ABSTRACT
One of the most extensive and devastating impacts of urbanization on wildlife and their habitats is the development of the urban “water works” or the system by which urban communities obtain, use, and discharge water. One consistent observation about the urban waters story was how perfectly aquatic ecosystems functioned before human intervention and the draconian efforts required to restore this perfect function after human intervention. This chapter presents examples of urban waters that can be found in nearly any community. It is important to examine the water cycle if one wants to begin to comprehend the drawbacks of poor water management practices on urban waters. The water cycle can be explained in terms of three major filters: the transpiration loop, the groundwater loop, and the evaporation loop. Given the opportunity, the three loops provide a continuous supply of fresh water for all living things on earth.
