Whole Catchment Land Cover Effects on Water Quality in the Lower Kaskaskia River Watershed

Abstract

Agricultural runoff is a major non-point source pollutant and is the leading impairment of streams and rivers in the USA. This study examined the effects of agricultural, forest and urban land cover on water quality at the watershed level. Forty-three catchments ranging from 12 to 50 km 2 were selected based on a land cover gradient within Lower Kaskaskia River Watershed in Illinois. Grab samples were collected and analyzed for nutrients, bacteria, and total suspended solids (TSS). Forest land cover was included in six of the ten regression models produced. Four of these regression models were for base flow conditions, suggesting that forest land cover had a significant impact on base flow water quality. Urban land cover was also included in six of the regression models. However, the majority were during storm flow conditions implying urban land cover had a greater impact on storm flow conditions. Watersheds were further categorized into agriculture, village, and urban watersheds. During base flow conditions agriculture watersheds had significantly higher TSS concentrations and urban watersheds had significantly higher ortho-P concentrations. In all watersheds, ortho-P concentrations were above the statewide 95th percentile for Illinois streams. Escherichia coli levels during storm conditions exceeded the national US EPA criteria.

Geomorphological factors predict water quality in boreal rivers

“…Agriculture, forest and urban areas are examples of important land use forms in relation to water quality (e.g. Miller et al, 2011). However, catchment sizes and land use were excluded from the study, as we aimed solely to explore the role of geomorphological variables.…”

Land cover impacts on storm flow suspended solid and nutrient concentrations in southwest Ohio streams

“…For each storm, event mean concentrations (EMCs) were calculated for TSS, TN, NO 3 ‐N, TP, and with Equation (Huber, ; Miller et al., ):where n is the number of the storm samples collected from each event, C is concentration, and Q is discharge. The EMC calculation is used to weight the suspended solid and nutrient concentrations by the discharge at which they are collected (Baldys, Raines, Mansfield, & Sandlin, ; Lee, Kim, Kim, & Han, ).…”

“…Sediment and nutrient pollution from urban and agricultural development in the U.S. Midwest is increasingly threatening streams in the region and downstream waterbodies (Allan, Erickson, & Fay, ; Mbonimpa, Yuan, Nash, & Mehaffey, ; Tomer & Schilling, ). Urbanized watersheds are characterized by high levels of impervious surfaces (Richards et al., ), aging wastewater pipes (Giovannetti, Massey, Haggard, & Morgan, ), and construction sites (Boggs, Sun, McNulty, & Jones, ), all of which can lead to increased stream suspended solid and nutrient concentrations (Halstead, Kliman, Berheide, Chaucer, & Cock‐Esteb, ; Miller, Schoonover, Williard, & Hwang, ; Paul & Meyer, ). Agricultural land in the Midwest is often tilled and coated with fertilizer, which increases runoff containing high concentrations of suspended solids (Parajuli, Jayakody, Sassenrath, & Ouyang, ; Renwick, Vanni, Zhang, & Patton, ) and nutrients (Baker & Laflen, ; Duda, ; King, Fausey, & Williams, ; Sharpley et al., ).…”

“…Extensive research over the last several decades has indicated development that replaces natural land cover often significantly decreases stream water quality (e.g., Cole, Peierls, Caraco, & Pace, ; Howarth, Fruci, & Sherman, ; Mattikalli & Richards, ; McKee, Eyre, & Hossain, ; McKee, Eyre, Hossain, & Pepperell, ; Meybeck, ). However, studies that have evaluated impacts between urban and agricultural land cover on suspended solid and nutrient concentrations have yielded inconsistent and sometimes contradictory results between various U.S. ecoregions (e.g., Dodds & Oakes, ; Golay, Thompson, Mabry, & Kolka, ; Line, White, Osmond, Jennings, & Mojonnier, ; Miller et al., ; Paul & Meyer, ). In some cases, land cover impacts within a study area can also vary between the water quality parameters that are being examined (e.g., Lenat & Crawford, ; Line et al., ; Vidon et al., ).…”

Modeling of non-point source nitrogen pollution from 1979 to 2008 in Jiaodong Peninsula, China

“…As a result, excessive nutrients and heavy metals closely related with NPSs have led to serious pollution and algae blooms, and disturbed wetland hydrology in both inland and coastal waters (Guo et al ., ; Li et al ., ; Ongley et al ., ; Xu et al ., ). With the abatement of point source pollution, NPS pollution has become an increasingly important environmental concern of aquatic ecosystem and human beings (Shamshad et al ., ; Ma et al ., ; Miller et al ., ). Efforts to reduce NPS pollutants loadings from watersheds to coastal waters have been ongoing for a long time in the developed countries (Pierobon et al ., ).…”