The messy business of urban stream restoration – A case study in the southeastern United States
As global population becomes increasingly urban, land and water managers must confront the challenging issues of protecting and restoring urban waterways and ecosystems. Proctor Creek in Atlanta, Georgia, USA presents a classic example of ecological degradation common in urban streams with high impervious cover (>30%), combined sewer overflows, interior flooding challenges, and degraded water quality. In partnership with the City of Atlanta and thirteen federal agencies, the US Army Corps of Engineers is planning a watershed-scale stream restoration project. An ecological modeling toolkit was developed to assess the cumulative effects of watershed-scale actions, prioritize restoration sites, and inform design decisions. This presentation will provide an overview of this project with a particular emphasis on the development and application of ecological models used to inform stream restoration decision-making.
Host: Christian Wolter