Development practices will conserve land. Enforcement of existing rules and laws will provide the basis to support voluntary efforts. Water quality and floodplain func-tions will be restored and maintained through habitat management. Habitats, including wetlands, are lost. Wetlands provide critical habitat for a large variety of organisms.
Pollutants accumulate in the ecosystem, impacting the food chain, water quality, and sediment.
The biological integrity of the river system is disturbed, as indicated by decreased biodiversity and the significant number of threatened and endangered species. Estuarine habitats, particularly wetlands, are critical to the juvenile stages of many salmon populations. Loss of key estuary habitats limits the ability of these populations to recover. Wastewater disposal and treatment systems tend to malfunction or perform poorly with increased loads, increasing the opportunities for discharging untreated wastes. The roofs, driveways, and streets of residential development reduce the land's ability to absorb and filter rainwater.