University of Texas at Arlington
OP-27: Rainwater Management

The goal of the UT Arlington Storm water Management Program (SWMP) is to eliminate pollution resulting from storm water discharges. UT Arlington uses a variety of Best Management Practices (BMPs) to ensure that runoff from UT Arlington property and construction sites as well as impervious areas such as paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops does not adversely affect water quality. UT Arlington policy specifically prohibits illicit discharges to its storm water management system. Illicit discharges include, but are not limited to, releasing chemicals, oils, gas, antifreeze, fertilizers, trash, debris and construction sediments to the environment. Those responsible for illicit discharges may be cited under applicable laws and ordinances. UT Arlington encourages members of the University Community and the General Public to report pollution and to offer suggestions for improving The UT Arlington Storm water Management Plan. UTA has employed a full time storm water management coordinator.

The Upper Trinity River drains into eight major drainage basins located within the City of Arlington. One of these is Johnson Creek, which is fed by the on-campus Trading House Creek. Due to regionally sandy and highly erodible soils, a flat topology, and dense urbanization, Johnson Creek and its seven sister basins are prone to rapid stormwater runoff and severe erosion, which must be managed to prevent degradation of the area’s waterways. The University addresses stormwater impacts through two distinct approaches: a stormwater management plan and restorative design. ■■ In 2008 the University hired a full-time stormwater management coordinator to oversee its Stormwater Management Plan, which is available at our website. The plan includes best management practices for protecting water from stormwater discharges, illegal dumping, and spills. ■■ In 2008 the School of Architecture’s Master of Landscape Architecture program spearheaded an effort to reconceptualize the western portion of the campus. At the present time, the Trading House Creek flows between two parking lots and drains millions of gallons of water per year from storm sewers, which regularly flood. The designers moved and added buildings and created water cisterns, catchment areas, and other structures to manage flooding. The project inspires new thinking about balancing human and ecological factors to address stormwater issues.

The University of Texas at Arlington (UT-Arlington) installed the first extensive green roof in the Dallas/Fort Worth area in April of 2008. The roof was researched, designed, and is being managed by UT-Arlington associate professor and landscape architect David Hopman, ASLA. The approach to the roof is in keeping with the professional priorities of landscape architects and is not a narrowly focused scientific study such as the green roof research at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas or the ongoing studies at The Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas. The test roof at UT-Arlington is 1000 sf. with approximately 35 species of plants that are heavily biased towards native and near native species. The green roof is divided into two 500 sf. sections. Each section has an industry standard roofing system, irrigation system, and a proprietary soil mix. Detailed information on each of these elements is provided below, including the results of ongoing plant census data. At the time of this writing, the roof is well into a third growing season and is proving the viability of this technology in North Texas.

porous paving is installed in the medians on Greek Row and at the Social Work Courtyard

Two 2000 gallons rain water collection system at the community garden on campus

Green at College Park project- This 4 acre park is one of the three projects worldwide to achieve certification during the pilot phase of SITES, a rating system for green landscape design, construction, and maintenance. The Sustainable Sites Initiative is a partnership of the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin and the United States Botanic Garden. The goal is to provide a ratings system for landscape design that is similar to the popular U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED designation. The Park features native and adapted plants that consume approximately 70% less water than a typical landscape for this area. A dry creek and ecological retention areas manage rainwater and storm water runoff that, ultimately, drains into Johnson Creek. The Park also features a large lawn of drought tolerant grass, seating surfaces made from seat walls and stone ledges, and permeable paving made from recycled glass. We received the American Society of Landscape and Architects honor. UT Arlington recently received global recognition for The Green at College Park, which opened in March 2011. The .6-acre (1.05-hectare) reclamation project revitalized an on-campus site of abandoned housing, parking lots, and aneroded, il functioning drainage channel that contributed to considerable flooding issues. Through innovative design and the use o specialized soil and native plants, the park helps reduce storm water runoff from the adjoining College Park Center, a 7,000-seat special events venue, as well as the surrounding hardscape areas. Seasonal storm water runoff is reduced by more than 25 percent, and the site filters 80 percent of the silt out of the water before it flows to nearby Johnson Creek The habitat is restored so that in the case of a 100-year flood—a hypothetical flood volume calculation based on the average amount of flood water expected every 100 years—about one-third of the total campus rainwater would be held and processed on-site by water retention ponds and other natural floodwater retention features.