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The purpose of the Integrated Monitoring Plan is to standardize the monitoring procedures of the T-VSSI’s research effort. This Integrated Monitoring Plan expands upon typical stormwater management monitoring programs that focus on stormwater criteria alone to include ecological criteria. The T-VSSI’s inclusion of ecological criteria, specifically wetland function criteria, responds to the current trend in stormwater facility design to mimic wetland systems and functions by incorporating for example bio-infiltration beds, wetlands, and riparian buffers. The stormwater monitoring strategy focuses on assessing flow volumes, rates and pollutant loads for wet weather flows entering and exiting the BMPs. As deemed appropriate, each site is equipped with rain gages, water sampling devices and flow or level recorders. Measurements of stormwater flows into and out of the BMP provide data on the volumetric capacity of the BMP and its ability to retain, infiltrate or dampen stormwater flows. With respect to water quality sampling, stormwater, infiltration, overflow and sediments are analyzed for a host of parameters including, for example, pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, fecal coliform, turbidity, conductivity, total suspended solids, dissolved solids, chlorides, nutrients and metals. The wetland function monitoring criteria are based on wetland monitoring and success evaluation guidance developed by the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE). In the Wetlands Engineering Handbook (2000), the ACOE outlines evaluation criteria to assess the effectiveness of wetland structure and function. Correspondingly, the wetland function monitoring component of the Integrated Monitoring Plan includes the collection, analysis and reporting of soil conditions, sedimentation rate, vegetation and faunal usage data essential to assessing the success of wetland and riparian buffer BMPs. In addition to the Integrated Monitoring Plan which is specific to this research effort, the T-VSSI research team will develop monitoring recommendations to other private or public stormwater management projects.
Integrated Monitoring Plan Pre-construction Site Specific Infiltration Testing and Soil Sampling at the PERT BMPs |
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