Project Overview

Full Title
Characterization of Stormwater Runoff Constituent Loads from Bridge Decks in North Carolina and Determination of the Effects of Bridge Stormwater Runoff on Selected Receiving Waters

Location
 Buncombe, Henderson, Mecklenburg, Durham, Wake, Sampson, New Hanover and Brunswick Counties

Partner Agencies
North Carolina Department of Transportation

Project Chief
Chad Wagner
cwagner@usgs.gov

Period of Project
2009 - 2010

Team Members
Scott Caldwell
Sean Egen
Jason Jarvis
John Mazurek
Cassandra Pfeifle
Trey Sherrell

Science Topic
Support of Federal and State Programs

USGS IN YOUR STATE

USGS Water Science Centers are located in each state.

Water quality characterization of bridge deck runoff in NC

Reports

Results of the bridge deck stormwater quality monitoring, stream water quality sampling, streambed sediment sampling, and empirical mixing calculations of bridge stormwater constituents with receiving waters will be used to characterize and document the bridge deck runoff and effects of bridge deck runoff on receiving water.

An online USGS Scientific Investigations Report, documenting the data collection and approach used to characterize the bridge deck runoff and determine the impact of bridge deck runoff on receiving waters of the state, has been published and is available online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2011/5180/.

Related References

Dupuis, T.V., 2002, Assessing the impacts of bridge deck runoff contaminants in receiving waters: National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 474, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council.

Granato, G.E., 2003, National Highway Runoff Water-Quality Data and Methodology Synthesis, Volume III—Availability and documentation of published information of synthesis of regional or national highway-runoff quality data: Federal Highway Administration Publication (FHWA-EP-03-056), 71p.

Malina, J.F, Barrett, M.E., Jackson, A., Kramer, T., 2005, Characterization of stromwater runoff from a bridge deck and approach highway, effects on receiving water quality: Center for Transportation Research, University of Texas at Austin, Federal Highway Administration Publication (FHWA/TX-06/0-4543-1), 88 p. http://www.utexas.edu/research/ctr/pdf_reports/0_4543_1.pdf

URS Corporation, 2010, Stormwater runoff from bridges: Final report to Joint Legislation Transportation Oversight Committee, In fulfillment of Session Law 2008-107 for NC Department of Transportation, 262 p. http://www.ncdot.org/doh/PRECONSTRUCT/HIGHWAY/hydro/pdf/StormwaterRunofffromBridgesFinalReport.pdf

Wagner, C.R., Fitzgerald, S.A., Sherrell, R.D., Harned, D.A., Staub, E.L., Pointer, B.H., and Wehmeyer, L.L., 2011, Characterization of stormwater runoff from bridges in North Carolina and the effects of bridge deck runoff on receiving streams: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2011–5180, 95 p. + 8 appendix tables, available online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2011/5180/.