Transcript Linking volunteer-collected Data with Land Use

Linking Volunteer-collected Data with Land Use in Order to
Improve Watershed Management in the Upper Oconee Watershed
Frank Henning
UGA Watershed Extension Agent,
[email protected]
Abstract
Volunteer-collected data can provide important baseline
information to assist with decision making and improve watershed
management. In this study, data collected by the Upper Oconee
Volunteer Monitoring Network (UOWN) for water chemistry,
bacteria, nutrient, stream habitat assessment scores and biological
macroinvertebrate index scores was examined and related to land
cover within sample catchments, land cover within the riparian
buffers located within catchments, and the number of roads that
cross streams within catchments. Seventy catchments in the Upper
Oconee Watershed were analyzed. Forest land uses had positive
effects on water quality, while the effects of urban land uses were
negative. For agricultural land uses, results were mixed, as
correlations with visual, macroinvertebrate, and nutrient scores
were all positive. Finally, this study demonstrates how volunteercollected data can be linked with land use data to improve
understanding of watersheds, encourage volunteer-monitoring, and
enhance the information available to local decision makers.
Figure 3. Roads that intersect streams in catchments associated
with sample collection points, Clarke County, Georgia.
Figure 1. Sample collection points and land use (open water,
urban, mixed forest, and agriculture) associated with
subwatershed catchments in Clarke County, Georgia Upper
Oconee Watershed, HUC 03070101
Forest Land Uses
Variable 1
Variable 2
Correlations
Visual
% Forest
0.21 (n=62)
Macros
Total coliform
% Forest
% Forest
0.53 (n=13)
-0.41* (n=33)
H2O quality
Forest
Positive
Effects of stream crossings on water quality
Figure 2. 75 foot and 25 foot riparian stream buffers
in Clarke County, Georgia Upper Oconee Watershed
Agricultural Land Uses
Variable 1
Variable 2
Correlations
Visual
% Agriculture 0.35 (n=62)*
Macros
% Agriculture 0.64 (n=17)*
Total
Coliform
NO3
% Agriculture -0.28 (n=33)
SRP
0.33 (n=23)
Effects of urban land uses located within 75 and 25 foot
riparian stream buffers
Urban Land Uses
Variable 1
Variable 2
Correlations
Visual
% Urban
Macros
Stream Crossings
Macros
-0.44 (n=9)
E.coli
0.55* (n=28)
PO4
0.47 (13)
Conclusions
% Agriculture 0.27 (n=24)
%Agriculture
Variable
-0.34 (n=62)*
Variable 1
Visual
Variable 2
% Urban
75 and 25’
-0.34*, -0.32 *(n=62)
% Urban
-0.68 (n=13)*
Macros
% Urban
-0.52, -0.19 (n=13)
Total Coliform
%Urban
0.44 (n=33)*
Total Coliform
%Urban
0.25, 0.28 (n=33)
H2O Quality
Urban
Negative
Turbidity
%Urban
0.13, 0.27* (n=70)
Based on the results of this study, it is evident that urban land uses had negative
impacts on biological communities and stream habitat in Clarke County. These
results also indicate that agricultural land uses can have positive effects on water
quality, especially as measured by visual and biological indicators. Volunteercollected data from studies like this one may help promote incentives for
maintaining forest and agricultural land uses and build support more stringent
urban stormwater BMPs. The usefulness of analyzing data at spatial scales was
validated. Finally, this study demonstrates how volunteer-collected data can be
linked with land use data to improve our understanding of watersheds, encourage
volunteer-monitoring, and enhance the information available to local decision
makers.