Small stream features are often regarded as insignificant within the context of the larger watershed due to their size but science has proven that these ‘zero order’ drainage courses can have a profound influence on the ecological health, sustainability and stability of downstream watercourses. The Town of Markham is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Ontario and the advancing urbanization has resulted in the loss of many small drainage features in the upper watersheds of the Don and Rouge Rivers and the Petticoat and Duffins Creeks. A fundamental component of the Small Streams Study was the development of a system to classify small ‘zero order’ features based on their form and functional contribution to the health of watercourses downstream. Comprehensive research undertaken in the early stages of the project revealed that although classification systems had been developed for larger watercourses (i.e.: the Rosgen and Hortonian systems) no such system had ever been developed for small drainage features. Consequently, the Small Streams Study broke new ground in establishing a science-based methodology for classifying small drainage features that is the first of its kind in the world.
