PROPOSAL FOR CMAC SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION IN BLIND BROOK WATERSHED

Abstract

Blind Brook has become a polluted water body due to increased urbanization pressures. Corporate campuses are large contributors to this problem due to their many buildings and parking lots. Of the 47 campuses in Blind Brook watershed, 16 are candidates to help restore Blind Brook, by retrofitting their existing stormwater infrastructure with Continuous Monitoring and Adaptive Control (CMAC) technology. This technology can help retain runoff to create either palustrine or deep water habitats which are aquatic ecosystems with water levels either less than or greater than three foot in depth respectively. At the watershed scale, implementing these technologies can help filter out pollutants before they reach Blind Brook. To determine how best to implement CMAC technologies, two models were developed. In the Max model, palustrine wetlands account for 540,036 ft2 and 345,299 ft2 of open water aquatic habitat. The Palustrine model alternatively accounts for 726,975 ft2. The average cost for the Max model is $5.91/ft2, while the Palustrine model costs $10.67/ft2. Under either model the total cost for the restoration of the watershed is $1.2 million.