Integrating urban water fluxes and moving beyond impervious surface cover: A review

Oswald, Claire J.; Kelleher, Christa; Ledford, Sarah H.; Hopkins, Kristina G.; Sytsma, Anneliese; Tetzlaff, Doerthe; Toran, Laura; Voter, C. B.

doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2023.129188

Cited by 36 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 293 publications

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“…In arid and semi‐arid regions, urbanization often increases the presence of surface water compared to undeveloped land (Steele et al., 2014). Groundwater levels in urban areas may be elevated by the introduction of water from other regions (Oswald et al., 2023; Paliwal & Baghela, 2007), affecting flux of subusurface water. Water storage in small ponds and reservoirs (which are often remnants of gravel mining; Crifasi, 2005, 2015) at or near the mouths of tributaries that enter BC in the urban area (Figure 1) capture sediment from runoff and increase biogeochemical reactions between sediment and water and in the water column.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In arid and semi-arid regions, urbanization often increases the presence of surface water compared to undeveloped land (Steele et al, 2014). Groundwater levels in urban areas may be elevated by the introduction of water from other regions (Oswald et al, 2023;Paliwal & Baghela, 2007), affecting flux of subusurface water.…”

Section: Exacerbation Of Urbanization Impacts On Water Quality By Wat...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Urbanization and Water Management Control Stream Water Quality Along a Mountain to Plains Transition

Murphy,

Runkel,

Stets

et al. 2024

Water Resources Research

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Urbanization can have substantial effects on water quality due to altered hydrology and introduction of constituents to water bodies. In arid and semi‐arid environments, streams are further stressed by dewatering as a result of diversions. We conducted a high‐resolution synoptic survey of two streams in Colorado, USA that transition abruptly from granitic/metamorphic forested mountains to sedimentary urbanized plains and are both highly managed for water supply, yet differ in degree of urbanization. A synoptic mass balance approach developed for mine drainage applications was adapted to elucidate effects of urbanization, geology, and diversions on stream chemistry during baseflow conditions. Urbanization was a more important driver of stream concentrations than geology. The urban area was a strong source of bromide, calcium, chloride, and manganese, while lanthanum and dissolved organic carbon were primarily sourced from the mountains. A majority of streamflow was removed by diversions near the mountains/plains interface. Groundwater accounted for 31% of the subsequent flow increase to the urbanized stream, and delivered at least 33% of chloride loading. Constituents that were primarily urban‐derived (bromide, calcium, chloride, and manganese) were 2–3 times higher in the urban region due to diversions; without diversions, stream water quality would have largely retained characteristics of forested streams through the urban reach. This study provides insights into processes that affect water quality in highly managed streams of the semi‐arid western USA.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Exacerbation Of Urbanization Impacts On Water Quality By Wat...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Urbanization and Water Management Control Stream Water Quality Along a Mountain to Plains Transition

Murphy,

Runkel,

Stets

et al. 2024

Water Resources Research

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“…Further experimental data and numerical modelling are needed to disentangle these different contributions and their spatial origin in the catchment. However, if successful, this would enable the use of stream temperature as an inexpensive but effective tracer of water sources and pathways in urban systems, which are typically difficult to assess (Oswald et al, 2023).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The heat is on: Predicting urban stream temperature responses to summer storms

Knapp,

Kelleher

2023

Hydrological Processes

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Short‐term increases in stream temperature in response to storm events have frequently been observed in urban areas, highlighting the need for improved understanding of the factors influencing urban stream temperature. Urban land cover complexity and infrastructure designed for rapid water routing to the sewer system create a direct link between storm events and water release processes, influencing urban stream temperature responses. This study aims to identify predictors of diverse stream temperature response patterns to summer storms. We analysed 403 storm events from six urban and semi‐urban catchments along the US East Coast using dynamic time warping to identify archetype patterns of stream temperature responses. We further disentangled observed stream temperature increase patterns to reveal the drivers associated with ‘heat pulses’, which are characterized by a rapid but high‐magnitude temperature increase followed by a sharp temperature drop at the start of the hydrograph increase. Our results show that stream temperature patterns were event‐specific and linked to pre‐event conditions and rainfall–runoff characteristics, with the shape of the hydrograph and rainfall–runoff response identified as the most important determinators of the observed temperature response patterns. Ponded surface waters and storm drains, as well as cooler water from the shallow subsurface, were identified as potential sources contributing to temperature patterns. These findings have important implications for understanding urban hydrology and the contributions of different source zones in urban catchments. Specifically, our results suggest that stream temperature may serve as a cost‐effective tracer providing information about urban water sources and pathways, thus aiding in the understanding of complex urban hydrology.

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“…Along with the well-established impacts of anthropic changes imposed on urban freshwaters, many other areas, including peri-urban and rural agricultural environments, are also experiencing dramatic alterations to natural flow regimes and hydrologic processes (Döll & Schmied, 2012;Yang et al, 2011). These changes are propagated by the persistent reorganization of surface and subsurface hydrological flowpaths, widespread landuse changes and stream network alterations, as well as increasing baseflow manipulations (Bonneau et al, 2018;Marx et al, 2021;Oswald et al, 2023;Soulsby et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of drought hazards on flow regimes in anthropogenically impacted streams: an isotopic perspective on climate stress

Warter,

Tetzlaff,

Marx

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Abstract. Flow regimes are increasingly impacted by more extreme natural hazards of droughts and floods as a result of climate change, compounded by anthropogenic influences in both urban and intensively managed rural catchments. However, the characteristics of sustainable flow regimes that are needed to maintain or restore hydrologic, biogeochemical and ecological function under rapid global change remain unclear and contested. We conducted an inter-comparison of two streams in the Berlin-Brandenburg region of NE Germany, which are both mesoscale sub-catchments of the River Spree; an intermittent rural agricultural stream (the Demnitzer Millcreek) and a heavily anthropogenically impacted urban stream (the Panke). Through tracer-based analyses using stable water isotopes, we identified the dominant physical processes (runoff sources, flowpaths and age characteristics) sustaining streamflow over multiple years (2018–2023), including three major drought years (2018–20, 2021–22). In the urban stream, low flows are regulated through artificially increased baseflow from treated waste water effluent (by up to 80 %), whilst storm drainage drives rapid, transient high flow and runoff responses (up to 80 %) to intense convective summer rainfall. The intermittent groundwater-dominated rural stream experienced extended no-flow periods during drought years (⁓ 60 % of the year), and only moderate storm runoff coefficients (<10 %) in winter along near-surface flows paths after heavy rainfall. In both streams, groundwater dominance with young water influence prevails, with low water ages in the urban stream (<10 %) despite significant urban runoff, and higher ones in the rural stream (⁓15 %). Urban cover resulted in mean transit time of ⁓4 years compared to arable land with ⁓3 years, highlighting the interlinkages of landuse and catchment properties on catchment transit times. Understanding seasonal and interannual variability in streamflow generation through a tracer-based hydrological template, has potential for assessing the impacts of natural hazards on the sustainability of future baseflow management, including wider water quality and ecological implications across anthropogenically impacted environments.

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Integrating urban water fluxes and moving beyond impervious surface cover: A review

Cited by 36 publications

References 293 publications

Urbanization and Water Management Control Stream Water Quality Along a Mountain to Plains Transition

Urbanization and Water Management Control Stream Water Quality Along a Mountain to Plains Transition

The heat is on: Predicting urban stream temperature responses to summer storms

Impact of drought hazards on flow regimes in anthropogenically impacted streams: an isotopic perspective on climate stress

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