Validation results showed that the calibrated models could over or under-predict runoff reduction within a 30% error range. PCP and IBPG were very effective and could be capable of handling storms as large as 50-year frequency over a 24-h time period. The modeling results showed that PCP might require a 50–60% lesser footprint area as compared to PICP and IBPG, respectively. Additionally, PCP might be able to store 30% additional runoff if the porosity of base aggregates was increased by 40%.

History, status, and productivity of the Red-crowned Amazon Amazona viridigenalis in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
SIMON KIACZ ◽  
CLIFFORD E. SHACKELFORD ◽  
ANTHONY K. HENEHAN ◽  
DONALD J. BRIGHTSMITH
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Endangered Species ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Rio Grande Valley ◽  
Rio Grande ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lower Rio Grande Valley ◽  
The Status ◽  
Lower Rio Grande

Summary Newly established populations of endangered species can help mitigate declines elsewhere and can be a valuable genetic reservoir. When these populations are located within anthropogenic habitats, they may also help mitigate the potential biodiversity loss created by urbanization. The Red-crowned Amazon Amazona viridigenalis is an endangered species that has become naturalized in multiple urban areas throughout the United States and Mexico, and these populations may currently outnumber the population within their historical habitat. While these urban populations may hold the majority of this endangered species, very few studies have analyzed the status and trends of this species, or of threatened parrots in general, in urban areas. Our study focuses on an urban Red-crowned Amazon population in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of Texas: the only parrot population currently recognized as native to the United States. To determine a timeline of Red-crowned Amazon arrival and growth in the LRGV, we reviewed published literature and online citizen science databases. To quantify current population levels and trends, we conducted 412 surveys at all known roost sites throughout the LRGV from January 2016 through April 2019. We also quantified the ratio of adult and juvenile parrots at roosts. Our data suggest the species has been present in the LRGV consistently since the 1970s and showed rapid growth from the mid-1990s through roughly 2016. Roost counts suggest there is currently a minimum LRGV population of about 680 and the population has been relatively stable over the last 3.5 years. Productivity averaged 19% over three breeding seasons, suggesting successful internal reproduction. This study provides important baseline information for the management and conservation of Red-crowned Amazons in the region and provides a valuable timeline on the beginnings and trends of this recently established urban population of Amazona parrot.

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