Miami’s Biscayne Bay has faced a series of environmental issues in recent years, most notably the recurring fish kills caused by poor water quality. A major contributor is the stream of pollutants from urban runoff and upstream water inflows, which enter the bay through canals like the Little River. The waterway passes near Hialeah and flows into Biscayne Bay farther east. It's one of the most polluted in the county due to the high concentrations of chemicals and waste.
A team of environmental engineering seniors, working under the guidance of David Chin, a professor of environmental engineering at the College of Engineering, is collaborating with the Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) to identify sources of pollution and develop green infrastructure to help prevent environmental harm.
From collecting data to creating designs
“We’re collecting and analyzing water quality data from the canal’s monitoring stations along the Little River,” said DeShaun Brandford, the team’s project lead. “Last semester, we completed the data-diving phase of the project to find the cause of the water impairments. Now, we’re moving into the design phase which is guided by the data analysis.”
As part of their senior design project, Brandford and his team—Mackenzie Howell, Sarah Murphy, Allie Plante and Beile Zhang—are not just studying the problem; they’re proposing real, science-based solutions. Their approach focuses on designing green infrastructure, including permeable pavement to reduce surface runoff; bioretention cells and bioswales to filter pollutants before they reach the waterway; infiltration trenches to manage stormwater and improve groundwater recharge; and raingardens and irrigation systems to help absorb excess water naturally.
“The aim of all these green infrastructures is to divert the flow away from the canal and into the groundwater,” said Brandford. “Diverting it downwards will provide it with natural filtration removing pollutants. None of them will connect to the canal once implemented.”
The team has conducted site visits to key locations along the Little River, assessing drainage patterns and space availability to determine the most effective solutions. They are currently analyzing three primary locations, plus the discharge site where the canal empties into Biscayne Bay.
A unique aspect of the college’s senior design project is that students have a direct client—in this case, DERM. At the project’s conclusion, the students will present a comprehensive engineering report to the county detailing their findings, proposed solutions, and implementation strategies. The project will also involve modeling to simulate how the recommendations could improve water quality and mitigate pollution in the bay.
"Senior design projects in the environmental engineering program generally focus on addressing contemporary environmental issues, and on proposing innovative solutions that use stat-of-the-art design techniques and are presented in forms that are ready for implementation,” said Chin. “The proposed green infrastructure designs will substantially reduce the concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria in the Little River canal and serve as an implementable remedial action to de-list the canal from its present classification by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) as an impaired water due to elevated bacteria levels.”
Showcasing innovation
Brandford and his team will showcase their research and proposed designs at the Senior Design Expo on April 29 at the Shalala Student Center, where senior engineering students will present their capstone projects. The expo offers a unique opportunity to see firsthand how College of Engineering students are tackling real-world challenges through engineering innovation.
