Urban development is typically accompanied by an increase in impervious area that can
lead to increased runoff and more severe flooding. Stormwater retention and detention policies
are commonly employed by regulatory agencies to mitigate these potential development impacts
within their jurisdiction. This project examines the hydrologic and hydraulic impacts of such policies in the Greater Chicago region. In Phase I of this project, ISWS-CHAMP in consultation with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) outlined steps to compute watershed specific release rates for two pilot study areas in Cook County. In Phase II, this methodology was then applied to other District watersheds. Phase III of the project examines the impacts of these regulations from the lens of social equitability, multi-jurisdictional watershed management, and stormwater quality.

Watershed-Specific Release Rate Analyses:

cover of phase 2 report

Phase I and II Analysis Report (PDF)

 

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Phase III Analysis Report (PDF)

 

a man with umbrella crosses a street at night in the rain
A pedestrian crosses a flooded street.

black and white image of train tracks and puddles
Train tracks partially submerged by excess rainfall.