Surface Water Quality Assessment in a Watershed with Multiple Land Management Practices.

Land use practices mainly farming operations, may exacerbate the movement of sediment and soil nutrients from terrestrial land to surface water. Presently, approximately 39% of the nation’s rivers and streams are impaired. Indeed, excess nutrients are known as a primary problem facing Gulf of Mexico estuaries and coastal waters, leading to nuisance algal blooms, depletion of dissolved oxygen, and other water quality impairments. Hence, establishing relationships between land use practices and its effect on water quality is critical for the development of mitigation strategies to minimize land use impact on water quality. Thus, the objective of this study was to characterized water quality parameters in streams and water reservoirs across a watershed with multiple land use (Agriculture, Forestry, and Urban setting). The experiment is ongoing, and sampling is being conducted bi-monthly for distribution studies. Also, at all the sites additional water samples will be taken 24 hrs. after a post-storm event. Samples collected are stored in the fridge at 4^˚C before analyses are performed. The samples collected are being analyzed for soil nutrients, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, hardness, alkalinity, suspended solids and pH. Preliminary results from pond water show that water catchment from animal facility inlet contributes almost 2-fold nitrate concentration in the water compared to nitrates from the impervious channel, indicating that animal manure may be the principal source of nitrogen in the ponds. However, the concentrations are below the EPA limits set for drinking water. Phosphates concentration in water before and after rain events showed mixed results, while dissolved oxygen and pH decreased. The experiment is ongoing and complete details of the results from the study will be presented at the meeting.