Thompson Run and the Duck Pond May 1, 2014 Training and Education - - PDF document
OPP Stormwater Management Thompson Run and the Duck Pond May 1, 2014 Training and Education Series This presentation will cover these topics: Background on the Thompson Run Watershed. Water related history of the watershed. What
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
This presentation will cover these topics:
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
Background on the Thompson Run Watershed. Water related history of the watershed. What happens from a stormwater perspective. What’s in the likely future.
Thompson Spring Valley, 1890s
The Thompson Run Watershed is 2,970 acres (4.64 sq.mi.) in size as defined to the junction of Slab Cabin Run in Millbrook Marsh.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
Slab Cabin Run Spring Creek Thompson Run Drainage Boundary Big Hollow North Millbrook Marsh
The Thompson Run Watershed is actually made up of the Thompson Run (1,555 ac) and Walnut Run (1,415 ac) Watersheds.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
Slab Cabin Run Walnut Run Spring Creek Thompson Run Drainage Boundary Big Hollow North
The watershed has not changed significantly since the first 1908 USGS map was delineated.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series 1908 USGS Bellefonte 1:62500
Slab Cabin Run Walnut Run Spring Creek Thompson Run Drainage Boundary Big Hollow Millbrook Marsh North
Thompson Run can further be defined as the portion that comes from the Bathgate Dam (237 ac) and the Duck Pond (867 ac).
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
Slab Cabin Run Spring Creek Drainage Boundary Bathgate Big Hollow North Duck Pond Watershed Soccer Pond Orchard Park Pond Westerly Parkway Reservoir Walnut Springs Preserve
There are also a number of stormwater sinkholes in and around both the Thompson Run and Walnut Run Watersheds.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
Slab Cabin Run Spring Creek Drainage Boundary Big Hollow North
The area has always been known for its sinkholes and closed depressions including the ‘hollow,” which today is the site of Memorial Field.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series 1896 photograph of the hollow
Other important areas related to this presentation.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
Mill Race Spring Creek Thompson Spring North Duck Pond Inlet Channel (storm inflow) Duck Pond Centre Furnace Mansion Bathgate Spring Walnut Run Walnut Springs Slab Cabin Clark Motors (BA) Clasters (YBC) Millbrook Marsh
Thompson Spring (Wally Brook) seen here in the late 1800s, was unquestionably the reason for the regions development starting in the late 1700s.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
The Centre Furnace was a charcoal iron furnace and the end of production in 1858 was due primarily due to a loss of charcoal producing timber.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series 1904 Centre Furnace Mansion
Unfortunately, no known maps or sketches survive from the iron producing times, but what we do know is that the area was highly manipulated.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series 1874 Pomeroy Atlas of Centre County
In those early days, you can image that water quality wasn’t as great as we would like to think it was, due to sewage and a lack of vegetation.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series Civil Engineering Students near Thompson’s Spring
The University purchased the spring property in 1912 and later surrounding tracks in 1917. David Garver purchased the Centre Mansion in 1920.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
The University purchased the property for both a possible source of water and to construct its wastewater treatment plant in 1913.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
The 1912 deed also required that the University maintain a minimum water elevation at the property line for use by downstream heirs of the Thompson family.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series 1940 Spring Diversion Swale
In 1927 John R. Bracken developed the plan to create a memorial arboretum at the spring property with a pond as the center piece.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
This evolved into the Winter Sports Center, which was a multiyear class gift from 1927 to 1931. The pond was a regulated dam by the Department of Forests and Waters, Water and Power Resources Board.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
The following year, James I. Thompson complained that the dam caused the water that supplied power for the mill for over 100 years to become less, which caused problems for their ice making machinery.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series 1949 Areal Photograph
Starting in 1927, the University frequently tested the water quality of Thompson Spring for possible use as a potable water source. While the flow was always found good, water quality was deemed “grossly polluted.”
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
Min Max Min Max Min Max Year (cfs) (cfs) (GPM) (GPM) (MGD) (MGD) Data Source 1927 5.0 8.5 2244 3815 3.2 5.5 Report for original permit for Duck Pond Dam, dated 11/9/1927, not known as to the scource, but Dr. Sackett designed the dam and may have made estimate 1929 J.G. White Report 7/8/1929, no flows but did WQ sampling; "tests show the water to be so grossly polluted that it should not be considered as a source
1932 3.6 7.9 1597 3542 2.3 5.1 Data collected by R.R. Cleland from 1931 to 1933, showed spring flow affected by precipitation, also did dye trace tests of the Spring 1933 5.4 9.3 2431 4167 3.5 6.0 Morris Knowles Report 1933, "The flow has been estimated by some authorities to vary from 3,500,000 to 6,000,000 gallons per day" 1955 3.1 8.3 1389 3715 2.0 5.35 Gilbert Associates Inc. report dated 12/29/1955 collected continuous data from 1/4/1955 to 9/1/1955. Graph on last day of data collection nds in a downward trend at 2.0 MGD 1955 3.1 11.3 1389 5056 2.0 7.28 Gilbert Associates Inc. report dated 12/29/1955 stated as min and max values from all his sources 1957 3.1 1389 2.0 OPP 1957 water study, which was a summary of all past reports calls 2.0 MGD as never less than value
By 1938 the upper Thompson Run Watershed had become fairly developed, but the Walnut Run Watershed was still primarily agriculture.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series 1938 Land Cover from Orthophotographs
The University and State College Borough see a major jump in population after World War II.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
In 1947/ 48, the University upgraded the Campus storm drainage system installing the 66” along College Ave.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
The “Duck Pond” severed as an ice skating pond until the late 1950’s.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series Courtesy Centre Furnace Mansion
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
By the late 1950’s both subwatersheds developed significantly.
1957 Land Cover from Orthophotographs
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
The 1950’s also saw the introduction of powdered clothes washing detergents that included as much as 60% by weight of sodium tripolyphosphate. This source of phosphorus was not removed by typical wastewater treatment.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
Water quality is said to have deteriorated in Spring Creek in the 1950s including incidents in the Thompson Run Watershed.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
The University constructed the Breazeale Nuclear Reactor in 1955/ 56, which used the Thompson Spring water for cooling.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
During dry weather, flows coming out of the University’s 72” storm drain are the reactor return flows. This was the first pipe installed here in 1956/ 57.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
In the late 195os, the original diversion swale that directed the spring flows around the duck pond was rerouted directly into the duck pond by PennDOT.
The 1956 PennDOT design plans still show that the mill race was to be maintained, but that a new channel was constructed to protect the road.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
The Borough of State College completed its storm drain upgrades along Easterly Parkway in 1959.
Courtesy Borough of State College
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
In 1963, the University started the Waste Water Renovation and Conservation Project to investigate the land application of the treated wastewater effluent.
In 1964 the University sold the tract of land that Clark Motors built upon, which was part of the 1917 Thompson land purchase.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
Even though it was clear even at that time that the area was flood plain and that the mill race overtopped.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series 1949 Areal Photograph
In the 1960s, Clasters’ developed the former mill property installing the 72”by 48” CMP which had significantly less capacity than the upslope drainage systems.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
This culvert has resulted in documented flooding of College Ave going back as far as the early 1970’s.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
Warning - If the culvert is removed, without proving for the current storage, significant channel instability will likely occur downstream. http:/ / www.opp.psu.edu/ services/ stormwater/ opp-wrp-sr-tr-2013
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
In 1969 the University Area Joint Authority began operations that is said to have removed some load off of the Penn State Wastewater Plant.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
In 1977, when the University was dredging the duck pond, TU asked if they could rebuild the spring diversion swale.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
The University last dredged the duck pond in 2002. Previously the pond had been dredged in 1956, 1977, and 1991.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
In 1983, the University started the living filter project and since that time no effluent has been discharged to Thompson Run. Research has been conducted continuously on the system’s operation.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
Ferguson Township adopted a stormwater ordinance in 1978, College Township in 1984, and the first regional ordinance was adopted in 1992. The University’s first stormwater management facility in the Watershed was built in 1987.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
In 1990, the University accidentally caused a fish kill due to a floor drain being tied to the storm drain system. A very common practice in the past and something today the MS4s look for in their IDDE program.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
In 1997, the University and the Borough jointly wanted to hard armor the duck pond inlet channel. Community involvement resulted in the channel being soft armored in 2002 for environmental considerations.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
In 2003, the University, the Borough, and College, Ferguson, Harris, and Patton Townships were required to obtain MS4 stormwater permits.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
In 2006, The University constructed the Slab Cabin cross vane project, consisting of eight cross vanes above and below the junction of Thompson Run to promote the reconnection of the stream to the flood plain.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series Millbrook Marsh cross vane
In 2007, the University started collecting continuous flow and water temperature data at the duck pond and spring in addition to water quality testing at the spring.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
In 2010 the Thompson Spring Parshall Flume failed and needed to be replaced. This resulted in finding that past flows were significantly under recorded in recent years.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
In 2010, the University also installed a floating trash rack above the Duck Pond to take floating debris out of the stream.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series Duck Pond inflow channel trash rack
In 2012, the Duck Pond turned purple likely due to deep grouting upslope with caustic material.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
Thompson Spring flow data. Historical flow data since 1927 indicated that 2.0 MGD was the minimum discharge. Are discharges increasing?
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
The spring responds directly to larger precipitation events as seen during the rainfall event of 8/ 21/ 2007, which had 2.22”/ 36 hrs. Quick flow from small events appears to be from approximately 40 acres.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
Thompson Spring (stormflow = total flow minus baseflow)
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 8/20/07 11:40 8/20/07 21:40 8/21/07 7:40 8/21/07 17:40 8/22/07 3:40 Date Spring Stormflow (cfs) 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 Cumulative Rainfall (in) stormflow rainfall
The spring response to a small high intensity rainfall event. 1.9 inches rainfall in 1 hour
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
The spring response to a large high intensity rainfall event. 3.38 inches of precipitation (3.04 in 2 hours)
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
The spring response to a major snow melt event. 2.34 inches of rainfall in 20 hours on a 5 inch snowpack
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
The University collects water quality from Thompson Spring. For example, PCE levels have dropped since the fall of 2005.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
The temperature of the spring water is 51.1 F year round with slight changes due to precipitation (min=50.1, max=53.6, stdev=0.23 F).
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
If we look at the temperature change between the spring and the diversion channel at the dam. Length of flow is 1,500 ft.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
The temperature change in winter is about same as summer With the average change being between 1 to 2 F. Large spikes due to mixing with duck pond during high flows (100 to 150 cfs)
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
The ambient air temperature versus the average spring temperature.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
What the stream temperature is below the duck pond (after spring diversion and duck pond outflow mixing). Generally, any temperature greater than 60 F or less than 40 F is the result of a runoff event.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
What the temp downstream would be due to ambient air effect of the duck pond without any storms. A 10 F change in temp results in a 2 degree change in stream temp below of which about 1.4 degrees is due to the duck pond.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
When the change in temperature below the Duck Pond in one hour is greater than a defined temperature. Any change > 2 F is due to precipitation.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
For what precipitation events the change in temperature below the duck pond in one hour is greater than a defined temperature. Approximately half of the precipitation events result in greater than a 2F change.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
Frequency and magnitude of Duck Pond discharges.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
Frequency of Duck Pond discharges by season.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
>100 cfs 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 sum neutral spring na 2 3 3 8 summer na 10 12 9 13 12 21 77 neutral fall na 1 1 1 2 5 winter 3 2 5 3 2 5 20 >200 cfs 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 sum neutral spring na 1 1 1 3 summer na 5 6 4 7 4 13 39 neutral fall na 1 1 winter 2 1 1 1 1 6 >300 cfs 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 sum neutral spring na 1 1 2 summer na 2 1 1 5 3 7 19 neutral fall na winter >400 cfs 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 sum neutral spring na summer na 1 1 6 8 neutral fall na winter >600 cfs 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 sum neutral spring na summer na 1 1 3 5 neutral fall na winter
The Duck Pond discharge is highly correlated to the rainfall intensity similar to any highly urbanized watershed.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
We can also compute a very reasonable estimate of how much runoff occurs for any precipitation event. This is beneficial when wanting to evaluate practices.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
Rainfall Runoff Q/P Runoff P (in) Q (in) Percent Q (gal) 0.00 0% 0.0 0.10 0.03 26% 622,829 0.50 0.14 29% 3,374,828 1.00 0.31 31% 7,401,358 2.00 0.74 37% 17,409,527 3.00 1.28 43% 30,024,507 4.00 1.92 48% 45,246,296 5.00 2.68 54% 63,074,896
What the duck pond does fairly well is remove settleable solids.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
The University intends to hard armor the inlet channel from below the three outlet pipes to near the diversion swale.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
In 2002 the inlet channel was soft armored to appease environmental considerations for aesthetics.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
Channel velocities are too high in this area and its unreasonable to think enough impervious runoff can be removed upslope to use soft armor.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
In 2007, the Office of Physical Plant began developing concepts
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
We have also considered draining the pond, but leaving the dam in place. This would create a wetland, but sediment control would be difficult. If drained to elevation 986, storage would be approximately 9.7 ac-ft.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
9.7 ac-ft = 3,160,540 gal Approximately 0.47 in P Volume = 63,000 50 gal rain barrels
To test the effect of draining the pond, we used 20 real runoff events and modeled them to see what the effect of a reduced permanent pool would be.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
Rainfall (in) Event Qp (cfs) Event Q (ac-ft) 1-hr Temp Change 0.31 36 6.1
0.37 37 6.9 0.9 0.39 76 7.3 2.3 0.45 112 10.7 6.1 0.54 126 11.4 7.0 0.63 143 13.3 7.6 0.68
192
16.1 8.2 0.78 195 18.0 8.9 0.87 218 19.2 9.3 1.03 242 23.8 10.0
1.15
274 36.8 10.9
1.20
323
51.7
11.5 1.35 356
52.7
11.6 1.77 436 55.7 12.5 1.90 560 55.7 12.6 1.90
640
60.8 12.6 2.12 675 62.1 12.9 3.38
680
104.7 12.9 3.66 745 120.2 15.2 3.90 801 153.3 15.6
What could happen to the peak runoff rates if we drained the pond completely, but left the ogee spillway in place. Reductions highly correlated to the event runoff volume as expected.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
Reductions somewhat correlated to the event peaks, but significantly can’t reduce flashy events.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
Reductions in temperature could happen for may small events that produce high temperature changes.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
Looking back at this graph, rainfall events less than 0.4” likely would have their temperature effect offset and there is a potential to offset the effect of some rainfall events up to almost 1”.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
The stream is impaired for sediment, and the Chesapeake Bay Pollution Reduction Plans look at Sediment, N and P. Existing stormwater temperature effects are not regulated but need to be addressed.
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
"It is likely that water quality in Spring Creek is better now than it has been since 1900.“
R.F. Carline et al., 2011
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
“Yet, despite these improvements, there are still signs of impairment to biological communities. The challenge ahead is finding cost effective ways to reduce nonpoint source pollution originating from agricultural and urban stormwater.”
R.F. Carline et al., 2011
OPP Stormwater Management Training and Education Series
Courtesy of Chelsea Graper