Water Balance Guidelines for Sustaining Natural Areas within the Urban Environment

Edmonton’s natural features (forests/treestands and natural wetlands) provide core service functions such as water treatment, rainwater management, flood protection, recreation, habitat, and pollination. Maintaining the ecological and hydrological function of natural areas within the urban environment is a major challenge. Urbanization can alter the natural pattern of hydrology that can impact sustainability of natural features through vegetation shifts, altered habitat conditions, flooding, and erosion. Measures to protect the natural water balance are necessary when there is a likelihood that a proposed development will impact the hydrological functions of a natural area. Water Balance Guidelines are required to standardize the review and assessment of natural features with respect to hydrological functions, and ensure the pre-development hydrology of the natural feature will be maintained following the development.

Understanding the best available science with respect to the effects of urbanization on natural features, and the associated hydrological threshold in a local context, will be a first step in developing Water Balance Guidelines. This project will improve our understanding of natural area hydrological requirements and how urbanization could alter these patterns.

Faculty Supervisor:

Robert Summers

Student:

Partner:

City of Edmonton

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services; Public administration

University:

University of Alberta

Program: