Evaluation of the imprint of urban channel adjustment and management
Evaluation of the imprint of urban channel adjustment and management
Decades of research have clarified the nature of urban channel adjustments and guided watershed management, so that now it is possible to conduct geomorphological evaluations of urban channel systems, including their management. Such evaluation may address functionality, appearance and resilience. Fountain Hills, Arizona, urbanised since 1970, offers an ideal case for evaluation. The 46 washes on which the urban area has been superimposed are in five groups, with 29% of washes currently categorised as near natural, 23% as adjusting but could recover, and 65% having some elements of the appearance of original washes. Overall, the management goal to maintain what is natural has not been realised, but an alternative objective stated as the need to achieve naturalisation is more viable. Those sections (11% of the total) which do not achieve the requirements of the guiding Ordinance include channelisation by hard engineering and sections incorporated into golf courses. Functionality is satisfactory in the 60% of wash length that has achieved naturalisation. Appearance is appropriate for that same wash length, although golf course developments produce wash lines at variance with the natural character. Short-term resilience is accommodated by the wash management programme and by ongoing adaptive management. Land ownership accounts for some of the variations encountered. This evaluation approach could be applied to other areas, with a holistic basin plan to include the possibility of geomorphological change, thus reducing the need for adaptive management as urbanisation progresses and intensifies. Now that evaluation is feasible, proactive catchment management could be employed as a basis for introducing geomorphic design.
geomorphic design, naturalisation, semi-arid environment, urban channel change, urban geomorphology
269-282
Gregory, Ken
ba801a74-48cd-4d3e-8e3c-547f53c3d60c
Chin, Anne
d4e99b17-50fe-4288-8dea-005dd8e95d85
1 September 2018
Gregory, Ken
ba801a74-48cd-4d3e-8e3c-547f53c3d60c
Chin, Anne
d4e99b17-50fe-4288-8dea-005dd8e95d85
Gregory, Ken and Chin, Anne
(2018)
Evaluation of the imprint of urban channel adjustment and management.
Geographical Journal, 184 (3), .
(doi:10.1111/geoj.12231).
Abstract
Decades of research have clarified the nature of urban channel adjustments and guided watershed management, so that now it is possible to conduct geomorphological evaluations of urban channel systems, including their management. Such evaluation may address functionality, appearance and resilience. Fountain Hills, Arizona, urbanised since 1970, offers an ideal case for evaluation. The 46 washes on which the urban area has been superimposed are in five groups, with 29% of washes currently categorised as near natural, 23% as adjusting but could recover, and 65% having some elements of the appearance of original washes. Overall, the management goal to maintain what is natural has not been realised, but an alternative objective stated as the need to achieve naturalisation is more viable. Those sections (11% of the total) which do not achieve the requirements of the guiding Ordinance include channelisation by hard engineering and sections incorporated into golf courses. Functionality is satisfactory in the 60% of wash length that has achieved naturalisation. Appearance is appropriate for that same wash length, although golf course developments produce wash lines at variance with the natural character. Short-term resilience is accommodated by the wash management programme and by ongoing adaptive management. Land ownership accounts for some of the variations encountered. This evaluation approach could be applied to other areas, with a holistic basin plan to include the possibility of geomorphological change, thus reducing the need for adaptive management as urbanisation progresses and intensifies. Now that evaluation is feasible, proactive catchment management could be employed as a basis for introducing geomorphic design.
This record has no associated files available for download.
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 3 August 2017
e-pub ahead of print date: 22 October 2017
Published date: 1 September 2018
Keywords:
geomorphic design, naturalisation, semi-arid environment, urban channel change, urban geomorphology
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 424647
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/424647
ISSN: 0016-7398
PURE UUID: 2c02cb02-c0ca-4677-add0-18e093910054
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 05 Oct 2018 11:39
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 21:20
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
Ken Gregory
Author:
Anne Chin
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics