Citation:

Burke, R. Influence of Land Use on Concentrations of Total Dissolved Nitrogen, Nitrate, Ammonium, and Nitrite in Southeastern US Piedmont Headwater Streams. 2019 Society for Freshwater Science Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, May 19 - 23, 2019.

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Presented at the 2019 Society for Freshwater Science Annual Meeting

Description:

Easily implemented methods of prioritizing watersheds for nutrient loading reductions are needed to help states, tribes, and territories meet Clean Water Act water quality goals. Concentrations of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), nitrate, ammonium, and nitrite were measured monthly over two years in 15 headwater streams from an area in the Georgia Piedmont region with extensive poultry and cattle production and a rapidly growing human population. Robust linear regression techniques were used to evaluate relationships between land use in the entire watershed and in the stream buffer zone, and nutrient concentrations. Land cover was determined with National Land Cover Data (NLCD) data. Results indicate that stream nutrient concentrations generally exhibit positive relationships with pasture land cover and negative relationships with forest land cover. The best predictor for all parameters was watershed pasture land cover (Wpas). Significant adjusted r2 values were found between Wpas and mean TDN (0.693), Wpas and mean nitrate (0.395), Wpas and mean ammonium (0.253), and Wpas and mean nitrite (0.619). These results suggest significant land use control on stream nutrient concentrations, especially the composite parameter TDN, and that relatively simple land cover analysis may prove useful to regulators.

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