University of Kansas
OP-23: Stormwater Management

A Stormwater Master Plan for the Lawrence Campus was completed in 1993. The plan suggested improvements which have been implemented incrementally as funding is available. Maps about campus utilities are restricted for security reasons. Information about the Stormwater Plan may be requested from the Office of Design and Construction Management at kudcm@ku.edu or http://www.dcm.ku.edu/ Building Sustainable Traditions, the campus sustainability plan for the Lawrence Campus, encourages: - Updating of the existing 1993 Stormwater Master Plan to include BMPs. - Increasing the square footage of rain gardens, bioswales and climate adapted plantings on Main Campus. - Reducing the square footage of no-permeable pavements on campus by converting pavements to permeable surfaces. - Developing building standards that encourage or require green roofs. Following the guidance of these plans, the University attempts to address stormwater BMPs and include sustainable stormwater initiatives with expansion and renovation projects on campus. KU also attempts to reduce stormwater runoff in landscape maintenance practices through the use native plant materials on West Campus to improve the percolation of rain water via extensive root systems, and striving for 100% coverage of bare soil with vegetation, mulch, gravel, or erosion netting. The University also complies with the City of Lawrence stormwater regulations for detention and system outflow requirements.

Green roofs have been included on the Anderson Football Complex and Center for Design Research, and a research green roof will be installed at Measurement, Materials,and Sustainable Environment Center at the School of Engineering (completed in 2012).

KU has two retention ponds on campus (Potter Lake @ 1.5 ac. and the West Campus lake @ 1.9 ac.) and eight detention ponds. Potter Lake was recently improved to include a vegetated sediment basin at the inflow.

Stone swales are included at the outflow of a bioswale at the Transit Facility and at the sediment basin for Potter Lake.

Bioswales have been constructed in medians and at the stormwater outflow at Park and Ride (a large parking facility on the western edge of campus), at the Transit Facility (where campus and city buses are parked), on the south end of Potter Lake,and as part of treatment train of raingardens and bioswales on West Campus.

Underground detention exists in numerous facilities on campus. KU also constructed a 5000 square foot raingarden in 2009 to capture stormwater from the roof of the Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center expansion. The garden was designed by students and has been maintained with sustainable practices through volunteer efforts.