Skip to main content
Kent State University Home

Open Access Kent State (OAKS)

  • About
    • About
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Rights and Reuse
  • Browse
    • Authors
    • Collections
    • Communities
    • Subjects
  • Login

Does an On-Campus Stormwater Retention Wetland Improve Water Quality?

  1. Open Access Kent State
  2. Conferences & Events
  3. Undergraduate Research Symposium
  4. 2016 - Kent State University Undergraduate Symposium on Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity
  5. Kent State University Undergraduate Symposium on Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity
  6. Does an On-Campus Stormwater Retention Wetland Improve Water Quality?
Author(s)
  • Taylor Michael
  • Lauren E Kinsman-Costello
  • Anne Jefferson
Abstract

Urban stormwater runoff carries many pollutants including heavy metals and nutrients. Many existing stormwater wetlands function primarily as retention ponds, rather than provide ecosystem services including flood prevention and water quality improvement. We aim to evaluate the effectiveness of a Kent State University wetland that will be re-constructed as part of the Summit Street Improvement Project. We predict that the existing wetland offers little water quality improvement due to its current design, in which most stormwater bypasses the wetland.

To determine the wetland’s influence on water quality, we compared samples and discharge rates collected during storm events by automatic water samplers (ISCO, Teledyne) upstream and downstream of the wetland. When the outflow, which drains KSU’s stormwater into the city of Kent’s drainage system, is overwhelmed, water back-floods the wetland. We measured a suite of water chemistry parameters, including chloride (Cl-), nitrate (NO3-), sulfate (SO42-), and phosphate (PO43-) concentrations to indicate road salt and fertilizer pollution.

To date, we have sampled four storm events total; one captured in the outflow. Across all samples, stormwater was high in Cl- (average=272.8 ppm, n=53) and SO42- (average=56.25 ppm, n=53). In the same storm, outflow Cl- (average=514.5 ppm, n=12) was higher than inflow Cl- concentrations (average=108.7 ppm, n=41). This trend followed for NO3- and SO42-. Preliminary data suggest that inflow and outflow concentrations differ substantially. Outflows contain higher concentrations of pollutants than inflows, likely reflecting chemical changes occurring within the storm drain system, rather than biogeochemical functions of the stormwater wetland.

Format
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
2016-03-15
Contributor(s)
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Lauren Kinsman-Costello
Dr. Anne Jefferson
Subject
  • Biogeochemistry
  • Environmental Health and Protection
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Hydrology
  • Integrative Biology
  • Sustainability
  • Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology
Modified Abstract

Many existing stormwater wetlands function primarily as retention ponds for urban stormwater runoff, rather than provide multiple ecosystem services. We aim to evaluate the effectiveness of an on-campus wetland that will be re-constructed during the Summit Street Improvement Project. We predict that the existing wetland offers little water quality improvement due to its current design, in which most stormwater bypasses the wetland.

To determine the wetland’s influence on water quality, we compared samples collected during storm events by automatic water samplers (ISCO, Teledyne) upstream and downstream of the wetland. We measured a suite of water chemistry parameters, including chloride, nitrate, sulfate, and phosphate concentrations, to indicate pollution. Preliminary data suggest that inflow and outflow concentrations differ substantially, with little biogeochemical functions occurring in the wetland.

  • Facebook
  • Linkedin
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Email
Open Access Kent State
University Libraries

Street Address

1125 Risman Dr.
Kent, OH 44242

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 5190
Kent, OH 44242-0001

Contact Us

  • oaks [at] kent [dot] edu

Quick Links

  • About
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Rights and Reuse

Information

  • Accessibility
  • Annual Security Reports
  • Emergency Information
  • For Our Alumni
  • For the Media
  • Health Services
  • Jobs & Employment
  • May 4th, 50th Commemoration
  • Privacy Statement
  • Website Feedback
Kent State University Home
© 2021 Kent State University All rights reserved.