Concentration of Suspended Solids and Nutrients in Overland Flow in Suburban Philadelphia Watersheds

Abstract

Suburban Philadelphia is a densely populated region with a history of urbanization and waterway channelization. Situated within the Delaware River watershed, 70% of the region’s stream segments are impaired, primarily due to excess sediment and nutrients. To improve water quality, the Upstream Suburban Philadelphia Cluster of the Delaware River Watershed Initiative (DRWI) established focus areas within the region for targeted implementation of stormwater control measures and community outreach about stormwater management. The focus areas consisted of upstream headwaters to four streams flowing into the Delaware River. The objective of this study was to determine sediment and nutrient concentrations in first flush overland flow (OLF) in three of the DRWI focus areas. Seven sites were selected for collection of OLF, stream, and rain samples. A total of 228 samples from 24 sample locations across 17 storms were collected from the Pennypack Creek, Jenkintown Creek, and Sandy Run watersheds. Samples were analyzed for nitrate (N), total dissolved phosphorous (TDP), total phosphorous (TP), suspended sediment concentration (SSC), and chloride (Cl), and results were compared to catchment metrics including area and land cover. OLF samples showed a wider variability of sediment, chloride, and nutrient concentrations than stream samples, and the stormwater quality varied between catchments with different land cover composition. Higher N correlated with increased road coverage and landscaping applications in vegetated areas. Lower TDP was linked to increased tree canopy, while higher TP was linked to smaller lot sizes. In the stream samples, higher SSC was linked to increased road coverage and smaller building sizes, and higher Cl was linked to nearby impervious surfaces. SSC was often reduced in the OLF samples after flowing downhill or through vegetated patches. Two bioretention basins were sampled at the inlet and outlet. Both basins experienced a decrease in SSC and N at the outlets, showed marginal to poor efficiency for TDP and TP removal, and provided an increase in Cl in outlet. A review of all collected data suggests that land cover and human activity in these watersheds are greater drivers of stormwater quality than rainfall and weather patterns. The data presented in this report has implications for stormwater control. First, this study provides an understanding of local heterogeneities in the distribution of nutrients, sediment, and chloride in stormwater runoff from seemingly similar watersheds in terms of land use. Second, the presented data can be used in projects and models at the headwater scale and the micro-catchment scale to improve planning and monitoring.