Developed hydroscapes

Water is fundamental to human survival and prosperity.  The streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds store and transport water across the landscape.  They provide usable water, recreation, and the foundation of aquatic ecosystems.  Despite their importance, we do not know how the number and size of these features differs across regions and climates.

How do hydroscapes change?

See the publications list for detailed results.

When we build cities or farms we often make changes to the existing surface water.  Sometimes we drain ponds and wetlands if the land is too wet, sometimes we add a park or fishing pond.  Which we do depends on the how much water is present and the intended land use.  

Approximately, 55% of the land area in the world has been developed for agriculture or cities.  That is a lot of water affected by development.  To understand and manage water in developed landscapes our goal is to learn how development changes hydroscapes and the consequences for water quality and aquatic ecosystems.