Modeling Green Infrastructure to Reduce Flooding in the Blunn Creek Watershed

This study aims to investigate and quantify the performance of Green Infrastructure (GI) to reduce potential flooding in Texas. A sub-hourly 15-min time step SWAT model- to increase the accuracy of simulations- was applied to estimate flows and evaluate flooding in the Blunn Creek Watershed. Bioretention and permeable pavement were represented in the SWAT model by modifying the routine of a current sedimentation filtration design. The evaluation of flooding was based on a percentage of flows exceeding the bank-full level. Results showed that combining bioretention and the permeable pavement had the greatest reductions in peak discharges for all recurrence intervals (2-year, 10-year, 25-year and 100-year). Permeable pavement had the least percentage of reductions for all recurrence intervals. All GI practices had 100% reduction in the percentage of exceedance for bankfull flows for the 2-year recurrence intervals. The same trend continued to hold and combining bioretention and permeable pavement resulted in the greatest potential reductions in the percentage of exceedance of bankfull flows.