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Related Experiment Videos

Predicting ground water nitrate concentration from land use.

Kristin K Gardner1, Richard M Vogel

  • 1Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59715, USA. gardner@montana.edu

Ground Water
|May 11, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Agricultural land use significantly increases ground water nitrate concentrations on Nantucket Island. Land managers can use these findings to predict impacts on water quality from development.

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Hydrogeology
  • Water Quality Assessment

Background:

  • Groundwater contamination is a critical environmental concern, particularly in areas with shallow water tables and permeable soils.
  • Land use practices significantly influence the chemical composition of groundwater resources.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze groundwater nitrate concentrations on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts.
  • To assess the relationship between land use and groundwater quality.
  • To develop predictive models for groundwater nitrate concentrations.

Main Methods:

  • Exploratory data analysis was used to identify spatial and temporal trends in historical groundwater nitrate data.
  • Maximum likelihood Tobit and logistic regression analyses were employed to model nitrate concentrations.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Land use variables within a 1000-foot radius of 69 wells were analyzed.

    • Main Results:

    • Groundwater nitrate concentrations were significantly higher downgradient from agricultural land.
    • Septic tank density, forest, undeveloped, and high-density residential land percentages reliably predicted nitrate concentrations.
    • Forest, undeveloped, and low-density residential land percentages indicated groundwater nitrate concentrations exceeding 2 mg/L.

    Conclusions:

    • Land use, particularly agriculture and residential development, significantly impacts groundwater nitrate levels.
    • The developed predictive models offer a valuable tool for land managers to assess development impacts on water quality.
    • This study provides critical insights for managing groundwater resources in vulnerable coastal environments.