Urban Streamflow Impact Assessment (USIA): a novel approach for protecting urbanising waterways and providing the justification for integrated water management

Abstract

As urban populations expand globally, the associated increase in urban land cover directly impacts the social and environmental amenity of natural assets, including waterways. The primary driver of urban waterway degradation changes in land uses which results in altered hydrology–from stormwater runoff, and where present, wastewater treatment plant discharge. Whilst the impacts of pollutants are relatively well regulated via public policy, a gap remains for the management of flow regime modification. The Urban Streamflow Impact Assessment (USIA) was developed to fill this management and planning knowledge gap. The approach begins with the identification of waterway values (social, ecological..