By Anonymous
The topic of my interaction is rainwater runoff in Innovation Food Forest (IFF). Human altered landscapes, such as impervious surfaces and disturbed wetlands, increase rainwater runoff. This has negative effects on the environment such as erosion, sedimentation, increased pollution, and increased temperature of waterways (Ndulue et al., 2015). Because of where the Fairfax campus is situated, rainwater runoff is a major issue for George Mason University and there are many programs in place to manage stormwater (Facilities, 2022). Runoff continues to be an issue at IFF. Currently, the pathways of IFF are gravel. Gravel is permeable, so the issue is not impervious surfaces in this case. The problem with the gravel is that it is easily washed into piles during heavy rain. This is not aesthetically pleasing, creates a tripping hazard, and reduces the benefits of the gravel since when stream paths are created by runoff, the gravel is not as effective at slowing water. The Office of Sustainability manages IFF and must reposition the gravel by hand after heavy rainstorms (Office of Sustainability, 2018). A solution would be to install permeable pavers (Liu et al., 2020). In fact, permeable pavers were in the original plan for IFF which states that “it will be necessary to replace the crushed stone paths with a more permanent and effective solution. The most effective solution would be permeable pavers, which would eliminate erosion of the crushed stone, allow for stormwater infiltration, and handle the pedestrian traffic” (Innovation Food Forest Management Plan, 2016). The Office of Sustainability manages IFF, however installing permeable pavers also falls under Facilities. Cultural factors and economic development play a role. Permeable pavers are expensive and laborious to install. The university prides itself on keeping campuses and landscapes clean and pristine (Office of Sustainability, 2022b). Although permeable pavers are not an easy solution, they would solve the issue of gravel being washed away while keeping the benefit of permeability. The university is aware of the issue, and of runoff issues on campus in general and may be using other methods to reduce runoff, such as the large dry stream installed on the hill adjacent to IFF.
References
Facilities. (2022). MCM5: Post construction stormwater management. https://facilities.gmu.edu/resources/land-development/ms4/mcm5-post-construction-stormwater-management/
Innovation Food Forest Management Plan. (2016). https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Q1CUyD0oY6dL00XufRNYd6mYaPFNSlu9N-ERdhWBPGc/edit.
Liu, W., Feng, Q., Chen, W., & Deo, R. C. (2020). Stormwater runoff and pollution retention
performances of permeable pavements and the effects of structural factors.
Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 27(24), 30831–30843.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09220-2.
Ndulue, E. L., Mbajiorgu, C. C., Ugwu, S. N., Ogwo, V., & Ogbu, K. N. (2015). Assessment of land use/cover impacts on runoff and sediment yield using hydrologic models: A review. Journal of Ecology and The Natural Environment, 7(2), 46–55. https://doi.org/10.5897/JENE2014.0482
Office of Sustainability. (2018). Who manages the grounds and landscaping at Mason? https://green.gmu.edu/ufaqs/who-manages-the-grounds-and-landscaping-at-mason/
Office of Sustainability. (2022a). Innovation food forest [Image]. https://green.gmu.edu/campus-sustainability/campus-gardens/ff-home/
Office of Sustainability. (2022b). Landscaping. https://green.gmu.edu/campus-sustainability/landscaping/