USGS studies urban development and stream health

A new USGS study sheds light on the connection between urban development and stream health. The study looks at nine metropolotan areas, including two in the Intermountain West -- Salt Lake City and Denver.

The online site for the study says the study "...examines the response of a stream's biological communities, hydrology, habitat and stream chemistry to urban development, and how these responses vary across the country." In all, the study looks at nine metropolitan areas, including Salt Lake City, UT; Denver, CO; Birmingham, AL; Atlanta, GA; Raleigh, NC; Boston, MA; Portland, OR; Dallas, TX; and Milwaukee, WI.

The report's key findings include:

• Place matters: response to urban development depends on the region of the country
• The hypothesized response of stream biota to urbanization
• All biological communities showed signs of negative impacts from urban development
• Immediate decline in macroinvertebrate community as urban development increases
• Urban development leads to a loss of sensitive species
• Regional differences exist in land types converted to urban uses
• The response of biota was weaker where prior land use activities had already degraded streams

The online site for the study provides more information on each study area, detail on the findings, podcasts, and more.