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CRC PUBLICATIONS |
Optimising Urban Stream Rehabilitation Planning and Execution
Tony Ladson
Publication Type:
Technical Report
This is a publication of the current CRC for Catchment Hydrology
CRC Program:
River Restoration
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Publication Keywords:
Urban areas
Streams
Restoration
Stream Flow
Geomorphology
Water quality
Hydrology
Habitats
Aquatic organisms
Stormwater management
Wetlands
Flood control
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Abstract / Summary:
The main goal of the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Catchment Hydrologys River Restoration program is to provide the tools and understanding that will allow the environmental values of Australias streams to be protected and restored. Restoring streams following the impacts of urbanization is a particular challenge. Most Australians live in cities and often highly value their local streams that are being degraded by the polluted runoff from the roads, roofs and driveways that are part of urban infrastructure. Urban streams suffer from larger and more frequent floods, higher pollutant loads, and greater disturbance than their rural counterparts. There are a large range of possible management interventions to restore urban streams, the problem is to determine those that will be effective.
Project 6.2 'Optimising urban stream rehabilitation planning and execution' has explored a range of urban stream restoration approaches. Originally it was intended to undertake an experiment to test the effect of improving stream hydrologic conditions through changes to the design of a retarding basin. If flow in urban streams could be made more 'natural', that is, more like flow in rural streams, then perhaps stream health could be improved. On closer examination, improving hydrologic conditions looked a high risk approach because it left water quality and geomorphic impacts untreated. In fact, a detailed review of existing information shows that none of the standard small-scale approaches to restoring urban streams are likely to be successful and a different approach is needed. The reasoning that led to this conclusion is an excellent example of the benefits of integrated, multi-disciplinary anaylsis.
So what should we do to improve the health of urban streams? A way forward lies in using the findings from work by Dr Chris Walsh and colleagues in a joint project between the Cooperative Research Centres for Freshwater Ecology and Catchment Hydrology. They have shown that the key predictor of ecological health is the area of impervious surface in a catchment that is directly connected to waterways by pipes. If frequent direct delivery of water and pollutants to streams can be decreased then stream health is likely to improve. This report concludes by discussing an experiment to test catchment-scale restoration approaches based on decreasing runoff frequency.
I fully support this experimental approach because it has the potential to greatly decrease the uncertainties that plague the selection and design of restoration works in urban streams. This new proposal is supported by data and modelling to allow the design of an intervention expected to succeed in improving stream health.
Mike Stewardson
Program Leader, River Restoration Program
CRC for Catchment Hydrology
This report is available for downloading below. Printed copies of the report can be purchased from the Centre Office. (Price $27.50 per copy).
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Centre Office:
CRC for Catchment Hydrology
Dept of Civil Engineering
Building 60
Monash University Vic 3800
Tel: +61 3 9905 2704
Fax: +61 3 9905 5033
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