When an area is changing from rural to urban, city planners try to measure the impact of development on a whole host of “quality of life” factors. The pressure of urbanization on ecological factors has historically been tougher to gauge, and so researchers are developing objective and reliable measurements that cities can use in planning.

Urbanization has a profound effect on fish and other aquatic life. Stormwater runoff reacts differently when land use changes, and can make drastic changes to the aquatic environments of the newly urbanized streams. One solution is to provide a system that city planners can use to measure, in advance, the impact of land changes on the health of the watershed. A reliable measurement could prevent or reduce harm to waterways caused by urban development.

A group of researchers has developed a systematic approach that could evaluate the impacts of land use patterns and stormwater management strategies on the health of streams in developing areas.

To view the research funded by the Water Environment Research Foundation which promotes an eight-step process that integrates data collection and analysis with mathematical modeling, go to WERF.