Pollutant Loading Analysis

The Watershed Management Model (WMM) was used to generate annual pollutant loading estimates. In each subwatershed, WMM was used to address the following questions and to communicate technical findings to stakeholders in an easy-to-understand fashion.

• What are the relative contributions of different pollutant sources in the subwatershed?
• What pollutant load reductions can be achieved with various stormwater BMPs and CSO controls?
• How will expected land use changes impact pollutant loads to the river?

The Rouge Project developed WMM for Windows which was provided to each community for their own use in subwatershed planning efforts. WMM calculates pollutants loads for each source of flow (baseflow, storm water runoff, CSOs and point sources) in each watershed subarea using annual flow volumes and event mean concentrations (EMCs) assigned to that specific source. The model generates annual pollutant loads by subarea. Various combinations of stormwater BMPs and CSO controls can be selected in specific geographic areas to determine the overall resulting pollutant reductions for a particular management plan.

WMM was used early in the project as a prioritization tool to develop pie charts showing the major pollutant sources in each subwatershed. See the report Preliminary Pollution Loading Projections for Rouge River Watershed and Interim Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Plan. It was later used as an analysis and communication tool in three detailed subwatershed management studies: Management Study for the Bell Branch and Tarabusi Creek Subwatershed (Draft), Management Study for the Middle 3 Subwatershed (Draft); and Middle 1 Subwatershed Management Study.

Please address all comments and suggestions about the contents of this Web page to rougeweb@co.wayne.mi.us.

The Rouge River National Wet Weather Demonstration Project is funded, in part, by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Grants #XP995743-01, -02, -03, -04, -05, -06, -08 and C-264000-01.