Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2002NH4B

Effects of Land Use on Water Quality in a Changing Landscape

Institute: New Hampshire
Year Established: 2002 Start Date: 2002-03-01 End Date: 2005-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $16,566 Total Non-Federal Funds: $87,498

Principal Investigators: Jeffrey Schloss, William McDowell

Project Summary: The proposed work will document long-term changes in water quality in response to changing land use and management practices. The project has two major components. The first is an extensive survey of nutrients in lakes throughout New Hampshire, which is undertaken in conjunction with NH State Department of Environmental Services. The second is an intensive survey of nutrients, suspended sediments, dissolved organic carbon, and major cations and anions in College Brook, the primary drainage basin for the University of New Hampshire campus. This part of the research program is undertaken in cooperation with the University of New Hampshire Office on Sustainability, which is charged with assessing the environmental impact and sustainability of campus operations. The primary output from the proposed research will be a high-quality, long-term data base on surface water chemistry which can be used to test and refine water quality models, as well as to guide the development of effective best management practices and watershed restoration efforts across the state.