Research is ensuring stormwater systems are designed for the future

A team from Kansas State University is researching climate change and how the effects of rainfall and weather patterns throughout Kansas help with future adaptation and mitigation strategies. The research team, led by Stacy Hutchinson, associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering, is updating rainfall distribution data to ensure current stormwater management systems can handle future weather changes and subsequent storm water runoff. This will also be helpful for improving natural stormwater systems. Challenges exist within natural systems because climate and land cover changes have caused many more peaks and valleys in stormwater runoff.