title: Influence of near-to-nature stormwater management on the local water balance using the example of an urban development area.
abstract: Near-to-nature stormwater management aims at replicating the quasi-natural local water balance and preserving the ecosystem's integrity of affected waters. Surface waters in the urban areas of Trier-Petrisberg are managed by a separate sewer system in conjunction with a complex retention system. To investigate the effect of this alternative rainwater management practice on the local water balance, a differentiated discharge and groundwater monitoring network with a high spatio-temporal measurement resolution has been implemented within the watershed. Additional information regarding the proportion and spatial distribution of discharge-generating surfaces was provided through visual interpretation of aerial photographs. As a result of this analysis, groundwater levels were found to not be significantly affected by an increase of local sealed surfaces, and the ecologically-justifiable maximum discharge in the tributary was infrequently exceeded. Regarding further building development and climate change, the hydrological load capacity of the retention basins will provide effective rainwater management, even with respect to increasing precipitation intensities and frequencies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hydrology, Trier University, 54286 Trier, Germany. kesslers@uni-trier.de
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kessler
authors.forename: Berenike
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seeling
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tressel
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krein
mesh_terms: D011891:Rain; D014506:Urban Renewal; D014872:Water Movements; D014881:Water Supply