Relationship of water quality and pollutant loads to land uses in adjoining watersheds

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1982 · Water Resour. Bull.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-1688.1982.tb04534.x· OSTI ID:5674367

Ostry, R C

The Grand and Saugeen Rivers in southern Ontario were chosen for study as pilot watersheds under the Pollution From Land Use Activities Reference Group (PLUARG) study. The pilot watersheds have adjacent headwater areas and are physically similar in geology, physiography, and climate. Significant differences in water quality between the watersheds at their outlets are attributed to land use and population differences. The major pollutant sources in the two pilot watersheds were identified as trace elements from urban runoff and point source discharges; phosphorus from agricultural and urban runoff and private waste disposal; chloride from transportation corridors; and sediment and nitrogen from agricultural runoff. Yields at the watershed outlets were similar for suspended sediment and two to three times as high in the Grand River for phosphorus, nitrogen, chloride, and lead. The higher phosphorus and nitrogen levels were attributed to larger point source inputs and the higher proportion of agricultural activity, comprising 75 percent of the Grand River basin compared to 64 percent in the Saugeen River basin. Similarly, the higher chloride and lead levels were attributed to an order of magnitude larger population and three times as much urban land in the Grand River basin compared to the Saugeen River basin.

• Research Organization: Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Toronto, Canada
• OSTI ID: 5674367
• Journal Information: Water Resour. Bull.; (United States), Journal Name: Water Resour. Bull.; (United States) Vol. 18:1; ISSN WARBA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520200* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AGRICULTURE
CANADA
CHLORINE
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
HALOGENS
INDUSTRY
LAND USE
LEAD
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
ONTARIO
PHOSPHORUS
POLLUTION
RIVERS
RUNOFF
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
URBAN AREAS
WATER POLLUTION
WATER QUALITY
WATERSHEDS