Wildlife in Airport Environments: Preventing Animal–Aircraft Collisions through Science-Based Management

9: Managing Airport Stormwater to Reduce Attraction to Wildlife

An airport is a component of the landscape, contributing to and subject to local- and landscapelevel factors that affect wildlife populations and the hazards that these species pose to aviation (Blackwell et al. 2009, Martin et al. 2011). Water resources at and near an airport, in the form of both surface water and contained runoff, are recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as potential attractants to wildlife that pose hazards to aviation safety (FAA 2007). Surface water, including aboveground stormwater detention/retention facilities (see U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2006), can represent a substantial proportion of the area within siting criteria for U.S. airports. An analysis of water coverage at 49 certificated airports (FAA 2004) revealed that surface water composed on average 6.0% (standard deviation [SD] = 10.4%, range = 0.04–48.3%; B. F. Blackwell , unpublished data) of the area within the 3-km [1.9-mile] FAA siting criteria (X = 275 ha, SD = 511 ha). A recent analysis of bird–aircraft strike data for avian species involved in at least 50 total strikes reported to the FAA (1990–2008; summarized in FAA 2011) revealed that 13 of the 52 species (25%) have foraging and breeding ecologies primarily associated with water (Blackwell et al. 2013). Moreover, these 13 species were responsible for >51% of damaging strikes (Dolbeer et al. 2000, DeVault et al. 2011) during this period. Given the obvious necessity of water as a resource to wildlife and the relative aviation hazards posed by bird species whose life histories are tied to water, aspects of species ecology should inform airport biologists in the management of natural or constructed water resources to reduce attractive features. Likewise , informed exchange between airport biologists and engineers responsible for the design of runoff containment and treatment facilities will yield facilities that minimize attractant features to birds. Our purpose for this chapter is to demonstrate how airport stormwater runoff can be managed effectively to reduce or prevent the establishment of a resource on and near airport properties. We discuss features of water resources that attract birds, describe common operational conditions at airports with regard to managing stormwater runoff, and review findings on postconstruction methods to deter bird use of stormwater facilities. In addition, we review advantages and disadvantages of novel runoff containment systems for airfields, as well as considerations for stormwater management outside of the air operations area (AOA) but within or proximate to FAA siting criteria. Birds and Water Short of thirst, no single factor drives avian use of water resources.Commonalitiesobservedinavianuseofnatural and constructed systems, however, are important to how airport authorities plan for and manage their water resources to reduce use by birds. Within wetland systems ,avianspeciesrichnessispositivelycorrelatedwith wetland complexes (20–30 ha for marsh and >55 ha Bradley F. Blackwell David Felstul Thomas W. Seamans Managing Airport Stormwater to Reduce Attraction to Wildlife 9 94 managing resources of marsh complex within 5 km [3 miles]), as opposed to larger (up to 180 ha), isolated marshes (Brown and Dinsmore 1986; see also Fairbairn and Dinsmore 2001). Also, wetlands with an intermediate level of emergent cover (33–66%) have been found to harbor greater species richness (Belánger and Couture 1988, Gibbs et al. 1991, Creighton et al. 1997). Working with lake systems, Suter (1994) linked abundance and richness of various avifauna populations to area, food availability, and shoreline vegetation complexity. In addition, overall mean and maximum species richness increased with nutrient load, as did maximum bird densities among guilds. Similar conditions are possible within stormwater impoundments (ponds and reservoirs ) with sediment deposits accumulating over time, resulting in vegetation complexes that can support an array of invertebrate and vertebrate diversity (Le Viol et al. 2009). In a broad sense, bird use of water resources is driven primarily by site-specific relationships of system, area, cover, food resources, and complexity with regard to neighboring resources. Recent findings for bird use of stormwater management ponds are similar to those for natural systems. Modeling avian use of stormwater management ponds in the Pacific Northwest region of the USA, which served as surrogates to those at airport facilities, revealed that surface area available for water containment, area of open water available, pond perimeter , and pond isolation were factors that predicted use by nine of 13 considered bird groups (within Accipitridae , Anatidae, Ardeidae, Charadriidae, Columbidae, Laridae, and Rallidae; Blackwell et al. 2008). Posthoc modeling by the authors revealed that the probability of pond use by birds considered hazardous to aviation (Dolbeer et al...