ARS | Publication request: TOTAL SOLIDS AND SUSPENDED SEDIMENT LOADS IN COASTAL PLAIN STREAMFLOW - A DERIVED DISTRIBUTION TO TOTAL DAILY LOADS

Submitted to: Soil and Water Conservation Society Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: February 26, 2003
Publication Date: March 20, 2003
Citation: HUBBARD, R.K., SHERIDAN, J.M., BOSCH, D.D. TOTAL SOLIDS AND SUSPENDED SEDIMENT LOADS IN COASTAL PLAIN STREAMFLOW - A DERIVED DISTRIBUTION TO TOTAL DAILY LOADS. SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION SOCIETY PROCEEDINGS. ABSTRACT #54. 2003.

Technical Abstract: Water quality of streams, lakes, or other water bodies may be degraded by excessive amounts of dissolved or suspended solids in surface runoff or base flows. The rate of transport of dissolved and suspended material in runoff depends upon geology, soils, vegetative cover, topography, and agricultural practices, as well as climate. The USDA-ARS, Southeast Watershed Research Laboratory (SEWRL) in Tifton, Georgia has collected over 30 years of hydrologic and climatic data from the 334 km2 Little River Watershed (LRW). The data is representative of the Gulf Atlantic Coastal Plain region of the southeastern United States, which is characterized by heavily vegetated landscapes and slow-moving stream systems. Several specific studies (1974-1978, 1984-1986) to determine dissolved and suspended solids concentrations and loads in the LRW were conducted during the past 30 years. A distribution approach to estimate daily loads of dissolved and suspended solids in streamflow was recently developed. This paper presents results of a comparison of measured and estimated dissolved and suspended solids for the record period, and also provides the results of using the new technique to estimate these parameters for a 30 year period.