Date of Award
5-4-2023
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Geosciences
First Advisor
Sarah Ledford
Second Advisor
Luke Pangle
Third Advisor
Nadine Kabengi
Abstract
Best management practices, including stormwater ponds, are implemented to mitigate the effects of urban stormwater. While these structures may effectively modulate local surface runoff, empirical analyses suggest their cumulative effect on watershed-scale streamflow is marginal. Beaver impoundments, by altering the downstream hydrologic flow regime, may offer a natural, complementary means of managing stormwater. This study seeks to determine how the transit times of water traversing urban beaver ponds compares to those occurring within stormwater ponds, by adding a conservative tracer (Br-) near-instantaneously at inflow points to three beaver impoundments and two stormwater ponds in Atlanta, GA in dry (fall) and wet (spring) seasonal conditions. The expected difference in flow due to seasonal conditions was not observed at all sites. Transit times were longer in the stormwater ponds than the beaver ponds in both seasons, and both pond types show altered flow path configurations due to short term weather dynamics.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/35384543
Recommended Citation
Wadler, Claire, "Quantifying and Comparing Water Transit Time Distributions in Urban Beaver and Stormwater Retention Ponds in the Atlanta, GA Metropolitan Area." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2023.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/35384543
File Upload Confirmation
1