Yi Wang

Research interests: urban hydrology, stormwater management, surface water quality, hydrologic modeling

Thesis topic: I am working on leachable phosphorus in leaf litter and its impact on phosphorous loads in urban stormwater. Stormwater extracts phosphorous from leaf litter and transports it through the storm sewer network, directly to urban lakes, rivers, and ponds. Our goal is to develop a predictive model of phosphorous concentration and load in stormwater runoff from small urban residential watersheds.

Why this matters: Street leaf litter has been identified as a significant source of phosphorus in urban areas. It is important to evaluate leaf collection and street cleaning as management practices for reducing phosphorus in stormwater, and for cities to receive numeric credits towards meeting state or federally mandated non-point source pollution reduction goals.