Assessing downstream impacts of detention basins in urbanized river basins using a distributed hydrological model

It is widely recognized that urban development alters infiltration capacity and enhances its spatial variability, but also constrains watercourses into narrow channels making them unable to contain the runoff that is generated by relatively small, but intense, rainfall events. Network of detention basins are designed to reduce the flood peak by temporarily storing the excess storm water and then releasing the water volume at allowable rates over an extended period. This paper shows the use of a distributed hydrological model for the assessment of effectiveness of a network of detention facilities in a heavily urbanized river basin. The distributed hydrological model FEST was used to assess design hydrograph and, in parallel to design the seven detention basins optimized for the specific purpose of maintaining the flow rate within the range of the maximum allowable discharge. This permitted to estimate the design hydrograph considering both the spatial variability of soil infiltration capacity and routing characteristics induced by each detention basins along the main river. Results indicate that on-stream detention ponds can increase duration of the critical event and runoff volume of design flood with possible negative implications on downstream facilities.