Master Planning Program Notes
by Ben Urbonas, P.E., Manager, Master Planning Program

Planning Projects
Five planning projects were completed in 2004; 10 projects were under way; and we hope to begin 6 new planning projects in 2005.

We now have a total of over 125 completed watershed-level major drainageway and outfall system plans in our inventory. Some of these studies are updates of master plans completed many years ago.

Urban Storm Drainage Criteria Manual
We no longer print updates to the Urban Storm Drainage Criteria Manual (USDCM), and remind all owners and holders of this manual that all revisions and updates are posted on our web page. Updates for Volumes 1 ands 2 are under www.udfcd.org/usdcm/vol1&2.htm for free downloads of the revised pages in Adobe PDF format. Although there were no new updates to the manual in 2004, everyone should keep checking our web page www.udfcd.org for revisions and corrections. In addition, we hope to get away from printed Volumes 1 and 2 of the USDCM in 2005 and make all volumes available to download from our web site in 2005. So, keep checking our web site for this development.

Volume 3 of the USDCM continues to be available for free download from www.udfcd.org/usdcm/vol3.htm. You can choose to download the entire document or download the latest revision of any single chapter.

We have been working to develop a significantly revised section on porous pavement of the Structural BMPs Chapter of Volume 3. Instead of one type of porous pavement, we hope to have at least interim criteria for five types of porous pavement. Before the revised recommendations are incorporated into Volume 3, a draft of these criteria will be posted for public comment. The technical issues supporting porous pavement design and maintenance are quite complex and will determine if these installations will succeed and survive over time. As a result, we need many eyes and brains to help us to develop recommendations that will best fit the climate and the conditions found in areas of the country similar to where we are located.

Ken MacKenzie of the Design and Construction Program has authored a major revision of the spreadsheet for the design of stormwater inlets. If you have not yet had a chance to download it, I strongly urge you to do so. Ken also approached the cities and counties within the District to help fund a scale modeling effort for three or more types of inlets. We suspect that some of the design guidance that is in practice today could be improved for some of the inlets used within the District. The District's Board authorized this effort and appropriated funds that will substantially match the contributions we receive from cities and counties and will permit us to undertake this effort. We hope to have this testing program under way in 2005.

District's Software
Since posting a beta test version of new UDSWM software (FSA GUI with SWMM 2000) we launched an initiative to integrate the District's CUHP software into a new, Windows-based EPA SWMM 5.0.

For the last two years EPA has been working on rewriting the SWMM software and to provide a graphical user interface (GUI). Go to the web page http://www.epa.gov/ednnrmrl/swmm to download this software free of charge.

I served on its development advisory committee and see it as becoming the national math engine for much of urban stormwater modeling in the future. While this software can be obtained free of charge, we expect private industry to incorporate enhancements and features that will make it even easier to use and will expand its capabilities. Watch for new products that will emerge over the next year that are anchored around this new SWMM 5.0 math engine.

Our goal is to have the CUHP model be able to work with the new EPA software just like the current version works with the UDSWM program. One challenge is to write software that will convert the existing CUHP and UDSWM inputs to run under the new software package. Once done, the model will permit us to continue to use our hydrology methods and to expand our modeling capabilities to water quality, continuous simulations and many other features inherent in the EPA's model. We hope to have these tasks completed in 2005.

District's April 2004 Seminar
On April 28, 2004, the District held it annual seminar on urban stormwater and floodplain management topics. It was attended by over 200 participants from municipalities, federal and state governments, consultants and other organizations. The proceedings are available for download from: http://udfcd.org/conferences/conferences.htm 

Douglas and Arapahoe Counties Criteria Manual Update Project
The District continues to work with the preparation of updated stormwater criteria manuals for Douglas and Arapahoe Counties. The consultant for this project is Muller Engineering Company. Since the project began in 2003, the Cities of Centennial, Lone Tree and Castle Rock have joined this effort. It is expected that the manuals for all the counties and cities now participating in this effort will be released in 2005.

Denver is preparing a BMP Implementation Manual
Denver's Wastewater Management Division is continuing with its effort to develop a BMP implementation guidance document. The consultant for this project is Wright Water Engineers, Inc. This effort will result in a document that will suggest options of how to make BMPs work in an ultra-urban infill and redevelopment areas. Look for this document to also be released in 2005.

Denver is updating it Stormwater Design and Technical Criteria
Denver's Wastewater Management Division has launched an effort to update its Stormwater Design and Technical Criteria. The District has been asked to manage this project and is working with Denver and Wright Water Engineers, Inc., the project's consultant, to come up with an updated criteria document. Much of the focus is on streamlining the old document, utilizing the technical criteria of the District through cross-references and integrating the BMP implementation issues and guidance developed under the effort described above. Look for this effort to be completed late in 2005.

Ben Urbonas Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

The Urban Water Resources Research Council of the Environment and Water Resources Institute, an institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers, presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to Ben Urbonas of our staff at their annual meeting in Salt Lake City in July 2004. The inscription on this award reads: "In recognition and appreciation of your long-standing contribution to the improvement of urban stormwater management in the United States and the world, and for the leadership you provided to the profession and to our Council." This award in a way also recognizes the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District as a long-standing leader in the field of stormwater management and its role in developing technology in this field that serves the public and the nation. Congratulations Ben!

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