Systems and Methods for Event-based Modeling of Runoff and Pollutant Benefits of Sustainable Stormwater Management

Abstract

Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention are software models that present information in a format directly usable by stormwater managers to inform annual program decisions and consistently evaluate the effectiveness of stormwater management actions. Stormwater modeling systems in accordance with many embodiments of the invention provide a tool that can be used by stormwater managers to estimate load reductions. In a number of embodiments, a user interface is provided that streamlines user input data requirements. In this way, the stormwater modeling system can extend the utility of event-based model inputs, generate results that inform management decisions, and demonstrate progress using a common scalable unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for managing water management features of a geographic area, the method comprising:
 gathering spatial data describing a set of land portions;   gathering water management feature data for a set of water management features;   gathering land and feature condition data describing a condition of at least one land portion and at least one water management feature;   calculating precipitation level patterns;   calculating an aggregate effect of the set of water management features based on the spatial data, the water management feature data, the land and feature condition data, and the calculated precipitation level patterns; and   managing water management features to reduce the calculated aggregate effect of the plurality of water management features.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the spatial data comprises at least one of land surface type, soil type, precipitation levels, topography, hydrologic connection to receiving waters, traffic levels, and land use type. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the water management feature data comprises at least one of the size of a water management feature, types of outflow from the water management feature, construction materials used to construct the water management feature, and outflow rates from the water management feature. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein gathering land and feature condition data comprises performing a set of standardized assessment methods on each land portion in a geographic area. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein gathering land and feature condition data comprises performing a set of standardized assessment methods on each water management feature in a geographic area. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein calculating the precipitation level patterns comprises calculating an annualized statistical distribution of rainfall events of a geographic area. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein calculating the expected aggregate effect comprises discounting the effectiveness of a water management feature based on a condition of the water management feature from the land and feature condition data. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein calculating the aggregate effect comprises:
 calculating an effect for each land portion; and   aggregating the effects of the land portions to calculate the aggregate effect.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein aggregating the effects of the land portions comprises:
 identifying flow routing data that describes the flow of runoff between land portions; and   calculating the aggregate effect based on the effect for each land portion and the flow routing data the portion and at least one neighboring land portion.   
     
     
         10 . A system for managing water management features of a geographic area, the system comprising:
 a data gathering interface for gathering baseline data and water management feature data for a plurality of water management features;   a stormwater modeling system for calculating precipitation level patterns and calculating an expected aggregate effect of the plurality of water management features; and   a system management interface for managing water management features to reduce the expected aggregate effect of the plurality of water management features.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  further comprising a network, wherein a set of devices communicate with the stormwater modeling system through the data gathering interface 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the set of devices comprises at least a database server, a personal computer, and a sensor for measuring stormwater runoff. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the system management interface is configured to communicate with at least one controller for modifying an element of the system.