Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2007DE109B

Institute: Delaware
Year Established: 2007 Start Date: 2007-06-01 End Date: 2008-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $3,500 Total Non-Federal Funds: $7,000

Principal Investigators:

Project Summary: 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 Countys 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.