Upper washita river experimental watersheds: nutrient water quality data

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Hydrology
• Water Quality Management

Background:

• Climate variability, land use changes, and policy shifts necessitate long-term water quality research.
• Predicting future water quality requires extensive historical data.
• The USDA-ARS has compiled crucial water quality datasets from three Oklahoma watersheds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and provide access to long-term water quality datasets from the Southern Great Plains Research Watershed (SGPRW), Little Washita River Experimental Watershed (LWREW), and Fort Cobb Reservoir Experimental Watershed (FCREW).
• To detail data collection, processing, quality assessment, and variability analyses for these datasets.
• To facilitate improved modeling and assessment of conservation practices under changing environmental conditions.

Main Methods:

• Data acquisition from streams, unit source watersheds, groundwater wells, and reservoirs.
• Collection and processing of water quality samples.
• Summary analyses of data variability and quality assessment.

Main Results:

• Water quality data collection spans from the 1960s to the present across the three watersheds.
• Datasets cover varying periods: SGPRW (1960s-1978), LWREW (1960s-1990), and FCREW (2004-present).
• Data completeness varies by site and parameter, with some continuous monitoring gaps.

Conclusions:

• These comprehensive water quality datasets are vital for understanding environmental change impacts.
• The data will enhance the evaluation of conservation strategies.
• Accessible data supports mitigation efforts for environmental challenges.