Principles for Successfully Incorporating Ecosystem Restoration into Stormwater Management

Combining stormwater management with ecosystem restoration continues to gain popularity and many communities overseas and in New Zealand are actively supporting development of stormwater parks (public spaces that blend stormwater quality treatment and flood attenuation with wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities).

Historically, population growth and urbanisation, especially in coastal areas, has significantly increased pressures on natural resources. Increases in imperviousness, encroachment into floodplains, alteration of stream channels, riverine flood protection schemes and other changes have greatly influenced hydrologic characteristics of rural and urban catchments. These changes have also affected the state of receiving waterbodies in terms of environmental, cultural, social and economic values. Unfortunately, many alterations have been undertaken in past decades without regard to long-term or cumulative impacts.

Current stormwater and catchment management projects tend to be direct reactions to past development practices with flood relief and improvements in water quality being the two largest drivers, but habitat improvements can also be included.

This paper identifies and reviews key principles needed for successfully incorporating ecosystem and wetland restoration into stormwater management practices. This paper also presents several cases where elements of ecosystem restoration have been incorporated into stormwater management to address catchment management issues.