Havre, Justin. “Understanding Urban Runoff, and How Individuals Impact Their Environment.

”
Long Live The Kings, 11 May 2018,
lltk.org/understanding-urban-runoff-and-how-individuals-impact-their-environment/#:~:t
ext=Urban%20runoff%20has%20a%20detrimental,the%20populations%20of%20necessa
ry%20organisms.

Havre explains urban runoff and its impllications on the environment. Contaminants can sicken

or kill many organisms and also cause algal blooms which decrease necessary nutrients in the

water for organisms to survive. Many urban areas with pavement and buildings lead to a

reduction in areas that rainfall can penetrate. This rainfall can be polluted and carry toxic

substances and debris into nearby waterways. There are many different ways to help stop this

urban runoff. This source is based on several environmental studies and seems to line up with

other sources that I have read. The goal of this source is to inform people about the importance

of taking action against urban runoff. This was a very helpful source because it helps to

strengthen my argument/solution and gives information and facts that can be used to educate the

audience as well as present courses of action.

3, Guest Blogger|April, et al. “When It Rains, It Pours: The Effects of Stormwater Runoff.” State
of the Planet, 4 Nov. 2019,
blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2018/04/03/stormwater-runoff-rain-flood/.

The author uses sensory imaging and relational stories to introduce and explain runoff. They

write that rain in many forms causes billions of dollars in damage to the United states alone

which can increase taxes and decrease money for citizens of an area. When it rains, the water

picks up concentrated amounts of nutrients from fertlizers and other chemicals which then feed

the seaweed and plankton living in lakes and rivers which causes eutrophication. Urban

infrastructure contributes to the problem by not allowing the water to permeate into the
groundwater storage area. Rain gardens are very easy to plant and inexpensive as well as being

extremely beneficial to the environment. I believe that this source is reliable because it is from a

well known university; Columbia University, who would not allow false information to be

published in their name. This lines up with other information I have read and seems to be

accurate. This source is very helpful because it comes up with a multitude of manageable

solutions as well as information about why people need to be trying to stop the urban runoff and

will be vital in making my argument.

Venvik, Guri, and Floris C. Boogaard. “Infiltration Capacity of Rain Gardens Using Full-Scale
Test Method: Effect of Infiltration System on Groundwater Levels in Bergen, Norway.”
MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 15 Dec. 2020,
www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/9/12/520/htm.

Venvik describes the profound effects of rain gardens on urban runoff and groundwater

infiltration, based on a study done in West Norway. He begins by explaining the consequences of

urbanization on the nearby water sources which then affect environmental balances as well as

human lives. The implementation of rain gardens is easily integrated into the community and

helps humans and the environment alike by replenishing the groundwater and keeping a large

amount of pollutants out of surface water sources. This source is a very informative and concise

source which has information that lines up with other sources I have looked into. The goal of the

source is to share the findings done through the study in order to show the great results that these

gardens have shown. This source was extremely helpful in my research because it gave me more

information about rain gardens and the multitude of their effects which further helped me to

prove my solution as not only viable, but also worthwhile. This source also provided me with
another graph which allowed me to show the audience, through data and scientific research, that

rain gardens are helpful and a good solution to implement.

Jani, Jariani, et al. “Composition of Nitrogen in Urban Residential Stormwater Runoff:

Concentrations, Loads, and Source Characterization of Nitrate and Organic Nitrogen.”
PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, 28 Feb. 2020,
journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0229715.

Jani uses a multitude of different facts and figures to explain the effect of urban runoff on water

sources and their quality. She summarizes a study done by a water catchment organization in

Florida which recorded the numbers and percentages of pollutants found in the runoff from urban

environments. There was a high amount of N, NH4, and PON found in this water supply which

backs up her argument that urban runoff is the leading pollutant of surface water. This source

was made for people to use as data and arguments in order to educate and pressure people to

make changes. There were multiple authors involved with the writing of this article who all

contributed to and evaluated the others credibility. This source provided my infographic with a

valuable graph which showed the pollutants and harmful compounds that are found in most

bodies of water near large cities which aided in my argument that urban runoff needs to be

adressed. This changed the way I thought about urban runoff because even before my research, I

was unaware of the severity of urban runoff and its effects, and by having credible data and

information, I was able to further my understanding of this degrading environmental effect.