1. Stream Ecology (NR 280) Topic 13 – Human Impacts Threats to rivers Impacts of Urbanization Consequences for Lake Champlain

2. Threats to Rivers Habitat alteration – Altered hydrology: too little, too much – Channelization: confined flow Pollution – Point sources: WWTPs, industry – Non-point sources: land uses – Atmospheric deposition Invasive and nuisance species Exploitation Climate change

3. Index of Biotic Integrity Framework for thinking about stream degradation

4. Urbanization A case study in human impacts Sprawl is dispersed, automobile-dependent development outside of compact urban and village centers along highways and in rural countryside.

5. The US at Night (1993 vs 2001) The National Geographic Society (2001) Dense 1993 Fringe 1993 Dense 2001 Fringe 2001

6. Urban Sprawl in New England The National Geographic Society (2001) growth fragmentation corridors

7. The value of natural areas… …promotion of ‘infiltration’ Surface runoff Groundwater Infiltration Rain ET

8. Perspectives on impervious areas… …rural (near Underhill, VT)

9. Perspectives on impervious areas… …suburban (Butler Farm, S. Burlington)

10. Perspectives on impervious areas… …commercial (University Mall)

11. Perspectives on impervious areas… …urban (downtown Burlington)

12. Perspectives on impervious areas… …where we are now!

13. Sprawl & Impervious Cover Center for Watershed Protection 2003

14. The problem of impervious areas… …impediments to ‘infiltration’ Surface runoff Groundwater Infiltration Rain ET

15. Development & Stormwater Quantity Higher highs/lower lows Intensification/flashiness Flow regime modification Time (hours) Stream flow (cubic feet per sec) Rainfall Runoff - developed Runoff - undeveloped Runoff – “managed”

16. Runoff as a function of Imperviousness Center for Watershed Protection (2003) after Schueler (1987)

17. Source: VTDEC (Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation). 2005. Stream geomorphic assessment handbook: Phase 1 & 2 Protocols. Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Publication. Urban Stream Channel Evolution Process (Incision) Stage I II III IV V (Aggradtion)

18. The problem of impervious areas… …sources of pollutants Fertilizers E-Coli PesticidesHerbicides Oil To streams

19. Growth has been rapid

20. Sources of P to the Lake Modified from Troy et al. (2007)

21. Phosphorus concentration trends in Lake Champlain State of the Lake Report, 2012 (LCBP)

22. Typical Pollutant Concentration Ranges State of Maine (1995)

23. Wenger 2008 (SUSE2) The “Urban Syndrome”

24. Impacts of Impervious Area Center for Watershed Protection (2003) as noted.

25. Generalized Framework Sprawl, impervious area, & impairment Thomas Schueler (2008)) Do not use without permission.

26. Effects of Development Impairment of freshwater resources – Rivers: ~30% of 3.5 million miles (17% surveyed) – Lakes: 37% of 41 million acres (42% surveyed) Sources of impairment (in priority order) – Agriculture (lakes) – Municipal point sources – Urban runoff/Stormwater – Unspecified NPS – Industrial point sources – Land disposal – Hydro/Habitat modification – Resource Extraction – Riparian disturbances – Forestry operations US/EPA 1995, Burton and Pitt (2002)

27. Effects of Development US/EPA 1995, Burton and Pitt (2002) Impairment of freshwater resources – Rivers: ~30% of 3.5 million miles (17% surveyed) – Lakes: 37% of 41 million acres (42% surveyed) Sources of impairment (in priority order) – Agriculture (lakes) – Municipal point sources – Urban runoff/Stormwater – Unspecified NPS – Industrial point sources – Land disposal – Hydro/Habitat modification – Resource Extraction – Riparian disturbances – Forestry operations Urban-related

28. ‘Natural’ Stream Form Upper Allen and Sucker Brooks

29. Urban Stream Form Englesby Brook

30. Healthy Stream Substrate

31. Impaired Stream Substrate

32. ‘Natural’ Stream Biota

33. Impaired Stream Biota

34. Reasons for hope... …recovery from urban impacts Fitzgerald et al. (2012) Increasing Sheer StressDecreasing Sheer Stress

35. What we know… Connected impervious area is a major stressor on freshwater resources Redistribution of runoff is a major culprit Contaminant transport – especially sediment – worsens the problem It is possible to effectively control water and contaminant loading Potash Brook (Alex Hackman)

36. …and what we’d like to know How much is enough?* How long will it take? What will in cost? How do we start? *Tear et al. BioScience 55(10):835

37. Impacts of climate change

38. Figure 3 The Overarching RACC Question How will the interactions of climate change and land use alter hydrological processes and nutrient transport from the landscape, internal processing and eutrophic state within the lake, and what are the implications for adaptive management strategies? Questions 1 and 2 Question 3 Integrated Assessment Model (IAM)

39. The Core RACC Research Questions Q1: What is the relative importance of endogenous (in- lake) processes versus exogenous (to-lake) processes to eutrophication and harmful algal blooms? Q2: Which alternative stable states can emerge in the watershed and lake resulting from no-linear dynamics of climate drivers, lake basin processes, social behavior, and policy decisions? Q3: In the face of uncertainties about climate change, land use and lake response scenarios, how can adaptive management interventions be designed, valued, and implemented in the multi-jurisdictional region?

40. Opportunities for Outreach, Research & Management Fluvial geomorphology: sediment dynamics Eco-hydrology: impact thresholds Community ecology: recovery dynamics Economics: tradable development rights Sociology: stakeholder engagement Urban planning: transportation, energy, wastes Informatics: databases & visualization Cyber-infrastructure: sensors & monitoring

41. Extra Slides

42. “The Urban Syndrome” Image credit: USGS (2010) http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/urban/http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/urban/ Quote credit: Cottingham et al. (2003) CRC Report and Meyer et al. (2005) JNABS

43. Biotic condition vs Stressor Impact A generalized framework

44. Impacts of channelization

45. Impacts of water withdrawals

46. Impacts of land use intensification

47. Sources of Atmospheric Pollutants Acid Rain Revisited (HBRF)

48. Atmospheric Deposition Hubbard Brook, NH L ONG - TERM T RENDS IN S TREAM C HEMISTRY Acid Rain Revisited (HBRF)

49. Fewer fish species at lower pH Acid Rain Revisited (HBRF)

50. Framework for species invasion

51. What’s wrong with one more species? Often…nothing Competes with native species Predates on native species Alters habitats & behavior of native species Hybridizes with native species Introduces new diseases and pathogens Direct as well as indirect effects

52. Exploitation inland fisheries

53. BUT… Variation among different watersheds 0 10 20 30 40 50 Percent watershed impervious cover Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) 100 80 60 40 20 0 Fairfax County (2001) in CWP (2003)

54. Variation obscures potential differences Total watershed impervious cover Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) Horner and May (1999) in CWP (2003)

55. Source: Vermont Forum on Sprawl http://www.vtearthinstitute.org/sprawl.html#evidence Source: Lake Champlain Basin Program http://www.lcbp.org -■- Burlington-Winooski -●- Rest of Chittenden County -■- Urban -●- Rural

56. How fast are we growing? Burlington Municipal Development Plan, 2001 Equivalent to a doubling in 20 years!

57. Trends in Lake Champlain Total Phosphorus LoadTotal Discharge Troy et al. (2007)