Fact Sheet

Auburn University – Non-Point Source Pollution on Campus

Location: Parkerson 1
Mill Creek
Latitude, Longitude: 32.59913, -85.49084

Pollutants: Pathogenic bacteria, viruses, trash, sediment, oil, grease, toxic

chemicals, lawn treatment nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), road salts,
heavy metals, and thermal pollution

Proximate cause: Post-development runoff from commercial land, soil and road
erosion, motor vehicles, lawn care, urban residuals, construction activity, leaky
sewer systems, and impervious surfaces

Ultimate cause: Land development due to growing population demand, human

activity, and natural processes

Total drainage area1: 151.68 acres

Volumetric flow rate2: 87.2 cfs
Total Runoff Volume3: 2.29 (106) ft3 Figure 1. Drainage basin for non-point source pollution at Parkerson Mill Creek outflow
point.

Pollutant fate and transport: Depending on the physical state, chemical composition, and persistence, pollutants will degrade and dissipate into the
environment, collect downstream or continue to move across the broader Tallapoosa watershed where they are spread across the landscape or
moved into other water bodies, while others may make their way into human or animal cycles.

Mechanisms or designed structures used to minimize or mitigate pollution from source:

• Restored vegetated stream channel and floodplain utilizes cross vanes and j-hooks in order to reduce velocity and bank flow that increase
soil erosion
• Intermittently-placed bio-swales and retention areas located across campus and city – retain and filter smaller volumes until they
evaporate, soak into ground, or overflow into storm drain

Recommendations for improving or intercepting pollution:

Ecologically-based structural remedies, including:
• Daylighting efforts for areas on campus (e.g., where structures were inexplicably built on top of natural stream pathways) should be
opened back up to allow natural flow
• Add vegetation across landscape to reduce flow velocity, add to water retention capacity of land, and naturally filter some smaller-particle
pollution
• Riparian restoration – add forested, grassed, or vegetated buffers along the sides of streams, existing and re-opened
• Stormwater wetlands, ponds, regenerative conveyance, organic filtering, and harvesting

Figure 2. Parkerson Mill Creek outflow point (1) Figure 3. Parkerson Mill Creek vegetated stream and floodplain layout. Figure 4. Parkerson Mill Creek outflow point (2)

1
Area measurements calculated using USGS StreamStats program
2 3
, Volumetric flow rate and flow volume calculated using NOAA precipitation data for 2-year, 24-hour storm event
 Fact Sheet
City of Auburn – Non-Point Source Pollution
Location: Town Creek Park
Latitude, Longitude: 32.58305, -85.47702

Pollutants: Trash, sediment, oil, grease, toxic chemicals, lawn treatment nutrients (nitrogen and
phosphorus), road salts, heavy metals, and thermal pollution

Proximate cause: Post-development runoff from commercial and residential land, soil and road
erosion, motor vehicles, lawn care, urban and suburban residuals, construction activity, and
impervious surfaces

Ultimate cause: Land development due to growing population demand, human activity, and natural
processes

Total drainage area1: 263.04 acres

Volumetric flow rate2: 97.7 cfs
Total Runoff Volume3: 3.97 (106) ft3

Pollutant fate and transport: Some pollutants will settle immediately in a retention pond located a
few yards downstream of the outflow point. There they will degrade, be absorbed by the landscape,
or persist in some capacity. Other pollutants will move downstream across the broader Tallapoosa
watershed where they become deposited into other water bodies. During this journey, some
pollutants will degrade and dissipate, others will collect or disperse across the environment,
depending on the nature, chemical composition, and persistence of the pollutant. Figure 5. Drainage basin for non-point source pollution at
Town Creek Park outflow point

Mechanisms or designed structures used to minimize or mitigate pollution from source:

• Retention pond located near outflow point that can biologically filter and settle out
many pollutants before water continues downstream
• Stormwater drain systems located on campus and across residential developments
that contribute to the watershed
• Vegetation and forested area that assists with the filtering and processing of
pollutants

Recommendations for improving or intercepting pollution:

Ecologically-based structural remedies, including:
• Vegetated bio-retention areas
• Additional vegetation across terrain to reduce flow velocity, add to water retention
capacity, and naturally filter pollution
• Stormwater wetlands, ponds, regenerative conveyance, organic filtering, and
Figure 6. Town Creek Park outflow point
harvesting

Figure 7. Retention pond located in Town Creek Park