Study to probe influence of water-quality improvements, channel restoration on stream biological health

SCCWRP and its partners have launched a three-year study to evaluate if improving water quality in urban streams – either alone or in tandem with stream restoration – can positively influence biological condition scores.

The goal of the study, which kicked off in July in partnership with the Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition (SMC), is to identify potential actions that managers could take to address biological degradation, which is widespread in modified channels and other urban streams. Researchers will investigate two key questions: whether improving water quality alone can increase bioassessment scores in engineered channels (i.e., without removing their channel modification features), and whether improved water quality in combination with stream channel restoration projects can increase their bioassessment scores.

Urban streams – especially those that have been modified through hardening of their banks and/or bottom, and/or through changes to their channel shape – are much more likely to receive lower biological condition scores than their counterparts in less developed areas, underscoring the need to identify effective management actions for improving urban stream health.

SCCWRP’s member agencies are welcome to join the project’s recently convened technical advisory committee and to suggest stream sites to study. For more information, contact Dr. Raphael Mazor.