The capacities for Dubuque’s stormwater detention basins were established in the early 1990s. Since that time, annual rainfall has outpaced predictions and is expected to increase in the coming decades. The City and area watershed administrators are considering redesigning existing detention basins while also understanding the capacities for future ones.

For their capstone design project, students in Civil and Environmental Engineering will analyze data, review best practices, and create plans for both redesigned and possible additional detention basins.