Pervious areas dominate much of the urban landscape, and their management should not be ignored or neglected.
Many urban water managers believe that land that hasn’t been paved must be providing some benefit to the watershed. While it is true that pervious areas are generally green, this does not always imply that they are environmentally benign. In fact, many pervious areas in the landscape are as intensively managed or cultivated as any cropland, as far as the input of water, fertilizer or pesticides are concerned.
In this article, the hydrology and pollutant dynamics of pervious areas are explored. To do so, it is necessary to examine the types and distribution of pervious cover found in urban landscapes. Next, the complex interactions of pervious and impervious cover are investigated, particularly along the many edges between the two.
(2000) Schueler, T. 2000. The Peculiarities of Perviousness: The Practice of Watershed Protection. Center for Watershed Protection, Ellicott City, MD. Pages 649-654
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