Water Quality and Habitat Impacts

Increased vehicle use, roads, construction site sediment runoff and residential trash and waste are all potential sources of concern for waterbodies during urbanization and post-urbanization. Greater paved surface area per capita results in increases of nonpoint source pollution from vehicles, pets and lawn care activities. Discontinuous, low-density, auto-dependent growth patterns that result in increased impervious surface can lead to the following:

• Disturbance of forests, soils, and wetlands that once served as buffers and filters
• Destruction of habitat for fish and wildlife and impaired aquatic health
• Increased nutrient pollution in waterways, causing algal blooms and eutrophication
• Thermal flashes and damaging temperature ranges in streams and creeks
• Contamination of drinking water sources
• Increases in polluted runoff from human and household sources
• Decreased ground water recharge