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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #112028
Title: WATER QUALITY IN TWO BOONE COUNTY KARST BASINS

Author
item Lerch, Robert
item ERICKSON, J - UNIV OF MO
item WICKS, C - UNIV OF MO
item ELLIOTT, W - MO DEPT OF CONSERVATION
item SCHULTE, S - MO DEPT NATURAL RESOURCES

Submitted to: Missouri Academy of Science Transaction
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/28/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Urbanization and agricultural land-use activities represent potential threats to the water quality and ecosystem integrity of Devils Icebox and Hunters Caves in Boone County. Land use within the Devils Icebox watershed is primarily agricultural and urban while Hunters Cave is predominantly agricultural and forested. Since these cave systems have very similar geologic and hydrologic settings, the impact of different land-use on wate quality can be compared. Year-round monitoring was initiated in April, 1999 with the objective of characterizing the current water quality status of the main cave streams relative to nutrient, herbicide, and coliform bacterial contamination. In addition, basic water quality parameters, dissolved O2, pH, temperature, specific conductance, and turbidity are being monitored. Grab samples are collected at regular intervals, and runoff events are collected by automated sampling equipment. The presentation will focus on the dynamics of contaminant transport during selected runoff events in 1999. In addition, overall contaminant concentrations and trends in the basic water quality parameters will be compared between the two cave systems.