DESIGN EXAMPLES  DRAINAGE CRITERIA MANUAL (V.
2) 
Figure 14Design Procedure For Extended Detention Basin Sedimentation Facility .............................. 17
Figure 15Flow Capacity of a Riser (Inlet Control) ................................................................................... 20
Figure 16Collection Capacity of Vertical Orifice (Inlet Control)............................................................... 21
Figure 17Collection Capacity of Horizontal Orifice (Inlet Control) .......................................................... 22
Figure 18Detention Pond Outlet.............................................................................................................. 23
Figure 1954 Pipe Outfall Profile............................................................................................................. 25
Figure 20Hydraulic Design of Storm Sewer Systems............................................................................. 26
Figure 21Normal Flow Analysis - Trapezoidal Channel.......................................................................... 27
Figure 22Sub-Basin Hydrology Analysis Detail ...................................................................................... 29
Figure 23Storm Infrastructure Detail ....................................................................................................... 30
Figure 24Gutter Stormwater Conveyance Capacity for Initial Event ...................................................... 31
Figure 25Gutter Stormwater Conveyance Capacity for Major Event...................................................... 32
Figure 26Determination Of Design Peak Flow On The Street ................................................................ 33
Figure 27Gutter Conveyance Capacity................................................................................................... 34
Figure 28Curb Opening Inlet In A Sump................................................................................................. 35
Figure 29Storm Drainage System Computation Form2 Year ............................................................. 36
Figure 30Storm Drainage System Computation Form100 Year ......................................................... 37
06/2001 
Urban Drainage and Flood Control District 
DESIGN EXAMPLES  DRAINAGE CRITERIA MANUAL (V. 2) 
2.0  CASE STUDYSTAPLETON REDEVELOPMENT 
2.1  Project Setting
The following example illustrates application of this Manual for the design of conveyance and detention 
facilities, including use of computational spreadsheets described in pertinent sections of the Manual.
Redevelopment of the former Stapleton International Airport in Denver poses significant opportunities and 
challenges for stormwater management.  Like many airports, the site was graded to create gentle grades 
for runway operations. A formal storm sewer system was installed to control minor storm events, while 
major 100-year storms were conveyed via sheet flow or by overflow open channels.  Consequently, 
significant drainage infrastructure improvements were needed.  The challenge was to strike a balance 
between conveyance and detention to optimize the reuse of the existing system and minimize grading 
and demolition. 
Figure 1 shows the project location and hydrologic setting for the Stapleton East-West Linear Park Flood 
Control Project.  As indicated on Figure 2, the project incorporates a watershed of 104.0 acres that has 
been delineated into Sub-Basins 031 and 032.  The mixture of residential, park, and school uses 
represents an average surface imperviousness of 44%. This assignment involved providing preliminary-
level engineering for a sub-regional detention pond and associated outfall sewer and overflow channel. It 
is expected to be constructed by 2002 to support redevelopment of the Stapleton site near Yosemite 
Boulevard and 26
th
 Avenue.  The pond had to be designed to  meet both detention volume requirements 
and enable reuse of an existing 54-inch storm sewer that outfalls to Westerly Creek.  As a result, the 
detention volume had to be computed by V=KA, the modified Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 
Method and a synthetic unit hydrograph to determine the controlling criteria. 
2.2  Project Objectives
A multi-disciplinary team of engineers, landscape architects, planners, and scientists was formed to plan 
and design facilities to achieve the following objectives: 
Provide a detention facility that offers multiple benefits, including park and recreation uses, flood control, 
water quality enhancement, and educational benefits. 
Minimize demolition in and grading of the sub-basin by designing detention facilities to enable a retrofit 
and reuse of an existing 54-inch storm sewer. 
Perform hydraulic engineering to determine the capacity of the existing outfall system and preliminarily 
size new collection and conveyance systems required to support land development at Stapleton. 
DE-2  06/2001 
Urban Drainage and Flood Control District 
DRAINAGE CRITERIA MANUAL (V. 2)  DESIGN EXAMPLES 
Figure 1Stapleton Redevelopment Drainage Map 
06/2001  DE-3
Urban Drainage and Flood Control District 
DESIGN EXAMPLES  DRAINAGE CRITERIA MANUAL (V. 2) 
Figure 2Stapleton Redevelopment Drainage Catchment Map 
DE-4  06/2001 
Urban Drainage and Flood Control District 
DRAINAGE CRITERIA MANUAL (V. 2)  DESIGN EXAMPLES 
2.3  Hydrologic Evaluation For Detention Pond Sizing
Three hydrologic methods were used to establish the required detention pond size:  
1.  The Colorado Urban Hydrograph Procedure (CUHP) and UDSWM 
2.  The modified FAA Method  
3.  The V=KA approach 
Because of the basin area (greater than 90 acres) and the need to match discharges with the established 
capacity of an outfall system, the utilization of a more detailed assessment with a synthetic hydrograph 
generated by CUHP and UDSWM was required.  All three methods were used to verify reasonableness 
of the results and to ensure that appropriate local detention sizing criteria were satisfied. 
2.3.1  CUHP and UDSWM
Input data for CUHP and UDSWM are shown in Table 1.  Two discharge rates were considered for the 
pond routing: the allowable release rate and the flow capacity of the 54-inch storm sewer.  The allowable 
release for the 104-acre basin was 88.4 cfs, relating to 0.85 cfs per acre for Type B Soils.  The capacity of 
the 54-inch RCP (n=0.013, slope=0.38%) was 121 cfs and, consequently, the allowable release rate 
governed the design of the detention volume.  Storage characteristics were developed with a preliminary 
grading plan to enable stage-storage-discharge data to be used in UDSWM routing.   
Table 2 presents the modeling results with the required storage volumes for attenuation of flows to the 
allowable release rate.  Figure 3 graphs the inflow and pond discharge hydrographs for the 100-year 
storm and shows the required minimum detention volume of 8.8 acre-feet. 
06/2001  DE-5
Urban Drainage and Flood Control District 
DESIGN EXAMPLES  DRAINAGE CRITERIA MANUAL (V. 2) 
Table 1CUHP and UDSWM Input 
CUHP Basin Data 
Basin
Area
(acres)  Imperviousness  Slope
Length
(ft) 
Time of 
Concentration (min)
Centroid Length 
(ft) 
031 69.4 38.2% 0.8% 3820 31.2 1600
032 34.6 56.8% 2.0% 1240 16.9 590
Note:   Hydrologic Soil Group B Soils are used in this example. 
UDSWM Pond Routing Data 
Elevation 
(Feet) 
Depth 
(Feet) 
Storage 
(Acre-feet) 
Discharge 
(cfs) 
5308.7 0.0 0.00 0.0
5310.0 1.3 1.99 0.1
5310.0 1.3 2.00 20.0
5312.2 3.5 4.50 23.9
5312.3 3.6 4.60 88.4
5314.0 5.3 8.78 88.4
5314.1 5.4 8.80 90.0
5316.0 7.3 20.00 5000.0
DE-6  06/2001 
Urban Drainage and Flood Control District 
DRAINAGE CRITERIA MANUAL (V. 2)  DESIGN EXAMPLES 
Figure 3Detention Pond Inflow/Outflow Hydrographs 
Table 2CUHP and UDSWM Modeling Results 
Return Period  Q
in
(cfs) 
Q
out
(cfs) 
Detention Storage Volume 
(acre-feet) 
2 44 20 2.1
5 83 22 3.3
10 106 24 4.3
50 222 88 7.0
100 273 88 8.8
2.3.2  Rational Method Hydrology
For purposes of this design example, the basin was also analyzed using the Rational Method. Figures 4 
and 5 are spreadsheets used to determine the composite runoff coefficients for the basin; they show the 
10-year composite runoff coefficient to be 0.55 and the 100-year composite runoff coefficient to be 0.65. 
By evaluating the basin runoff coefficients, overland flow path, and concentrated flow path, the resulting 
time of concentration is 35 minutes.  
The time of concentration is related to rainfall intensity for use in the Rational Method. By inputting the 
basin area, runoff coefficients, and rainfall intensity into the Rational Method equation, Q=CIA.  Figures 6 
and 7 show the 10-year and 100-year peak discharges into the detention pond from the 104-acre 
drainage basin to be 131 cfs and 250 cfs, respectively.    
06/2001  DE-7
Urban Drainage and Flood Control District 
DESIGN EXAMPLES  DRAINAGE CRITERIA MANUAL (V. 2) 
Area-Weighting for Runoff Coefficient Calculation 
Project Title =  Stapleton Redevelopment Area 
Catchment  ID =  31.1, 31 and 32 
Return Period =  10yr (initial event), 100yr (major event) 
Illustration  
Instructions:  For each catchment Sub area, enter values for A and C. 
(10-yr Event)  (100-yr Event) 
Subarea Area Runoff  Product Subarea Area Runoff  Product
ID acres Coeff     ID acres Coeff    
A  C  CA A  C  CA
input input input output input input input output
31.1A 5.23 0.50 2.62 31.1A 5.23 0.60 3.14
31.1B 1.10 0.60 0.66 31.1B 1.10 0.70 0.77
31.1C 1.19 0.50 0.60 31.1C 1.19 0.60 0.71
31.1D 0.26 0.50 0.13 31.1D 0.26 0.60 0.16
31.1E 0.42 0.50 0.21 31.1E 0.42 0.60 0.25
31 61.20 0.50 30.60 31 61.20 0.60 36.72
32 34.60 0.65 22.49 32 34.60 0.75 25.95
Sum: 104.00 Sum: 57.30 Sum: 104.00 Sum: 67.70
Weighted Runoff Coeffecient  
(sum CA / sum A) =  0.55 0.65
Figures 4 & 5Area-Weighting for Runoff Coefficient Calculation 
DE-8  06/2001 
Urban Drainage and Flood Control District