Urban Sprawl and Impervious Cover:
Watershed Effects in the Washington D.C. Metro Area
 

Washington D.C. (Green represents impervious surfaces)- Courtesy of Landsat, Nasa (1)

Where we are and what we need to know:

 In 1955 a name was given to the expansion of development over urban and suburban areas--sprawl. Since that time, sprawl has grown at an exponential rate, especially in the United States. Pastures have become strip malls, wetlands are now soccer fields, meadows have given way to housing developments, and all of these have been connected by ever-widening roads. These abrupt changes in land use have some obvious environmental effects--more vehicles leads to more air pollution, more developed acreage leads to less wildlife diversity--but what are the less obvious effects?

To better understand the specific factors of this issue, this study focuses on the Washington, DC Metro area. This area follows larger, national trends, has a well-documented history of water levels and development, and possesses many of the sociological and geographical elements that influence the way sprawl affects an area.