The Urban Watershed Program promotes faculty and student research on the unique relationships, impacts and demands of watersheds in urban areas. Jointly administered by the Center for Coastal & Watershed Systems and the Hixon Center of Urban Ecology at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, the program combines the interests and resources of the two centers.

Watersheds in urban areas encounter stresses unique to the urban environment, while sharing common characteristics and following natural laws of all water systems. Urban watersheds are often polluted, heavily engineered, inaccessible, and little understood by nearby residents; population density exacerbates stresses on waterways.

As cities emerge from a period when they ignored their rivers and harbors, new relationships are being developed with adjacent waterways. Past practices that marginalized waterscapes from the urban environment are being reevaluated. Now, with more attention to urban environmental quality, there is a greater understanding of the vital role waterways play as sources of open space, transportation, recreation, and habitat.

The Urban Watershed Program promotes the interdisciplinary science and policy studies of these waterways. A convenient study site is offered in the greater New Haven area through the established relationships of the Center for Coastal and Watershed Systems and the Hixon Center for Urban Ecology.

*NEW* The Center for Coastal & Watershed Systems has created a database of water access points in New Haven, along with maps and photos. New Haven Water Access.