State Water Resources Research Institute Program
Project ID: 2007DE109B
Title: Impacts of Urbanization on Kent County Water Quality
Project Type: Research
Start Date: 6/01/2007
End Date: 2/28/2008
Congressional District: At Large
Focus Categories: Non Point Pollution, Nutrients, Toxic Substances
Keywords: urbanization, water quality, runoff, toxics, nutrients
Principal Investigators: Guo, Mingxin; Melvin, Rachel
Federal Funds: $ 3,500
Non-Federal Matching Funds: $ 7,000
Abstract: Kent County is located in the central part of Delaware. It was predominantly an agricultural area with a low population density. However, the county has been experiencing great development over the last decade. According to the USDA Economic Research Service, Kent County’s population increased 13.6% through the years 2000 to 2005 (USDA, ERS, 2006). Accompanying the signification population growth is remarkable urbanization. Large parcels of farmland and forests have been converted into housing developments, and shopping centers. The land use has changed dramatically, through mechanical manipulation. This large scale of mechanical manipulation of land not only affects soil quality, but also the water quality to surrounding watersheds. Wastes and contaminants cannot be readily retained, decomposed, and immobilized by soils to due the increased surface area of asphalt. Sediments, organic debris, nutrients, chemicals, and other pollutants are easily transferred to local water bodies from highways, commercial lands, and residential areas via storm runoff without natural soil filtration. As a result, streams and lakes near urbanized areas have been severely contaminated and lost functions for swimming, fishing, and scenic beauty. For example, the Silver Lake and the St. Jones River, which drain a portion of the coastal plain in central Kent County, Delaware, including the city of Dover, the surrounding suburbs, and industrial areas have been polluted by nutrients, pathogens, heavy metals, and organic chemicals. The light brown color of water and spreading growth of vegetation in the Silver Lake indicate eutrophication. Fishes in St Jones River and Silver Lake are not recommended for consumption because of contamination by PCBs, Dioxin, and Mercury (DNREC, 2005). The specific objectives of this project are to specify the current land use patterns of Kent County, examine contents of sediments and nutrients in storm runoff water from commercial and residential areas, and to estimate contaminant loads as influenced by urbanization.
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://water.usgs.gov/wrri/07grants/2007DE109B.html
Page Contact Information: John Schefter
Page Last Modified: Wednesday, 02-Jan-2008 10:23:47 EST
