Urban hydrology in the Pacific Northwest

Abstract

Hydrologic processes control many fundamental dimensions affecting salmonid habitat and populations at several critical life stages. The purpose of this chapter is to review important aspects of streamflow and how those aspects are affected by urbanization, with a focus on North America's Pacific Northwest. Hydrologic aspects reviewed in this chapter include the timing and magnitude of streamflow, the linkage of streamflow to various physical and biological processes, the use and redistribution of water on the landscape by humans, and the importance of these processes in shaping salmonid habitats.