The amount of runoff generated by an area during a given storm event depends on a number of

factors. These include land use, vegetation, soil type, drainage area, basin shape, elevation, slope,
topography, direction of orientation, drainage network patterns, and ponds, lakes, reservoirs, sinks, etc.
in the basin. (Pearlman, 2016) Most of these factors would not be drastically altered by land
development on the Stockton Galloway Campus. However, the land use and vegetation would be
significantly altered if more of the campus area were developed.

A runoff curve number is a parameter that can be determined for a specific area and used to
predict the amount of runoff that would be generated by a storm event. The curve number for an area is
determined by both land cover and soil type. Any changes to these two factors will alter the curve
number for an area, and therefore the amount of runoff generated during a particular storm event.

Currently, more than half of the total campus area is forested, while only about 15% of campus
area is classified as urban. This would bring the percentage of urban area up to 40%, a 66% increase.
This new urban development would bring about a significant increase in the curve number of campus.
Urban areas typically have much higher curve numbers than forested areas, since they have more
impervious surfaces in the form of buildings and parking lots. On Campus, the average curve number for
forested areas is about 51, while the average curve number for urban areas is 82. An examination of the
equations used to determine runoff shown in Figure 9 shows that such a drastic increase in curve
number would also dramatically increase the amount of runoff for any storm event. Table 10 shows the
increase in runoff that would occur if 500 acres of the forested land on campus were developed in a
similar way to the already developed areas. The figure shows that the magnitude of runoff increase
decreases as storm magnitude increases, however, the amount of runoff from higher intensity storms
like a 1000 year storm would likely have devastating effects regardless of the amount of development. A
significant increase in runoff can wreak havoc on both human activities and the environment.
Storm Runoff Pre- Runoff Post- Runoff Pre- Runoff Post-
Frequency Rainfall During Development Development Development Development Percent
(years) 24 hr Period (in) (in) (in) (ft³) (ft³) Increase
1 2.7 0.26 0.49 1,508,676 2,852,585.64 89.08%
2 3.29 0.48 0.80 2,807,537 4,640,916.31 65.30%
5 4.28 0.96 1.41 5,590,175 8,188,068.47 46.47%
10 5.13 1.45 2.00 8,439,301 11,629,765.76 37.80%
25 6.43 2.30 2.99 13,395,152 17,382,299.12 29.77%
50 7.57 3.12 3.91 18,182,035 22,771,386.04 25.24%
100 8.85 4.11 5.00 23,917,000 29,092,355.95 21.64%
200 10.3 5.28 6.27 30,758,364 36,502,625.38 18.68%
500 12.5 7.15 8.26 41,641,883 48,098,412.76 15.50%
1000 14.4 8.83 10.02 51,390,799 58,350,208.41 13.54%
Table 10 Potential increase in storm responses if 500 acres of currently forested campus area were developed

The greatest danger to humans and property comes in the form of flooding. The increased
runoff from storm events that accompanies urban development allows larger volumes of water to enter
waterways more quickly. If these waterways are close to areas of human habitation, sufficiently large
storm events can cause significant damage to buildings, cars, and roads. Many of the streams, lakes, and
wetlands on Stockton’s campus are close to school buildings, residential buildings, parking lots, and
roads. If a large amount of water was channeled into these water bodies in a relatively short period of
time, it could cost both the school and its students a great deal of money in flood damages.

An increase in runoff could also negatively impact the ecosystem. If water does not infiltrate the
soil and becomes runoff instead, it can result in a decrease in groundwater. Instead of filtering through
the soil and into streams and lakes gradually over time, the water will enter them almost immediately
and all at once. Although the volume of water in streams and lakes will increase during and immediately
after storm events, the volume of water will decrease during drier times. This could have deadly results
for aquatic life that requires higher, more constant water levels. In addition, large volumes of runoff
entering streams will generally travel at greater speeds than they would normally. With an increase in
speed and volume comes an increase in erosive power, which can cause damage to both the banks of
streams and the ecosystems they support. (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2003)

Development on Stockton campus would affect not only the quantity of streamflow and runoff,
but also the water quality on campus in general. Construction itself would cause a temporary increase in
sediment and pollutants, while a permanent change in land use would likely have a permanent effect on
water quality.

Urbanization can cause thermal pollution. Runoff from parking lots or rooftops may have
significantly higher temperatures than runoff from more natural areas. The addition of buildings, paved
areas, and parking lots to campus may raise temperatures in streams and lakes sufficiently to damage
their ecosystems. (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2003)

The increase in erosion caused by increased water volume can cause an increase in suspended
solids. Runoff from parking lots can carry suspended solids to streams and lakes as well. Construction on
campus would likely cause a temporary increase in suspended solids in streams as dirt and dust are
washed away from construction sites which are devoid of vegetation. In the long term, an increase in
erosion as a result of increased runoff, along with the solids carried from parking lots, would
permanently increase the levels of suspended solids in affected streams and lakes, negatively impacting
aquatic life. (Murphy, 2007)

As stated earlier, additional development on campus could result in increases in both

temperature and suspended solids. This may significantly alter the aquatic ecosystems on campus by
decreasing levels of dissolved oxygen.

Human contributions of nitrates, phosphates, and sulfates to the water are unlikely to increase
with development on campus. It is possible that concentrations of these nutrients might decrease due
to additional runoff and a reduction in natural sources on campus.

Damage from excess sediment and pollutants in runoff during construction can be prevented by
following simple guidelines designed to either remedy or prevent erosion entirely. The simplest of these
is to not disturb any areas that do not need to be disturbed. Unnecessary removal of vegetation or
disturbance of soils will result in greater amounts of sediments entering stream water. Conducting
construction in phases will reduce the quantity of unavoidable sediment release at any given time.
Sediment can also be controlled using sediment traps and ditches, which would catch sediment-carrying
runoff before it is able to reach streams, allowing sediment to settle. (Rodriguez, 2018)
 Runoff from parking lots can be reduced by creating lots which are as compact as possible,
reducing surface area. In addition, lots can be designed to include landscaping which is designed to
collect and filter runoff from the parking area. (University of Virginia School of Law Environmental Law
and Conservation Clinic; Rivanna Conservation Society, 2015)

Long term runoff as a whole can be controlled through the use of retention or detention ponds.
Of these, retention ponds would be preferable. These are a permanent water feature which captures
runoff and holds it, allowing the filtering out of sediments and pollutants naturally. This would also help
control thermal pollution in streams. As a bonus, these ponds create new habitat for wildlife, and they
can also be used recreationally or decoratively. (Lever, 2015)

Runoff from rooftops can be reduced by implementing green roofs. These roofs include soil and
vegetation, which serve to catch rainwater and hold it, releasing it slowly over a period of hours instead
of all at once. Some of the water is eliminated through evapotranspiration, which also reduces roof
temperatures. (Michigan State University, n.d.) Runoff from rooftops could be controlled further through
the use of rain gardens, which are shallow basins filled with vegetation. These collect rainwater and hold
it, allowing it to infiltrate the soil instead of running directly into streams. This would further decrease
thermal pollution of streamwater from rooftops, as well as removing pollutants. (Groundwater
Foundation, n.d.)

References
Groundwater Foundation. (n.d.). All about Rain Gardens. Retrieved from Groundwater Foundation:
https://www.groundwater.org/action/home/raingardens.html

Lever, B. (2015, April 30). Stormwater Basins: How Detention and Retention Ponds Work. Retrieved from
Wessler Engineering: https://info.wesslerengineering.com/blog/stormwater-basins-detention-
retention-ponds

Michigan State University. (n.d.). Benefits of Green Roofs. Retrieved from Green Roof Research:
http://www.greenroof.hrt.msu.edu/benefits/index.html

Murphy, S. (2007, April 23). General Information on Solids. Retrieved from BASIN:
http://bcn.boulder.co.us/basin/data/NEW/info/TSS.html

Pearlman, H. (2016, December 2). Runoff (surface water runoff). (USGS) Retrieved from The USGS Water
Science School: Runoff (surface water runoff)

Rodriguez, J. (2018, November 24). Controlling Sediment and Erosion on Construction Sites. Retrieved
from The Balance Small Business: https://www.thebalancesmb.com/tips-controlling-sediment-
and-erosion-problems-844637

United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2003, February). Protecting Water Quality from Urban
Runoff. Retrieved from EPA: https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/nps_urban-facts_final.pdf

University of Virginia School of Law Environmental Law and Conservation Clinic; Rivanna Conservation
Society. (2015). Reducing Runoff from New Development.