Data from: Streamflow and water chemistry in cattle-impacted watersheds of the southern Coastal Plain, USA

Authors: Pisani, Oliva; Liebert, Daniel; Keel, Earl; Coffin, Alisa

Submitted to: Ag Data Commons
Publication Type: Database / Dataset
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/31/2026
Publication Date: 7/31/2026
Citation: Pisani, O., Liebert, D.P., Keel, E.W., Coffin, A.W. 2026. Data from: Streamflow and water chemistry in cattle-impacted watersheds of the southern Coastal Plain, USA. Ag Data Commons. https://doi.org/10.15482/USDA.ADC/31079389.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15482/USDA.ADC/31079389

Interpretive Summary: As part of the long-term hydrologic monitoring of the Little River Experimental Watershed (LREW) conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Southeast Watershed Research Laboratory (SEWRL), streamflow and water chemistry data were collected from four areas of the LREW in southeast Georgia, USA from 2014 to 2020. Three of the sub-watersheds are nested and characterized by the presence of cattle. This dataset describes water chemistry measurements including total suspended solids, dissolved nutrient species (ammonia + ammonium-N, nitrate + nitrite-N, orthophosphate-P, and chloride), dissolved organic carbon and total dissolved nitrogen oncentrations, total and dissolved macro- and micronutrients (aluminum, arsenic, boron, calcium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, sodium, nickel, phosphorus, lead, sulfur, selenium, silicon, titanium, vanadium, and zinc), and dissolved organic matter (DOM) spectroscopic indices representative of DOM quality. The spectroscopic indices include the slope ratio, the absorbance at 254nm, the specific UV absorbance at 254nm, the absorbance ratios at 254 to 365nm and 280 to 465nm, the fluorescence index, the humification index, the biological index, and the freshness index. The fluorescence intensity of five common fluorescence peaks (peaks A, C, M, B, and T) is also reported. Daily streamflow data was paired with bi-weekly water sample analyte concentrations to calculate monthly analyte loads. This dataset includes an analytically diverse set of measurements that describe water quality in the LREW and will be useful to identify the impacts of land use on streamflow and water chemistry in small cattle-impacted watersheds.

Technical Abstract: As part of the long-term hydrologic monitoring of the Little River Experimental Watershed (LREW) conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Southeast Watershed Research Laboratory (SEWRL), streamflow and water chemistry data were collected from four areas of the LREW in southeast Georgia, USA from 2014 to 2020. Three of the sub-watersheds are nested and characterized by the presence of cattle. This dataset describes water chemistry measurements including total suspended solids, dissolved nutrient species (ammonia + ammonium-N, nitrate + nitrite-N, orthophosphate-P, and chloride), dissolved organic carbon and total dissolved nitrogen oncentrations, total and dissolved macro- and micronutrients (aluminum, arsenic, boron, calcium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, sodium, nickel, phosphorus, lead, sulfur, selenium, silicon, titanium, vanadium, and zinc), and dissolved organic matter (DOM) spectroscopic indices representative of DOM quality. The spectroscopic indices include the slope ratio, the absorbance at 254nm, the specific UV absorbance at 254nm, the absorbance ratios at 254 to 365nm and 280 to 465nm, the fluorescence index, the humification index, the biological index, and the freshness index. The fluorescence intensity of five common fluorescence peaks (peaks A, C, M, B, and T) is also reported. Daily streamflow data was paired with bi-weekly water sample analyte concentrations to calculate monthly analyte loads. This dataset includes an analytically diverse set of measurements that describe water quality in the LREW and will be useful to identify the impacts of land use on streamflow and water chemistry in small cattle-impacted watersheds.