Give Me the Numbers: How trees and urban forests really affect stormwater runoff

This archived webinar, and supporting materials, was presented on February 8, 2017.

In order for managers to make the case for trees and green infrastructure as a part of stormwater management, they must be able to quantify the benefits of such interventions. Current research can aid managers in estimating tree function as a part of a green stormwater infrastructure treatment train. In this webinar, Eric Kuehler will review the most current research regarding the volume of rainfall that tree canopy is able to retain, the increased lag time between rainfall initiation and peak runoff due to canopy cover, reducing runoff velocity, and water volume removed from the soil through transpiration. Aarin Teague will share how Stormwater Design Engineers and Managers can use this research to better quantify the role that the urban forest can play in their overall stormwater management strategy and will discuss one method for estimating tree function and equating to BMP design capacity. This information can help municipal natural resource managers more effectively work across disciplines to ensure the urban forest is a part of the solution for mitigating stormwater runoff and managing hydrologic function in their communities.

Give Me the Numbers: How trees and urban forests really affect stormwater runoff