Effect of Detention Basin Release Rates on Flood Flows - Application of a Model to the Blackberry Creek Watershed in Kane County, Illinois

Soong, David T.; Murphy, Elizabeth A.; Straub, Timothy D.

Abstract:

The effects of stormwater detention basins with specified release rates are examined on the watershed scale with a Hydrological Simulation Program - FORTRAN (HSPF) continuous-simulation model. Modeling procedures for specifying release rates from detention basins with orifice and weir discharge configurations are discussed in this report. To facilitate future detention modeling as a tool for watershed management, a chart relating watershed impervious area to detention volume is presented. The report also presents a case study of the Blackberry Creek watershed in Kane County, Ill., a rapidly urbanizing area seeking to avoid future flood damages from increased urbanization, to illustrate the effects of various detention basin release rates on flood peaks and volumes and flood frequencies. The case study compares flows simulated with a 1996 land-use HSPF model to those simulated with four different 2020 projected land-use HSPF model scenarios - no detention, and detention basins with release rates of 0.08, 0.10, and 0.12 cubic feet per second per acre (ft3/s-acre), respectively. Results of the simulations for 15 locations, which included the downstream ends of all tributaries and various locations along the main stem, showed that a release rate of 0.10 ft3/s-acre, in general, can maintain postdevelopment 100-year peak-flood discharge at a similar magnitude to that of 1996 land-use conditions. Although the release rate is designed to reduce the 100-year peak flow, reduction of the 2-year peak flow is also achieved for a smaller proportion of the peak. Results also showed that the 0.10 ft3/s-acre release rate was less effective in watersheds with relatively high percentages of preexisting (1996) development than in watersheds with less preexisting development.

Genre:

USGS Numbered Series

ProdID:

97742

Citation Author:

Soong, David T.; Murphy, Elizabeth A.; Straub, Timothy D.

Citation Contributing Office:

Illinois Water Science Center

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Citation Language:

ENGLISH

Citation Larger Work Title:

Citation LatN:

0415600

Citation LatS:

0414200

Citation LonE:

-0881900

Citation LonW:

-0883200

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Citation Phsyical Description:

vi, 33 p.

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Citation Public Comments:

Prepared in cooperation with the Kane County Department of Environmental and Building Management and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources-Office of Water Resources

Citation Publisher:

U.S. Geological Survey

Citation Series:

Scientific Investigations Report

Citation Series Code:

SIR

Citation Series Number:

2009-5106

Citation Search Results Text:

Effect of Detention Basin Release Rates on Flood Flows - Application of a Model to the Blackberry Creek Watershed in Kane County, Illinois; 2009; SIR; 2009-5106; Soong, David T.; Murphy, Elizabeth A.; Straub, Timothy D.