Application of river health assessment for urban river management

An index system of urban river health assessment possessing 5 first grade indexes (river hydrology, physical form, streamside zone, water quality physicochemical parameter and aquatic life) and 17 second grade indexes was established. Based on 53-river regulation engineering feasibility study report, Liwa Stream and Zhangjiabang Creek monitoring data completed in the year 2001-2005, the application of urban river health assessment technique in 3 stages (present situation appraisal, planning and post-project appraisal) of river management was explored. The present situation appraisal showed that before regulation the indexes of flow velocity, bed stability, river course bank protective form, macroinvertebrates and ammonium nitrogen required further amelioration. The planning appraisal results showed that in present more attention should be paid to streamside zone state and river organism population, and the continuity and reach ability of river corridor did not get ample attention. Post-project appraisal indicated that the effect of zhangjiabang comprehensive regulation was marked in respect of river hydrology, physical from, streamside zone, water quality physicochemical indexes and aquatic life. Alteration and bank protective form were reduced somewhat. On this basis, looking closely the present situation of river management from the visual angle of river health, an framework between river health and river management was posed preliminarily.