|
About L-THIA
L-THIA (Long-Term Hydrologic Impact Assessment) has been developed
as a straightforward analysis tool that provides estimates of changes in runoff,
recharge and nonpoint source pollution resulting from past or proposed land
use changes. It gives long-term average annual runoff for a land use configuration,
based on actual long-term climate data for that area. By using many years
of climate data in the analysis, L-THIA focuses on the average impact, rather
than an extreme year or storm. L-THIA results do not predict what will happen
in a specific year. As a quick and easy approach, L-THIA results are intended
to provide insight into the relative hydrologic impacts of different land
use scenarios. The results can be used to generate community awareness of
potential long-term problems and to support physical planning aimed at minimizing
disturbance of critical areas. It is an ideal tool to assist in the evaluation
of potential effects of land use change and to identify the best location
of a particular land use so as to have minimum impact on the natural environment
of the area. Recent concern over urban sprawl has focused on several land
use change issues, including the failure to account for hydrologic aspects
of land use change that can result in flooding, stream degradation, erosion,
and loss of groundwater supply. L-THIA was developed to provide a quick, accessible
tool to use in assessing the long-term impacts of land use change. This site
suitability analysis tool makes use only of information that is readily available
from municipal databases.
|