Investigating Seneca Park Basin Storage And Establishing Replicable Analysis Protocols
Presenter: Eden Harper P71
Co-Author(s): Neha Gupta, Justin Warlick, Eleonora Demaria
Advisor(s): Martha Whitaker
1Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences
The Southwest is undergoing rapid urban growth, causing increased impervious surfaces and heightened runoff. Green infrastructure projects like Seneca Park Basin, a three-section retention basin in Tucson, Arizona, aim to mitigate urban flooding in Tucson’s vulnerable areas. While these designs appear to be effective, limited post-construction analysis has been conducted. This study investigates Seneca Park's storage capacity and assesses the basin's overall effectiveness. ArcGIS Pro was utilized to create rating curves and delineate the basin's watershed. We are currently in the developmental phase of constructing a model utilizing the Hydrologic Modeling System, HEC-HMS (US Army Corps of Engineers, 1992). This model simulates the complete hydrologic processes of connected watershed systems and includes the simulation of hydrologic reservoirs, necessary for our analysis. Upon completion, simulation results will then be calibrated using pressure transducer data acquired from June 2022 to August 2023 within Seneca's sub-basins. Our final objective is to outline the analysis steps to establish replicable protocols for future basin investigations. A standardized protocol for dealing with complex basins could enhance our understanding of Tucson’s water storage. This research contributes valuable insights for sustainable urban water management practices in the face of growing urbanization and environmental challenges.