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A regional classification scheme for estimating reference water quality in streams using land-use-adjusted spatial

Dale M Robertson1, David A Saad, Dennis M Heisey

  • 1United States Geological Survey, Wisconsin Water Science Center, Middleton, Wisconsin, USA. derobert@usgs.gov

Environmental Management
|December 6, 2005
PubMed
Summary

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This study introduces a modified SPARTA approach to delineate water quality zones using physical characteristics, unaffected by land use. This method improves the definition of reference conditions and land use impacts on water quality.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Hydrology
  • Water Quality Management

Background:

  • Subdividing large areas into regions with similar water quality is crucial for environmental management.
  • Existing methods like ecoregion classifications often rely on land use, which can confound water quality assessments.
  • There is a need for approaches that use physical characteristics less affected by human activities to define these regions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To modify the SPARTA (spatial regression-tree analysis) approach for delineating water quality zones based on physical characteristics.
  • To improve the identification of reference water quality conditions and the understanding of land use impacts within these zones.
  • To apply the modified SPARTA method to total phosphorus and suspended sediment in the upper Midwestern United States.

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Main Methods:

  • Computed land-use-adjusted (residualized) water quality and environmental characteristics for each site.
  • Applied regression-tree analysis to residualized data to identify key environmental factors influencing water quality constituents.
  • Utilized geographic information of small basins to subdivide the study area into homogeneous environmental water-quality zones.

Main Results:

  • Successfully delineated zones of similar reference concentrations for total phosphorus and suspended sediment.
  • The modified SPARTA approach effectively accounts for land use effects when defining water quality regions.
  • Identified key environmental characteristics that explain the distribution of water quality constituents within the delineated zones.

Conclusions:

  • The modified SPARTA approach provides a robust method for delineating water quality zones based on physical characteristics.
  • This method enhances the ability to establish accurate reference conditions and assess land use impacts on water quality.
  • The findings are applicable to water resource management in the upper Midwestern United States and similar regions.