Research by Chris Walsh and colleagues at the Waterway Ecosystem Research Group, University of Melbourne, paints a dire picture of the in-stream ecological future of Merri Creek.  As the middle and upper catchment urbanises:
• Use of current ‘best practice’ urban stormwater management practices will result in loss of existing ecological values in upper Merri Creek.
• The risk of loss of values under Melbourne Water's preliminary Integrated Water Cycle Management Plan is very high
• Much better and stronger strategies for management of urban stormwater are needed to reduce the risk of loss of values.
• Harvesting and use of stormwater is the most straightforward way to do better than we do currently. 
• If stormwater isn’t harvested, very large areas of open space will be needed, ideally along drainage lines, to allow adequate losses of stormwater though infiltration and evapotranspiration.
• If we fail to stem a decline in upstream values, the likelihood of restoring the degraded condition of Merri Creek downstream decreases even further.