Runoff characteristics and washoff loads from rainfall-simulation experiments on a street surface and a native pasture in the Denver metropolitan area, Colorado

M. H. Mustard; S. R. Ellis; J. W. Gibbs

doi:10.3133/ofr84820

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Runoff characteristics and washoff loads from rainfall-simulation experiments on a street surface and a native pasture in the Denver metropolitan area, Colorado

M. H. Mustard·S. R. Ellis·J. W. Gibbs

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Abstract

Rainfall-runoff simulation studies were conducted in conjunction with the Denver Regional Urban Runoff Program to: (1) Compare runoff characteristics from two different intensities of simulated rainfall on street-surface plots, (2) document a first flush of constituent washoff loads in runoff from 1,000-sq-ft street-surface plots, (3) compare runoff characteristics from the street surface plots with those from a 69-acre urban mixed land use subjected to natural rainfall, (4) perform statistical analysis of washoff loads, and (5) compare quantity and quality of runoff from 400-sq-ft plots of native pasture subjected to simulated rainfall and from a 405-acre basin of native pasture subjected to natural rainfall. Experiments on the street surface showed that higher intensity simulated rainfall produced a higher percentage of runoff than lower intensity rainfall, and a first flush of constituent loads occurred for most constituents. The event mean constituent concentrations in the street-surface runoff from simulated storms were generally much smaller than those in the runoff from an adjacent urban basin. Simulated rainfall in small native pasture plots produced runoff-to-rainfall ratios similar to runoff-to-rainfall ratios from a larger native pasture subject to natural rainfall. (USGS)

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Source-reported bounding extent: 39.52522954427751° to 40.01078714046552° latitude; -105.2655029296875° to -104.65576171875° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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M. H. Mustard, S. R. Ellis, J. W. Gibbs. 1985. Runoff characteristics and washoff loads from rainfall-simulation experiments on a street surface and a native pasture in the Denver metropolitan area, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr84820

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