Teknik Sungai

Minggu 02 – Sept 2019

Topik 2
Hidrologi Sungai
 Variasi Aliran Sungai
 Pengaruh Berbagai
Keadaan Variabel pada
Variasi Aliran Sungai
Dimensi
1. Spasial:
longitudinal
lateral
vertikal
2. Temporal
Daur
Hidrologi
 Hujan & Limpasan
Rata-Rata Tahunan Dunia
Proses Hidrologi
 Hidrograf
Aliran Sungai
Data
Aliran
Sungai
Data
Aliran
Sungai
Data
Hujan
& Aliran
Sungai
Ciliwung
rainfall-run off model
 Rasional
Q=aIA
P=aIA

DQ = P – I - E

Horton f = fo + (fo- fc) e-kt

I=fA

Darcy q = k dh/dx
Q=qA
R(t) R

Input R(t)

Operator 
Q

Q(t)
Output Q(t)
t
Rainfall-Runoff
Relation Rainfall I(t)

Rainfall R(t)
Watershed Boundary
Watershed Surface
Q(t)
System Boundary Discharge

Hutan C=0.2 45 Aliran

40 Hujan
Kebun C=0.5
35

Sawah C=0.8 30
25
Pemukiman C=1 20
15
10
Hapus
5
0
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
 Hutan C=0.2 45 Aliran
40 Hujan
Kebun C=0.5
35
30 45 Aliran
Sawah C=0.8
25 40 Hujan

Pemukiman C=1 20 35
30 45 Aliran
15
40 Hujan
10 25
Hapus 20 35
5
15 30
0

1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
10 25

5 20

0 15

1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
10
Hutan C=0.2 45 Aliran
5
40 Hujan
Kebun C=0.5 0
35

1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
45 Aliran
30
Sawah C=0.8 Hujan
40
25
35
Pemukiman C=1 20
45 Aliran
30
15
40 Hujan
25
10
Hapus 35
20
5
30
15
0
25

1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
10
20
5
15
0
10

1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
Hutan C=0.2 45 Aliran 5
40 Hujan 0
Kebun C=0.5

1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
35
45 Aliran
30
Sawah C=0.8 40 Hujan
25
35
Pemukiman C=1 20 45 Aliran
30
15 40 Hujan
25
10 35
Hapus 20
5 30
15
0 25

Influencing Factors:
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15

10
20
5
15
0

Landuse
10
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15

5
0

Rainfall Duration
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
 Hutan C=0.2 45 Aliran
40 Hujan
Kebun C=0.5 35
30
Sawah C=0.8 25
20
Pemukiman C=1
15
10
5
Hapus
0

1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
Hutan C=0.2 45 Aliran
40 Hujan
Kebun C=0.5 35
30
Sawah C=0.8 25
20
Pemukiman C=1
15
10
5
Hapus
0

1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
Hutan C=0.2 45 Aliran
40 Hujan
Kebun C=0.5 35
30
Sawah C=0.8
25
20
Pemukiman C=1
15
10
5
Hapus
0
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
Hutan C=0.2 45 15 Aliran
40 Hujan
Kebun C=0.5 35
30
Sawah C=0.8
25

Pemukiman C=1
20
15
Influencing Factor:
Watershed’s Shape
10

Hapus 5
0
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
Berbagai Faktor yang Mempengaruhi
Hubungan Hujan - Aliran Sungai
Berbagai Faktor yang
Mempengaruhi
Hubungan Hujan -
Aliran Sungai
Berbagai Faktor yang Mempengaruhi Hubungan
Hujan - Aliran Sungai
Berbagai Faktor yang Mempengaruhi
Hubungan Hujan - Aliran Sungai
Pengaruh Intensitas Hujan
pada Aliran Sungai
Pengaruh
Urbanisasi
pada Aliran
Sungai
The Impact of Urbanization
- Center for Watershed Protection -
The land development
process has a documented
impact on the quality of our
watersheds.

This presentation examines some
of the effects of land development
on aquatic ecosystems with an
emphasis on the direct
relationship of impervious cover
on stream health, in particular,
stream hydrology,
geomorphology, water quality,
and habitat.
 The impacts discussed in this
slideshow generally apply to
headwater streams, which are
composed of first and second order
streams. Since these small headwater
streams comprise about 75% of all the
river and stream mileage in the
contiguous U.S., their proper
management and protection is
essential to the protection of our larger
lakes, rivers, and estuaries.
 Extremely important in watershed
management because they are
exceptionally vulnerable to watershed
changes, headwater streams are also
good indicators of watershed quality;
they act as the "narrowest door" for
water resource protection and are
strongly supported and intuitively
understood by the public.
 Furthermore, what happens in the
local landscape is directly translated to
headwater streams and major
receiving waters are affected in turn.
One of the major impacts of
urbanization on streams is
the effect on stream
hydrology.
Stream hydrology, which is
defined as the study of the
movement or flow of water
and understanding water
balance is essential to
understanding the impact of
development on urban
streams.

Water balance is the concept
that the sum total of rainfall is
equal to the amount of rain
infiltrated, absorbed, and
evapotranspired, and the
volume of runoff generated from
the surrounding watershed.
 In a pre-developed setting, much
of the rainfall is absorbed by the
surrounding vegetation, soil and
ground cover. In a developed
setting, the water balance changes
and a disproportionate amount of
rainfall becomes surface runoff.
 The changes in the water balance
in urban streams are exemplified
by changes in the volumetric runoff
coefficient; "flashy" hydrographs;
increased flood peaks, peak
discharge, and frequency of
bankfull flows; floodplain widening;
and decreased dry weather flows.
 This diagram shows how
development and its corresponding
increase in impervious cover
disrupts the natural water balance.
In the post-development setting,
the amount of water running off the
site is dramatically increased.
 The volumetric runoff
coefficient can be defined as a
measure of the amount of
rainfall that is converted to
runoff. The runoff coefficient
ranges from 0 to about .95. In
natural situations with no
impervious cover, the runoff
coefficient is typically in the .05
- .10 range. By the time the
watershed is fully paved, 15 to
20 times more runoff can occur
as compared to measurements
prior to development.
 This graph shows that as the
percentage of watershed
imperviousness increases, the
volumetric runoff coefficient
increases as well.
 Urban streams are often
characterized as very "flashy" or
"spiky" because of the increased
quantity of stormwater runoff. This
characterization translates into the
sharp peaks that appear in
hydrographs, usually expressed in a
very short duration after the start of
a storm.
 The hydrograph shows the effects of
urbanization on the flow of the
Anacostia River in the Washington
DC Metropolitan Area. The
Anacostia is about 40% impervious.
A value of 600 cfs (about 3" of
rainfall) was computed for the two-
year storm. As you can see, about
15 two-year storms occurred during
this 18 month period clearly
demonstrating the influence of
impervious cover on the frequency
and magnitude of stormwater runoff
in urbanized areas.
 Hydrographs reveal the
frequency of flooding occurring
in an urban stream and
indicate the very rapid
increase and drop in
discharge. This flashiness
often results in flash flood
warnings during summer
thunderstorms and a general
increase in frequency and
magnitude of flood peaks in
urban watersheds.
 The large amount of runoff
entering an urban stream can
frequently result in flooding,
such as the moderate
overbank flooding event.
 Flooding occurs when there are
excessive runoff volumes. These
excessive volumes are caused by
both the total amount of impervious
cover as well as the rate at which the
runoff is delivered to the stream.
Curbs and gutters, storm drain pipes,
ditches, catch basins and other
drainage systems quickly speed the
runoff to a stormwater facility or
directly into receiving waters.
 Curbs and gutters are designed to
deliver stormwater away from the
road surface in an efficient and timely
manner.
 Catch basins or inlets collect
stormwater and direct it through pipes
to a downstream stormwater facility or
to the receiving waters.
Often, the runoff is directly discharged
into nearby waterbodies without
adequate water quality treatment.
 Consequently, the peak
discharge of urban streams is
higher and occurs sooner than
in streams with pre-
development conditions.
 This slide illustrates the effect
of urbanization on hydrograph
peak discharge. Under pre-
developed conditions, flow
gradually increases to a
relatively flat peak and
gradually descends to a low
flow condition. In the urbanized
condition, flow rapidly
increases to a peak and just as
sharply descends, often to a
low flow condition less than the
pre-development condition.
 In addition to the increase in flood
peaks and peak discharge, the
frequency of bankfull flows also
increases with increased
urbanization. Bankfull flows are
simply runoff events that fill the
normal channel of a stream to the
top of the banks. Bankfull flows
are significant because they are
the channel forming flow
condition in a stream and they
are highly erosive, turbid, and
damaging to the natural
morphology of the stream.
 Bankfull flooding (or the condition
of the flow that "fills up" the
channel) occurs much more
frequently in highly urbanized
areas and has the potential to be
extremely erosive and damaging
to the natural morphology of the
stream.
 The combination of increased
peak flows and bankfull flows
also greatly impacts the
floodplain. The floodplain is the
wider channel outside the
bankfull channel that
accommodates the rare large
storm events. In a post-
development situation, increased
upstream impervious cover and
increased peak discharges
cause the floodplain to widen
and increase vertically,
subjecting more homes,
properties, and people to the
risks of flooding.
 This figure shows how upstream
development can widen the
floodplain limit and is usually
accompanied by encroachment
into a larger floodplain.
 The hydrologic impact of
urbanization is not limited to storm
events. During dry weather periods,
urban streams tend to have less
flow because groundwater recharge
and stormwater infiltration has been
diminished. While streams that have
never been developed retain their
flow during dry weather conditions,
many urban streams lack the
baseflow necessary to sustain
healthy habitat conditions during
extended periods of dry weather.
 An increase in impervious surface
often decreases the amount of
rainfall available for infiltration.
Without infiltration, the groundwater
will not be recharged and the
stream will lose this potential source
of water, thus low flows tend to be
lower in urbanized watersheds.
 This often means that a
headwater stream that was once
perennial now becomes
intermittent.
 One example is a set of streams
in the Long Island, New York
region. The graph shows the
predominantly agricultural
watersheds that have been able
to sustain flow during dry
weather. Two streams, the Valley
Stream and Pines Brook shown
on the bottom, have steadily
developed over time. As
impervious cover has increased,
dry weather flow in the streams
has steadily declined and is now
only a fraction of its pre-
developed condition.
Geomorphologic changes,
or changes in the shape and
composition of streams,
occur alongside hydrologic
ones with increased
urbanization.
 Generally, most urban streams begin
to enlarge as impervious cover
exceeds 10% in the watershed. This
finding has been discovered in
various places like Puget Sound,
Washington; Austin, Texas; and
Vermont. The enlargement process
may take up to 50 years to fully occur,
but urban streams with more than
10% impervious cover are
characterized by various degrees of
stream enlargement and widening,
erosion, downcutting, decreased
channel stability, and embeddedness.
 The Maryland Piedmont presents
numerous examples of the different
ranges of the enlargement process.
An undeveloped watershed with less
than 5% impervious cover is
characterized by excellent stream
conditions— good riparian cover, high
quality substrate, and wetted
perimeter during low flow conditions.
At 8%-10% impervious cover,
while the stream is still relatively
stable, changes in the stream
shape become more visible.
Signs of stream erosion, loss of
the wetted perimeter, more
eroded material in the banks, and
debris become more evident.

At approximately 10% impervious

cover, the stream is slightly more
visibly impacted. The stream
shown here has approximately
doubled from its original
predevelopment size and
evidence of changes includes
downcutting, exposed tree roots,
and loss of the pool and riffle
structure.
Active erosion becomes much
more evident at 20% impervious
cover with decreased substrate
quality due to more material
"flushing" through the system.

The surrounding area of this

stream is also approximately 20%
impervious cover, but shows
further signs of stream erosion,
much worse than the previous
slide due to an absence of
vegetation to hold the bank
structure together.
At 30% impervious cover, the
stream structure becomes
effectively blown out. The large
amount of impervious cover has
increased the size of the stream
five- to ten-fold.
The manhole in the middle of the
diagram was originally in the
floodplain and is an indicator of
the degree to which channel
erosion has occurred.
In a study conducted by Booth
and Reinholt (1993), statistically
documented changes in channel
stability occurred as impervious
cover passed through the 10%
threshold.
This graph illustrates the historic
channel enlargement and incision
that occurred in Watts Branch,
Maryland from 1961 to 1999,
which coincided with increased
development.

This graph shows the positively

correlated relationship between
impervious cover and channel the
enlargement ratio.
When impervious cover exceeds
40%, engineers are often called in
to channelize or stabilize stream
channels.
In the past, concrete channels
were used to speed runoff further
along, but there is no habitat
value to these engineered
channels.

Not only can a stream widen, but

given the right soil conditions, it
can cut down as well.
In this slide, the stream has
dropped several feet in elevation
because of the increased
stormwater flows, and the
forested wetland in the floodplain
is now hydraulically disconnected
from the stream that sustained it.
In many urban areas, beyond
50% impervious cover, the stream
system is driven entirely
underground in a set of culverts,
storm drain pipes, and other
engineered structures.

Embeddedness is another impact

of urbanization and is
characterized by the packing of
pebbles or cobbles with fine
grained silts and clays. Urban
stream beds are often highly
embedded.
In extreme cases, habitat, water
and dissolved oxygen exchange
become greatly reduced. In
addition, many of the rocks are
coated by a film of slime,
hydrocarbons, and fungi at the
bottom of the stream.
In addition to hydrologic and
geomorphologic changes to
the stream, urbanization
directly impacts the quality
of the receiving water.
Some of the indicators of
the impact of urbanization
on water quality include
increased stream
temperature and pollutants.
Stream temperature is a very
important habitat parameter for
salmon, trout, sculpins and other
fish and insects, and temperature
variability can dictate the growth
of aquatic insects and timing of
migration and molts. Impervious
cover increases air and soil water
temperatures and can create an
increase of 5-10 degrees
Fahrenheit in urban streams.
This impact was highlighted in a study
conducted by John Galli of two small
watersheds in Montgomery County,
Maryland.
The first watershed, Lakemont, shown in
blue, was below 68 degrees during 100%
of the observations that were collected.
The Lakemont tributary was undeveloped
and is capable of supporting trout.
Moving just a few miles away to the
White Oak tributary (shown in pink) which
is 55% impervious, the stream is much
warmer, despite the fact that it is a
physically similar watershed. Indeed,
50% of all the observations collected at
White Oak were above 68 degrees which
is the maximum upper temperature
needed to maintain trout. Several
readings reached 84 degrees F, well
outside the thermal regime necessary to
maintain trout, sculpins, and stone flies.
In addition to increased stream
temperature, urbanization can
increase the amount of pollutants
entering water bodies, such as
sediment, nutrients, organic
matter, trace metals (copper,
cadmium, lead), pesticides,
herbicides and hydrocarbons, and
others.
During storm events, the quality of
urban stormwater declines
sharply which adversely affects
human and aquatic uses of
downstream waters.

An increase in pollutants can

adversely affect aquatic
organisms and can result in
beach closure, safety concerns,
and/or activity limitations for
people.
The sources of pollutants in
stormwater are predominately
associated with impervious areas.
Impervious areas act as a collector
and conveyor for pollutants that arrive
from many pathways.
Pollutants can fall out of the sky during
dryfall. They may also arrive in rain or
snow as wetfall. Automobiles are also
sources of pollutants. Wear of tires (a
known source of zinc), deteriorating
brake pads, or just leaks, drips and
spills of oil and other pollutants from
the car can accumulate on impervious
surfaces.
Pollutants can also be blown in from
adjacent pervious areas. Pollutants
land on the street where they often
stay in curbs, cracks and other areas
until the next rain storm where they are
washed off the surface and into the
storm drain system and ultimately to
receiving streams.
In urban streams, nutrients and
pollutants associated with
stormwater runoff can increase the
amount of algae activity in streams.

This graph shows that as impervious

cover increases, there is a
corresponding increase in phosphorus
delivered by stormwater as well.
The lines illustrate input load (in red)
and two scenarios of the corresponding
load using stormwater treatment
practices of different removal capability.
At about 60% impervious cover, even
with the best practices, the phosphorous
load exceeds background levels.
A study of residential areas
across the country shows that
phosphorus entering the stream
from these sites often exceeds
what is considered a "natural
load."

Excess nutrients can create

eutrophic conditions that can lead
to uncontrolled algal growth that
consumes oxygen in shallow
slovenly waters and may create
fish kills, odors, and other
problems.
 Another common pollutant in urban
stormwater is sediment. Sediment
can smother bottom organisms and it
can clog gills of fish and aquatic
insects when it is in the water column.
Sources of sediment include
streambank erosion which we have
previously seen, construction sites,
and the wash off from paved
surfaces.
 This slide shows an enormous
sediment plume in a small estuarine
cove due to storm runoff from the
small highway construction site in the
far bottom right of the slide.
Stormwater runoff can also have very
high levels of bacteria. Generally
speaking, urban stormwater cannot meet
standards for drinking water, shellfish
collection, or even water contact
recreation in most areas of the country,
resulting in the closure of beaches,
shellfish beds, and the like.
Fecal coliform levels in urban
stormwater runoff are typically 15
to 50 times the standard set for
water contact recreation.
Fecal coliform can be derived
from human and nonhuman
sources. In fact, research
indicates that much of the fecal
coliform in urban runoff is from
nonhuman sources such as dogs,
cats, horses, squirrels, rats,
geese, pigeons, and ducks.
However, very high levels of
bacteria may be due to leaks of
human sewage from sanitary
sewer overflows, leaking septic
systems, combined sewers or
illicit discharge of sewage.
Stormwater hotspots are areas
which produce higher
concentrations of pollutants than
normally found in urban runoff.
Certain areas of the urban
landscape are known to be
hotspots of stormwater pollution.
Examples include gas stations,
parking lots, and auto recycling
facilities.
Generally, stormwater hotspots
contribute 5 to 10 times higher
concentrations of trace metals
and hydrocarbons in stormwater
runoff.
These hotspots merit special
management and pollution
prevention activities.
Gas stations are one example of
a land use classified as a
stormwater hotspot.
 Trace metals are frequently
found in urban stormwater and
sometimes at concentrations
that can be acutely toxic to
aquatic life. In nearly every
stormwater sample, one
generally will find zinc, copper
and lead. Hydrocarbons such
as PAHs, zinc, copper,
cadmium, and lead are known
to accumulate in the tissue of
fish. In some cases, this may
make the fish unsuitable for
human consumption.
 This advertisement was
produced to educate the public
on the problems that are
associated with heavy metal
pollution.
Along with changes in
hydrology, geomorphology,
and water quality, the
habitat value of urban
streams diminishes with
increased impervious cover.
There are numerous
impacts to the aquatic
habitat as well as the
riparian corridor, particularly
along the stream side zone.
Chris May and his colleagues in
the Puget Sound have examined
the relationship between the size
or width of the forest buffer over
the amount of impervious cover.
As this graph depicts, they found
that as watershed urbanization
increases, forest buffer size and
width decreases.

 At about 10% impervious cover,

forest cover in the watershed and
the amount of intact forest buffer
declines sharply.
 Here the banks of the stream are
lined with grass, which provides
some protection for the
streambank but lacks the stability
that trees can provide.
This diagram of Sligo Creek
Watershed in the metropolitan
Washington, D.C. area depicts
the degradation of forest buffers
and the moderate to fast
urbanization over 59 years.

One of the most apparent changes to

habitat in urban streams is the
dramatic loss of large woody debris
(LWD). LWD is important in a stream
because it provides habitat structure
and allows the stream to retain
sediments, nutrients, and carbon
more effectively.
In urban streams, the increased
stormwater flows and narrower
riparian zones provide less large
woody debris.
The large woody debris shown
here provides habitat structure
and allows the stream to retain
sediments, nutrients, and carbon.

 In studies which compare

impervious cover to the presence of
LWD in streams, scientists have
shown that LWD frequency declines
after about 10% impervious cover
in the Puget Sound area located
near Seattle, Washington.
 This study conducted by Chris May,
et. al. defines the inverse
relationship between large woody
debris and watershed urbanization.
 The creation of fish barriers is another
impact of urban development. Barriers
can prevent the movement of both
anadramous and resident fish. In some
cases, the fish barriers are created by
culverts that are put in stream
crossings for roads and other urban
infrastructure. As the stream erodes
down, vertical barriers to fish
movement are created that cut off
spawning areas. Menhaden, herring,
striped bass, or salmonoids that are
trying to move up to fresh waters to
spawn in spring will likely encounter
fish barriers that they cannot surmount.
In many areas of the East Coast as
well as the West Coast where salmon
spawn, fish barriers are a major
biological problem associated with
urban development.
 Culverts like these act as barriers to
fish migration.
This map indicates the numerous
fish blockages located in the
Anacostia Watershed, which is
located in Maryland and
Washington DC.
A shift in the energy source that drives the
streams is another major change to the
ecology of urban streams. Unlike many
terrestrial ecosystems which are driven by
sun and plant growth, the source of
energy for most streams in eastern North
America is from outside the stream.
In a healthy stream, when leaves shed
from the trees, they blow into stream
channels and form leaf packs within the
stream. Leaves are a main source of food
for aquatic insects in many undeveloped,
humid climate streams.

The leaf packs are colonized by

bacteria and the energy contained
within them is consumed by a
functional feeding group of aquatic
insects known as shredders.
Shredders are at the lower end of the
food chain and are often absent in
urban streams.
Often the added light and
nutrients create conditions for the
growth of high levels of algae
within the streams as well as high
levels of organic matter on the
rocks.
Organic matter has accumulated
on the surface of this rock from a
highly urbanized stream.
With increased urbanization,
there is a corresponding
decline of habitat quality
and consequently a decline
in plant and animal diversity.
The channel enlargement process
sharply degrades stream habitat
structure and flows become more
shallow, slow moving and
indistinct.
High quality streams have a
series of pools, riffles, and glides
that provide unique and stable
habitat areas for different fish and
aquatic insects.
Urban streams are characterized
by highly scattered and poor
quality stream beds.

This sinuous channel with a

riparian "corridor" offers no real
habitat value.
This graph of a stream in the
coastal plain of Delaware depicts
the typical relationship between
sensitive aquatic species as a
function of impervious surface.
 A number of researchers have
documented that at about 10%
impervious cover, the aquatic insect
community in urban streams begins to
decline sharply. Studies conducted in
Delaware, Maryland, and Washington
document this relationship. One typical
change in the aquatic community is the
change in composition from stone flies,
mayflies and caddisflies to a community
of worms, midge larvae and snails, e.g.
more pollution tolerant organisms.
 Hellgramites (also known as "toe
biters") are sensitive to alterations in
stream habitat brought on by
urbanization and can be part of an
indicator-based assessment of stream
quality.
The fish community also changes very
sharply. Most streams in eastern North
America, contain a dozen or more species
of fish including dace, darters, and
minnows as well as larger fish such as
bream, bass and trout.
With a decline in watershed quality,
there is a corresponding decline in
both the total number of aquatic
species and number of sensitive
species.
This is illustrated by an examination of
four small watersheds in the
Anacostia.
The impervious cover of the four
watersheds is as follows: Good Hope
watershed at 10%, Nursery Run at
12%, Hollywood Branch at 25%, and
Wheaton Branch at 55%.
As can be seen, half the fish
community is lost at 25% impervious
cover and is down to two fish species
at 55% impervious cover.
The same finding has been replicated
in many other regions of the country.
 Studies by DeVivo, et al. and Couch
have shown that as human
population densities increase, the
Index of Biological Integrity for fish,
which measures the quality of the
fish community, also decreases.
 This data from a study conducted by
Couch and DeVivo in the Atlanta
areas shows the stream Index of
Biological Integrity (IBI) as a function
of the population density, which is a
surrogate for impervious cover. The
forest stream scored very high, as
did the agricultural streams. But as
more people were added to the
watershed along with more
impervious surfaces, fish diversity
declined in a regular manner.
Similar relationships have been
developed for Illinois, Ohio and
streams of the Puget Sound.
Studies by Dreher, et al. have
also shown that the Index of
Biological Integrity for aquatic
biota decreases as human
population densities increase.

In addition, wetlands and the

plants and animals found within
them can be adversely impacted
by upstream impervious cover.
Research has found that frog and
salamander density is reduced in
urban streams and the plant
community is directly influenced
by upstream impervious cover.
The imbalance in water elevations
caused by introduction of
stormwater tends to simplify the
structure and species of urban
wetlands.

A simple model to classify and
manage urban streams can be
constructed based on
impervious cover.
The model helps determine the
impacts of impervious cover
based on three stream
categories: sensitive, impacted,
and non-supporting.
When impervious cover is less than
10%, we still can maintain a high
quality stream system that maintains
stable banks, has high fish diversity
and good water quality.
Once impervious cover exceeds
10%, the pristine conditions of the
sensitive stream cannot be
maintained.
Impacted streams are characterized
by 10% to 25% imperviousness and
begin to show the varying degrees of
the influence of land development
including unstable channels,
declining water quality, and
diminished biological communities.
Non-supporting streams exceed 25
to 30% impervious cover and are
characterized as highly unstable,
have poor fish and aquatic insect
diversity, and very poor water
quality.
This graph shows that as the
percentage of impervious cover
increases, the amount of sensitive
aquatic biota decreases.
At less than 10% impervious
cover, streams are considered
sensitive.
Between 10-25%, streams are
categorized as impacted.
At levels greater than 25%
impervious cover, streams are
considered non-supporting.
 While much of the biological
diversity and human uses of the
impacted streams can be protected
and restored with proper
watershed management, non-
supporting streams can no longer
support a diverse stream
community and water contact
recreation is often no longer
possible due to high bacteria
levels.
 This wide stream with huge
sediment deposits, no forest
canopy, and likely poor aquatic
community is classified as non-
supporting.
Several caveats need to be
considered when using this
impervious cover model.
To begin with, this model should
only be applied to first to third
order streams and not to larger
rivers or lakes.
Secondly, the model indicates
that streams with good riparian
cover tend to score higher than
streams where this is absent.
Thirdly, the mere fact that a
stream has less than 10%
impervious cover does not
necessarily mean that it will be a
high quality stream, since many of
our streams have been historically
altered by agriculture, engineering
and other impacts such as
sedimentation.
The stream classification model
cannot be applied to highly
agricultural watersheds.

With these caveats in mind, the

urban stream classification
system can be a powerful tool for
managing watersheds. Ways the
tool can be used are described in
subsequent slideshows.