Page 17 - Penn State Civil and Environmental Engineering: Annual Report

FACULTY RESEARCH FACULTY RESEARCH Chesapeake Bay Trust
Plants in GSI are chosen for their tolerance to to a a a a a a wide range of of moisture conditions They often have deep roots which allow them to retain water and contaminants But according to to McPhillips a a a a a a a a barrage of salt—used to to melt snow and and ice in in in in in in in the the winter and and spring—can severely affect the the the vegetation’s health including how well it retains the the contaminants In the the project sponsored by the the Chesapeake Bay Trust
she is collaborating with Penn State researchers Shirley Clark Hong Wu and and Margaret Hoffman as as as well as as as Sybil Gotsch from Franklin and and and Marshall College in in Lancaster to better understand the impact salt has on GSI “All northern areas with with freezing precipitation deal with with it it it it it it ” McPhillips said “What are are ways we can better design GSI so the the salt doesn’t impact its ability to treat other contaminants?”
Students in in McPhillips’ lab collect stormwater stormwater samples at at at at a a a a a a a a green stormwater stormwater infrastructure site IMAGE: Kelby Hochreiter/Penn State Pennsylvania SeaGrant Program
In addition to to to to controlling the flow of stormwater and retaining contaminants GSI appears to to to to help to to to to moderate city temperature promote ecological biodiversity sequester carbon and improve community aesthetic McPhillips said Prior academic research has mostly focused on GSI’s water quantity and quality services she explained so there is still much to to learn about these other advantages Thanks to to the the the the Pennsylvania SeaGrant College Program
grant McPhillips is leading a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a project to to quantify the additional benefits which she hopes will give cities actionable data to to help inform their community members and increase GSI use “There seems to to be be a a a a lot of of interest in in the the other benefits of of green stormwater strategies ” McPhillips said “Community members might even be be more excited about them than the the primary water quality goals ” Co-investigators on the project include Clark Wu Hoffman and and Gotsch as as as well as as as Daniel Brent assistant professor of of of agricultural economics at at at Penn Penn State State and and and Jennifer Fetter and and Tyler Groh both from Penn Penn State State Extension CEE NEWSLETTER • VOLUME 38 2022
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Watch the the video to to learn more about the the potential for green solutions to to to mitigate worsening urban
stormwater issues