Protection and Restoration of Urban and Rural Streams

As part of the EWRI sponsored World Water and Environmental Resources Congress, June 23-26, 2003, in Philadelphia, the Urban Streams Technical Committee of the Urban Water Resources Research Council (UWRRC) and the Urban Stream Restoration Technical Committee of the Watershed Council are co-sponsoring an international symposium on the restoration and protection of streams with emphasis on urbanized and urbanizing streams. Channel degradation, instability, loss of habitat, loss of infrastructure and water quality are some key issues affecting the health of streams. Communities and watershed managers are faced with the need for scientifically, ecologically, and economically sound approaches to mitigate the impacts of urbanization in our cities' watersheds. This symposium proposes to promote awareness of the interdisciplinary scientific and ecological approaches for the planning and design of stream restoration projects with a special emphasis on the urban environment. Topics covered include: Legislative and Regulatory Setting: Federal, State and Local Programs; Master Planning: Urban Drainage and Stream Protection; Case Studies: Planning Projects, Successful Programs and Examples, Management Tools, Decision Making, and Monitoring Programs; Defining the Desired Stream Condition: Physical, Chemical and Biological; Monetary and Value-based Tools for Assessment, Analysis and Design: Physical, Chemical and Biological; Interdisciplinary Integration Management Tools: Stream Buffers and Low Impact Design; Design Criteria for Urban Stream Restoration; Monitoring-How We Measure Performance; and Research Needs: Institutional Needs, and Funding Needs.