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ARS Home » Midwest Area » West Lafayette, Indiana » National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #174398
Title: INVESTIGATING ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES IN EXPERIMENTAL AGRICULTURAL WATERSHEDS IN TRANSITION TO SUBURBAN MANAGEMENT

Author
item Pappas, Elizabeth
item Bonta, James - Jim
item SHUSTER, W - USEPA, ORD
item Smith, Douglas
item CABEZAS, H - USEPA, ORD

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/2004
Publication Date: 10/31/2004
Citation: Warnemuende, E.A., Bonta, J.V., Shuster, W., Smith, D.R., Cabezas, H. 2004. Investigating environmental changes in experimental agricultural watersheds in transition to suburban management. In: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Proceedings, October 31-November 4, 2004, Seattle, WA. 2004 CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Within agricultural watersheds where urban development is significant, an increase in soil erosion and flooding is often observed. Impervious surfaces associated with such development are known to be a dominant factor in this hydrologic change, but specific impacts to erosion and water quality are not well understood. The USDA-ARS and USEPA have jointly initiated a pilot program to study the impacts of impervious surfaces on hydrology, sediment, and water quality in small experimental watersheds located at the North Appalachian Experimental Watershed, Coshocton OH, USA. Two pairs of similarly sized (0.6 ha - 6.1 ha) experimental watersheds will be implemented with impervious surfaces and monitored for hydrologic and water quality response. Percent imperviousness is planned from 0% to 40% under two spatial arrangements. Spatial treatments will be typical of a channel development, where the impervious surfaces are largely connected to the main channel, and ridge or hilltop development, where impervious surfaces are located on the watershed periphery. Baseline data indicate that annual runoff depths have been similar and runoff regimes have been constant under 0% impervious conditions since 1975. Results from this study are applicable to the development of urban hydrologic and water quality modeling and analyses, and design and testing of urban best-management practices.