A scenario-based approach to integrating flow-ecology research with watershed development planning
Authored by John P Bolte, David Hulse, Bart R Johnson, Hong Wu
Date Published: 2015
DOI: 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2015.08.012
Sponsors:
United States National Science Foundation (NSF)
Platforms:
Envision
Model Documentation:
Other Narrative
Model Code URLs:
Model code not found
Abstract
The ability to anticipate urbanization impacts on streamflow regimes is
critical to developing proactive strategies that protect aquatic
ecosystems. We developed an interdisciplinary modeling framework to
evaluate the effectiveness of integrated stormwater management (i.e., integration of strategic land-use organization with site-scale
stormwater BMPs) or its absence, and two regional growth patterns for
maintaining streamflow regimes. We applied a three-step sequence to
three urbanizing catchment basins in Oregon, to: (1) simulate landscape
change under four future development scenarios with the agent-based
model Envision; (2) model resultant hydrological change using the Soil
and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT); and (3) assess scenario impacts on
streamflow regimes using 10 flow metrics that encompass all major flow
components. Our results projected significant flow regime changes in all
three basins. Urbanization impacts aligned closely with increases in
flow regime flashiness and severity of extreme flow events. Most changes
were associated with negative impacts on native aquatic organisms in the
Pacific Northwest. Scenario comparisons highlighted the importance of
integrated stormwater management for reducing flow alterations, and
secondarily, compact growth. Based on a flow metric sensitivity
typology, six flow metrics were insensitive to development in multiple
basins, and four were sensitive to development and manageable with
mitigation in multiple basins. Only three metrics were ever sensitive to
development and resistant to mitigation, and only in one basin each. Our
findings call for regional flow-ecology research that identifies the
ecological significance of each flow metric, explores potential remedies
for resistant ones and develops specific targets for manageable ones.
(C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Tags
Land-use change
ecosystems
systems
Impacts
Consequences
Urban streams
Hydrologic alteration
Puget lowland
Regimes
Imperviousness