Hydrology and Impervious Areas

This issue presents a broad range of perspectives on the role of impervious surfaces in hydrology. I hope this collection of papers will heighten the broader engineering awareness of the importance of imperviousness in hydrology, the current state of the art in remote and field data collection and interpretation, the complexities of hydrologic modeling and mitigation in the context of an urban landscape, and policy considerations with regard to impervious cover. As the landscape continues to urbanize and as the texture of awareness of urban impacts continues to grow beyond the monochrome perspective of flood design to include concerns for low flows, water quality, and ecological integrity, a thorough appreciation of the hydrologic impacts of impervious cover will continue to grow in importance.

Finally, I would like to extend my thanks to the many individuals on the ASCE Watershed Management Technical Committee who generously contributed their ideas and time to bring this special issue to fruition. I would especially like to thank Donald Woodward, Life Member of ASCE and reviewer extraordinaire, for his efforts on this special issue.