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Research about Madison, Wisconsin

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Madison, Wisconsin.

31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
USGS1999

Evaluation of the effectiveness of an urban stormwater treatment unit in Madison, Wisconsin, 1996-97

An urban stormwater treatment unit was tested as part of an ongoing program of urban nonpoint- pollution research in Madison, Wis. Flow measurements were made and water samples were collected at the inlet to, outlet from, and bypass around the treatment chamber of the device that was installed to collect the runoff from a city maintenance yard. About 90 percent of the runoff water from the 4.3-acre basin was treated by the unit. The remaining 10 percent bypassed the treatment chamber when the flow rate reached approximately 500 gallons per minute. A 24-percent difference between the estimated amount (405 kilograms) and the actual amount (536 kilograms) of retained material in the treatment chamber may be attributed to bedload material that the automatic samplers could not effectively collect. Assuming this, 8 percent of the total mass in the untreated runoff water was estimated as the unsampled bedload. On the basis of water-sample data collected over the course of the study, the suspended solids removal efficiency of treatment chamber was about 25 percent, and the efficiency of the unit as a whole was 21 percent. If the unsampled bedload material was accounted for, the treatment-chamber efficiency was 33 percent. About 19 percent of the total phosphorus was removed from the water that passed through the treatment chamber and 17 percent was removed by the unit as a whole. Total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) loads were reduced about 39 percent by the treatment chamber and 34 percent by the unit as a whole; these were some of the most effectively removed constituents. Total metals were reduced about 20 to 30 percent by both the treatment chamber and the unit as a whole. In general, dissolved constituents were unaffected by the unit. The material retained in the treatment chamber had high concentrations of lead and PAH and may be subject to special disposal restrictions based on those concentrations and the presence of benzo(a)anthracene. The chemical makeup of the retained material in other similar stormwater treatment units will probably vary depending on the land use and activities in the drainage basin.

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USGS1996

Stormwater-runoff data, Madison, Wisconsin, 1993-94

Section 402(P) of the Water Quality Control Act of 1987 requires that municipalities with a population of 100,000 or more obtain permits to discharge stormwater runoff and to control its quality. Monitoring and sampling of stormwater runoff from seven drainage basins in Madison, Wis., was performed from April 1993 through November 1994 by the U.S. Geological Survey and the city of Madison to (1) characterize the quantity and quality of wet-weather discharge, (2) determine storm and annual loadings of selected constituents, and (3) characterize rainfall and runoff conditions. The seven basins were selected for monitoring rainfall and runoff on the basis of land-use characteristics, dry-weather flow conditions, and monitorability. As required by Section 402(P) of the Water Quality Control Act of 1987, stormwater-runoff samples collected during storms that met three criteria (rainfall depths 50 to 150 percent of average depth range, rainfall durations 50 to 150 percent of average duration, and antecedent dry-weather period of at least 72 hours) were analyzed for semivolatile organic chemicals, total metals, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, inorganic constituents, bacteria, oil and grease, pH, and water temperature. Two of the seven sites also had samples analyzed for volatile organic chemicals. In addition to the required sampling, additional runoff samples that did not necessarily meet the three rainfall criteria, were analyzed for total metals and inorganic constituents. Storm loads of selected constituents were computed.

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USGS1996

Variation in the relation of rainfall to runoff from residential lawns in Madison, Wisconsin, July and August 1995

The quality of runoff from residential lawns is a concern for municipal stormwater management programs. Land-use based computer models are increasingly being used to assess the impact of lawn runoff on urban watersheds. To accurately model the runoff for residential lawns, the variation in the relation of rainfall to runoff from lawns must be understood. The study described in this report measures the runoff parameters from 20 residential lawns in Madison, Wisconsin, using a rainfall simulator. It was determined that the saturated hydraulic conductivity does not vary significantly within a single residential lawn, but does vary significantly from one lawn to another. This variation is recognized in the entire rainfall-runoff relation from one lawn to another. The age of a lawn, or the years since development and turf establishment, is used as a surrogate of several lawn and soil characteristics to describe the variability in lawn runoff volumes. Runoff volumes from newly developed lawns are significantly greater than runoff from older lawns. This is an important consideration when modeling runoff for new developments. For older lawns, the date since lawn establishment does not explain the variation in the rainfall-runoff relation. In order for simple land-use based computer models to adequately account for the volume of runoff from pervious landscapes, field data from individual lawns would be necessary. A more realistic, alternative method may be to consider a basin-scale analysis of runoff from pervious landscapes.

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USGS1993

Sources of pollutants in Wisconsin stormwater

Rainfall runoff samples were collected from streets, parking lots, roofs, driveways, and lawns. These five source areas are located in residential, commercial, and industrial land uses in Madison, Wisconsin. Solids, phosphorus, and heavy metals loads were determined for all the source areas using measured concentrations and runoff volumes estimated by the Source Load and Management Model. Source areas with relatively large contaminant loads were identified as critical source areas for each land use. Streets are critical source areas for most contaminants in all the land uses. Parking lots are critical in the commercial and industrial land uses. Lawns and driveways contribute large phosphorus loads in the residential land use. Roofs produce significant zinc loads in the commercial and industrial land uses. Identification of critical source areas could reduce the amount of area needing best-management practices in two areas of Madison, Wisconsin. Targeting best-management practices to 14% of the residential area and 40% of the industrial area could significantly reduce contaminant loads by up to 75%.

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USGS1992

Impacts of variation in planktivorous fish on abundance of daphnids: A simulation model of the Lake Mendota food web: Chapter 20

Previous chapters in this volume have outlined the goals of the Lake Mendota food web manipulation study (Rudstam et al., Ch. 12) and have reported on variations in phytoplankton and zooplankton abundances during the past 15 years (Lathrop and Carpenter, Ch. 7 and 8). Because of the long time scales inherent in such a lake management manipulation, it became imperative to attempt to predict how the lake would respond to changes in planktivorous fish abundance over time scales of several decades. We know from the past 15 years of study (Lathrop and Carpenter, Ch. 7 and 8; Magnuson and Lathrop, Ch. 11) that substantial variation of planktivorous fish, zooplankton, and phytoplankton abundances can occur the lake. Given the current stocking of piscivores, we have the potential to substantially modify the abundance of planktivorous fish and possibly shift the assemblages of phytoplankton and zooplankton beyond the ranges of those which occurred previously. In this chapter we describe the construction and use of a simulation model designed to examine how variation in plantivore abundance might impact zooplankton biomass and species composition.

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USGS1992

Lake ice records used to detect historical and future climatic changes

Historical ice records, such as freeze and breakup dates and the total duration of ice cover, can be used as a quantitative indicator of climatic change if long homogeneous records exist and if the records can be calibrated in terms of climatic changes. Lake Mendota, Wisconsin, has the longest uninterrupted ice records available for any lake in North America dating back to 1855. These records extend back prior to any reliable air temperature data in the midwestern region of the U.S. and demonstrate significant warming of approximately 1.5 °C in fall and early winter temperatures and 2.5 °C in winter and spring temperatures during the past 135 years. These changes are not completely monotonie, but rather appear as two shorter periods of climatic change in the longer record. The first change was between 1875 and 1890, when fall, winter, and spring air temperatures increased by approximately 1.5 °C. The second change, earlier ice breakup dates since 1979, was caused by a significant increase in winter and early spring air temperatures of approximately 1.3 °C. This change may be indicative of shifts in regional climatic patterns associated with global warming, possibly associated with the ‘Greenhouse Effect’. With the relationships between air temperature and freeze and break up dates, we can project how the ice cover of Lake Mendota should respond to future climatic changes. If warming occurs, the ice cover for Lake Mendota should decrease approximately 11 days per 1 °C increase. With a warming of 4 to 5 °C, years with no ice cover should occur in approximately 1 out of 15 to 30 years.

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USGS1986

Prairie restoration at the National Wildlife Health Laboratory (Wisconsin)

The National Wildlife Health Laboratory (NWHL), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Madison are in the process of a 7-ha prairie restoration project on their lands to create a microcosmic representation of presettlement Wisconsin. Visiting scientists, personnel from local schools and universities, and neighboring public will eventually be able to use this land for its educational and esthetic value while becoming more familiar with the goals and objectives of the Fish and Wildlife Service and the NWHL. Self-guiding nature trails and a kiosk will facilitate public use after the project is completed.

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USGS1979

Urban storm-runoff modelling; Madison, Wisconsin

The Illinois Urban Drainage Area Simulator was used to analyze the effects that (1) physical changes to storm-sewer conduits, and (2) increased runoff detention and infiltration would have on storm runoff in four urban basins in Madison, Wisconsin. The model was calibrated using monitoring data for the four basins collected over a 1-year period. A brief evaluation was made of a modified version of the model that simulates quality of urban runoff. Additional monitoring and computer analysis are necessary to calibrate the water-quality portion of the model before it can be used as a management tool in Madison. This study was done in cooperation with the Dane County Regional Planning Commission (DCRPC). Tables presenting results of various storm-water-management options are included. Some notable simulation results were that a 25 percent storm-sewer slope reduction yielded only a 3 percent peak-discharge reduction, and increasing storm-sewer roughness by increasing Manning's "n" from 0.013 to 0.0^0 decreased peak discharge about 10 to 20 percent. Detention of 10 percent of runoff throughout each basin yielded peak-discharge reductions of about 10 to 20 percent. Infiltration of all parking-lot runoff reduced peak discharges 5 to 2h percent. Peak discharges were reduced by 71 to 88 percent by substituting porous pavement for conventional pavement. Draining 90 percent of the residential rooftops onto lawns instead of driveways reduced peak discharge from 7 to 31 percent. Runoff-volume reduction was similarly reduced for the induced infiltration simulations. Storage requirements for hypothetical storm-water-treatment plants ranged from 2.6 to 29 acre-feet for the smallest and largest basins, respectively, with a treatment capacity of 25 cubic feet per second. A brief inconclusive evaluation of the water-quality subroutines of the model was made. Close agreement was noted between observed and simulated loads for nitrates, organic nitrogen, total phosphate, and total solids. Ammonia nitrogen and orthophosphate computed by the model ranged 7 to 11 times greater than the observed loads. Observed loads are doubtful because of the sparsity of water-quality data.

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USGS1979

Monthly and annual water budgets of Lake Wingra, Madison, Wisconsin, 1972-77

This report presents estimated annual and monthly water budgets for Lake Wingra and the adjacent wetland area for January 1972 through September 1972. Annually, inputs from precipitation, surface runoff, and groundwater inflow are approximately equal (31, 34, and 35 percent, respectively). Outputs include outflow from the lake into Murphy Creek (70 percent), evapotranspiration from the lake and wetland (26 percent), and ground-water outflow (4 percent). The inputs and outputs vary seasonally. In months when snowmelt occurs, surface runoff is a major input (56 percent in March; 46 percent in April). In fall and winter ground-water inflow is a major input (57 percent in November). Precipitation comprises 41 percent of the input in August but only 18 percent in January. Lake outflow is the major output except from July through September. Combined evaporation and evapotranspiration is a major output in summer (45 to 58 percent) but minor in winter (less than 13 percent). Ground-water outflow is a small part of the budget each month, ranging from 2 percent in March and April to a maximum of 7 percent in September. The water budget is based on field data collected from January 1972 through June 1973, and on fragmentary data and estimates for July 1973 through September 1977. The budget terms differ from those published by Oakes, Hendrickson, and Zuehls (1975, table 10) because springflow has been included in total ground-water inflow and estimated on a monthly basis in this report. Previously only annual estimates were provided.

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USGS1978

Water-level declines in the Madison area, Dane County, Wisconsin

The water supply for the city of Madison, Wisconsin, and for surrounding municipalities is obtained from the ground-water reservoir that underlies the area. This ground-water reservoir is composed of an upper aquifer and an underlying sandstone aquifer. High-capacity water-supply wells pump from the sandstone aquifer. Pumping from the sandstone aquifer has resulted in hydrologic changes. The water level has dropped in both the upper aquifer and underlying sandstone aquifer, and the flow of water in streams has been reduced. The effects of anticipated pumping were examined with the use of a digital model. The maximum water-level decline from the beginning of pumping in 1882 until 1975 was about 75 feet in the sandstone aquifer and 10 to 20 feet in the upper aquifer. Additional declines between 1975 and 2000 were computed to be 10 to 30 feet in the sandstone aquifer and 5 to 10 feet in the upper aquifer. The average annual streamflow of the Yahara River at the McFarland gaging station was reduced 32 percent from the beginning of pumping to 1975. An additional 7 percent reduction in streamflow was computed for the period 1975 to 2000.

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USGS1972

Floods in Starkweather Creek basin, Madison, Wisconsin

The city of Madison is establishing standards for flood-plain zoning and land-use planning. The evaluation of flood potential is a necessary factor to be considered before such standards are established and put into effect. Purpose and scope. The purposes of this report are to determine the magnitude and water surface elevations of the regional (100-year) flood for both existing and future conditions, to determine their limits of flooding, and to analyze maximum hydraulic capacities of the channel system of Starkweather Creek. The regional flood is defined by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (1968, p. 94) as a flood that occurs on an average of once in 100 years and "which is representative of large floods known to have occurred generally in Wisconsin and reasonably characteristic of what can be expected to occur on a particular stream". The reaches evaluated are (1) Starkweather Creek and West Branch Starkweather Creek, for a distance of 6.0 river miles from the mouth at Lake Monona upstream to the U.S. Highway 51 crossing north of Truax Field; and (2) East Branch Starkweather Creek (2.8 river miles), from its confluence with the West Branch near Milwaukee Street upstream to a point near the Interstate Highway 90-94 crossing.

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