ABOUT THIS PARAMETER

proportion of impervious surface

The proportion of an ecosystem that is impervious, or does not allow water to pass through it and soak into the ground. Paved surfaces and building facades are impervious, while a lawn or a forest form pervious surfaces.

Used to calculate:runoff into streams, stormwater drainage, floodwaters, standing water and soil water

Varies by: ecosystem

Used ecosystem Reference Location: Ecosystem
(study period)
Value Units Notes
* Agricultural field / vegetable garden Assumed New York City: Mannahatta () 0 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Airfield Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Airport terminal Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Alley Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Apartment building Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Beach Assumed New York City: Mannahatta () 0 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Bike lane Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Bioswale Assumed New York City: Mannahatta () 0 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Boulevard (arterial) Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Bridge Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Camp Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Cemetery California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment 2010- User's Guide for the California Impervious Surface Coefficients California: urban area () 0.37 proportion (0-1)
* Cistern / rain barrels Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Cliffs and rock outcrops Assumed New York City: Mannahatta () 0 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Cogeneration plant Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Compost bin Assumed New York City: Mannahatta () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Computer data center Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Cottages / Mobile home Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Deep water estuary Assumed New York City: Mannahatta () 0 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Derelict structures Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % (0 - 100)
* Diesel power plant Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Disturbed Land Assumed New York City: Mannahatta () 0 % (0 - 100)
* Eelgrass meadow Assumed New York City: Mannahatta () 0 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Elevated train Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Estuary Assumed New York City: Mannahatta () 0 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Factory Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Freshwater marsh Assumed New York City: Mannahatta () 0 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Fuel storage tank Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Garage Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Gas station Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Geothermal pump Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Graywater recycling Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 0 proportion (0-1)
* Greenhouse / vertical farm Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Green roof Assumed New York City: Mannahatta () 50 % (0 - 100) Green roofs are assumed to cover no more than 50% of a roof
* Hardwood swamp Assumed New York City: Mannahatta () 0 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Heavy rail line Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Hemlock – northern hardwood forest Assumed New York City: Mannahatta () 0 % proportion (0 - 100)
* High salt marsh Assumed New York City: Mannahatta () 0 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Highway Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Hospital Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Hotel Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Landfill Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 25 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Lawn Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 0 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Light rail line Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Low salt marsh Assumed New York City: Mannahatta () 0 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Meadow Assumed New York City: Mannahatta () 0 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Mixed use: office / residential building Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % (0 - 100)
* Mixed use: restaurant / office building Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Mixed use: restaurant / residential building Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Mixed use: restaurant / retail building Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Mixed use: retail / office building Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Mixed use: retail / residential building Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Natural gas power plant Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Oak hickory forest Assumed New York City: Mannahatta () 0 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Office building Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Orchard Assumed New York City: Mannahatta () 0 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Ornamental garden Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 0 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Parking lot Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Park savanna Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 0 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Paved ball field/court Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Pedestrian bridge Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Pedestrian street / plaza Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Permeable pavers NC State Agriculture 2008 permeable pavement: research update and design implications North Carolina: urban impervious area (2008) 60 % proportion (0 - 100)
Permeable pavers NC State Agriculture 2008 permeable pavement: research update and design implications North Carolina: urban impervious area (2008) 80 % proportion (0 - 100) auto traffic over pervious
Permeable pavers NC State Agriculture 2008 permeable pavement: research update and design implications North Carolina: urban impervious area (2008) 40 % proportion (0 - 100) pedestrian traffic over pervious
* Photovoltaic panels Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Pier Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Pond Assumed New York City: Mannahatta () 0 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Public assembly hall Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
Puddles on hardtops NULL REFERENCE NULL REFERENCE LOCATON: NULL ECOSYSTEM (NULL STUDY PERIOD) None DUMMY UNIT
* Restaurant Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Retail building Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* School or university Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Sewage treatment plant Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Shrub land Assumed New York City: Mannahatta () 0 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Sidewalk Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Single family home Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Solar energy facility Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Solar heating panels Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Solid waste transfer plant Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Stadium Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % (0 - 100)
* Stream Assumed New York City: Mannahatta () 0 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Streetcar line Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Street (collector) Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Street trees Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 0 % (0 - 100)
* Subway Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Swimming pool Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Tidal energy facility Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Traffic slowed street Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Trail Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Tunnel Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Utility yard Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 50 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Warehouse Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Waste energy power plant Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Water treatment plant Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Water/wastewater storage tank Assumed New York City: Urban Area () 100 % proportion (0 - 100)
* Wind farm Assumed New York City: Mannahatta () 0 % proportion (0 - 100)

< back