J. D. Bales
J.F. Coles
E.M.P. Giddings
H. Zappia
G. McMahon
2003
<p><span>This paper presents the results of a study on the use of continuous </span>stage<span> </span>data<span> to describe the relation between urban development and three aspects of </span>hydrologic<span> </span>condition<span> that are thought to influence stream ecosystems - overall </span>stage<span> variability, stream flashiness, and the duration of extreme-</span>stage<span> </span>conditions<span>. This relation is examined using </span>data<span> from more than 70 watersheds </span>in<span> three contrasting environmental settings - the humid Northeast (the metropolitan Boston, Massachusetts, area); the very humid Southeast (the metropolitan Birmingham, Alabama, area); and the semiarid West (the metropolitan Salt Lake City, Utah, area). Results from the Birmingham and Boston studies provide evidence linking increased urbanization with stream flashiness. Fragmentation of developed land cover patches appears to ameliorate the effects of urbanization on overall variability and flashiness. There was less success </span>in<span> relating urbanization and streamflow </span>conditions<span> </span>in<span> the Salt Lake City study. A related investigation of six North Carolina sites with long term discharge and </span>stage<span> </span>data<span> indicated that </span>hydrologic<span> </span>condition<span> metrics developed using continuous </span>stage<span> </span>data<span> are comparable to flow based metrics, particularly for stream flashiness measures.</span></p>
application/pdf
10.1111/j.1752-1688.2003.tb04437.x
en
Wiley
Use of stage data to characterize hydrologic conditions in an urbanizing environment
article