Watershed Lubbock

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Watershed | Assignment 2Dr. Park | LARC 4302

Surinder AulakhMiguel Dobbs

Milad Fereshtehzhad

Watershed | Flint Avenue

Introduction

Watershed is a process in which the ground surface is saturated to a point where

water overflows the capacity of the cavity and produces runoff. Due to gravity, water is

forced to travel downward which produces a natural filtration system meaning the

sedimentary masses are extracted from the water's flow based on material construct,

size and density. The movement of the water which is polluted with contaminates,sediments and various other element causes an erosive effect along its autonomously

created path. Lubbock is a resultant of the stitching Urban, Sub-urban and Rural

fabric where water is utilized for crop production, residential and urban sustainability.

The quality of water, within a society, is directly related to the amount of contaminants

removed from the surface and recovered at designated purification sites. In Lubbock,

Playa Lakes are responsible for retrieving water for various purposes and are also the

recipients of majority of the contaminants. The run-off collected will recharge the

water table by infiltrating the sediment at the bottom. The water reclamation process

utilized methods known as catchments and flow depletion devices in the built

environment. Slowing water's velocity allows for the efficient retention of rainwater

and slowly releases the water into the nearest channel. Catchments are formed

utilizing one of two methods; Basins and Terraces. Basin hold water and inhibit the

process of water seeping into the ground while terraces are created to slow or deflect

the flow of water towards a storage area for use. Flow depletion methods allows the for

slowing of storm water, over an area, through grading the land, enhancement of

ground infiltration and increasing the use of vegetation. There are many pollutant

sources found in Lubbock as well as other cities. These sources are summarized by

three major factions; Atmospheric disposition, Steel and fertilizer production, Urban/

agricultural waste water treatment plants. Atmospheric disposition is the resultant of


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natural and man-made processes which produce air-borne particles. The particles

which are dispersed in an area due to various factors such as blowing winds, fires,

vegetation growth and fertilizer use. Lead is the most prominent air-borne

contaminant because in the United States it the largest source of air pollution from

excavation to utilization from your vehicle. Producing steel and fertilizers/refining

petroleum utilizes heavy metals to complete these processes. The industrial waste is

seldom disposed of properly which, in turn, fabricates negative impacts on the

environmental ecology. Waste water effects the amount of pollutants in the run-off in

an area. Sewer sludge is understood to have high concentrations of Copper, Lead Zinc,

Cadmium, and Silver. All of these elements are known to have adverse effects on thehuman body and the environment around them. Point sources are a direct exposure of

contamination to the environmental ecology. Street pavement, litter, anti- skid

compounds, and construction sites are point sources that are detrimental to the

environment because run-off is the only method of retrieving these elements from the

environment. The elements found in Lubbock's playa lakes due to the run-off are

Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Lead, Mercury, Selenium, and Zinc. Though

the concentrations are minute these metals are known for having unfavorable/harmful

effects on humans and wildlife, specifically the aquatic wildlife. The densification of an

area creates side effects on humans involving gastro-intestinal issues, kidney damage,

muscular weakness, and neurological function depletion. Wildlife is required to react,

or adapt, to the growth of an area and all the destructive debris which is produced by

it. The amount of poisonous metals found in the water has stricken wildlife with

diseases, mutations, and a higher mortality rate. Reduction of algae growth and the

ability to photosynthesize resulted in a reduction of the fish and invertebrate's

developmental process. It is apparent that design approaches and tactics must be

discussed to ameliorate the environmental ecology. Nature's cycle is disrupted because

of our interjection and methods to re-establish a healthy environment is crucial.


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Study Site

Through the analysis of our site, it was discovered that water accumulates on thenorthwest corner of 19th and Flint avenue and the southeast corner of 18th and Flint

avenue. The amount of rain in Lubbock is averaging 17 inches a year and most

rainstorms drop approximately 1 to 1.5 inches. The frequency of the rain is not

proportionate to the intensity. The largest contributor of run-off to the street is the

Flint Avenue Parking Facility. Being completely open and more receptive to water

collection creates a more crucial and challenging condition to filter effectively. Water is

released along Flint avenue which is graded to travel south towards 19th Street. on the

west19th Street is the location which suffers the most from the parking facilities

building. On the west side of 18th and Flint avenue is not graded properly to carry the

water south towards 19th. The west side of Flint avenue is the Weymouth Dormitory

and it's parking area. There is an elevation change, highest point being the center,

causing the water to run off into 19th street more drastically on the north and south

ends then the middle. The Bruno House sculpture, in front of the Architecture

building, captures significant percentage of water due to the landscaping and its

filtration layers.


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Site Analysis


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Dr. Charles Kleins proposal for a bioswale on the west side of Flint avenue


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Proposal: Bioswale

Bioswale design is a method which can be useful in most urban conditions tocapitalize on rainwater filtration. According to Paul M. Loechl, Bioswales are

landscape elements designed to remove silt and pollution from surface runoff water.

They consist of a swaled drainage course with gently sloped sides (less than %6) and1

filled with vegetation, compost, and/or riprap.

Two bioswales for a housing development. The foreground one is under construction

while the background one is established

Bioswales are relatively easier and cheaper to maintain than conventional methods.They are created by digging to the bottom of a swale and adding gravel, sand/ top soil,

which is required for Lubbock's clay soils. Planting appropriate/native plants is crucial

According to Sustainable Horticulture, Aswaleis a low tract of land, that usually exists in a moist or1

marshy situation and can be a natural landscape feature or one specifically built for environmental

reasons. The later is often an open drain system is that manages water runoff.


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because the watering source is primarily run-off. Also the implementation of a newly

developed permeable concretewillefficiently drain water into the bioswale.

Precedent Study

Two early examples of scientifically designed bioswales for large scale applications are

found in the western United States.

In 1996 for Willamette River Park inPortland, Oregon a total of 2330 lineal feet of

bioswale was designed and installed to capture and prevent pollutant runoff from

entering theWillamette River. Intermittent check damswere installed to further abet

silt capture, with the outcome of reducing 50 percent of all suspended solids entering

the river system.2

France, Robert L. (2002).Handbook of Water Sensitive Planning and Design. Boca Raton, FL: CRC2

Press.


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South Lot swale in 2004


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North Lot swale in 1998, two years after completion3

A second example of a large scale designed bioswale is at the Carneros Business

Park,

Sonoma County, California. Starting in 1997 the project design team worked

with theCalifornia Department of Fish and Gameand County of Sonoma to produce

a detailed design to channel surface runoff at the perimeter of a large parking

area.Surface runoffconsists of building roof runoff, parking lot runoff and overland

flow from properties to the north of the project site. A total of two lineal miles of

bioswale was designed into the project. The purpose of the bioswale was to minimize

runoff contaminants from enteringSonoma Creek. The designed bioswale channel is

Photos courtesy of article 78489 retrieved on Nov 10, 2015 from www.portlandoregon.gov3


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grass-lined, but almost linear in form. Downslope gradient is approximately four

percent and cross-slope gradient is approximately six percent.4

Lumina Technologies (1998).Hydrology and biology studies for Carneros Business Park, prepared for4

the William A. Saks Company pursuant to requirements of the County of Sonoma. In addition,

approximately 2000 bioswales are projected to be installed all across New York City to protect the city's

combined sewer system.

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Watershed Lubbock

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