The effect of antecedent soil moisture conditions on green roof runoff water quality and quantity

Lab alumna and 2015 REU student Jillian Sarazen is presenting her work this week at the 59th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research, affectionately known as IAGLR. Jillian graduated from Oberlin College in May. Congratulations on both fronts, Jillian!

The effect of antecedent soil moisture conditions on green roof runoff water quality and quantity.

SARAZEN, J.C.1, KINSMAN-COSTELLO, L.E.2, JEFFERSON, A.J.3, and SCHOLL, A.4,

1. Oberlin College Department of Biology, Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA;
2. Kent State University Department of Biological Sciences, Kent, OH, 44240, USA;
3. Kent State University Department of Geology, Kent, OH, 44240, USA;
4. Kent State University Department of Geography, Kent, OH, 44240, USA.

One of the many benefits of green roofs is that they reduce the amount of stormwater runoff as compared to normal roofs, however they can negatively impact water quality. This study was conducted at the three year-old green roof on Cleveland Metropark’s Watershed Stewardship Center in Parma, Ohio. The objectives were to (1) measure green roof runoff quantity and quality of phosphate (PO43-), nitrate (NO3-) and ammonium (NH4+) concentrations during rain events and (2) relate antecedent soil moisture conditions to water quality and quantity. We sampled sequential water samples (Teledyne, ISCO) during four summer 2015 rain events that varied in size and intensity. We measured soil moisture at high temporal resolution using four logging sensors and two to three times per week at 33 sampling locations using a handheld probe. Soil moisture increased immediately upon commencement of rainfall. Spatial data show a response in the soil to rain events with high variability, but no clear patterns. Phosphate export increased linearly with total outflow, while ammonium and nitrate export did not show clear relationships with outflow quantity. Results of our study show that there is a trade off between ecohydrologic function and water quality, as indicated by leaching of excess nutrients in the green roof outflow.

Keywords: Water quality, Green Roof, Urban watersheds, Green Infrastructure, Lake Erie.