Post on 30-Apr-2019
Monitoring Water Quality Using ArcView GIS
Lindsay ChischillyMentor: Dr. Don Huggins
Will SpottsJeff Anderson
Kansas Biological SurveyHaskell Indian Nations University
Overview
Nonpoint Source PollutionWater Quality Research MethodsGeographic Information SystemsResults of Monitoring Program
Definition of Terms
Nonpoint Source Pollution (NPSP)- the broad range of pollution with no specific point of origin. Sources of NPSP include agriculture, industries, and mining. NPSP is weather dependent and not yet subject to federal regulations.
Definition of Terms (continued)
Point Source Pollution-point sources generally enter receiving water bodies at some identifiable site(s) and carry pollutants whose generation is controlled by some internal process or activity, rather than weather.
Clean Water Farms Project
33 farms in eastern Kansas were given federal grant money to address local water quality management issues.8 farms are monitored by the Kansas Biological Survey.
Purpose of CWFP Monitoring Program
Detect changes in NPSP at the field level.Relate changes in nutrient and herbicide concentrations to changes in land management.
Participating Farms
Methods
Sampling DevicesLysimeterAutomatic Runoff Sampler
Geographic Information Systems
Methods (continued)
Lysimeters-uses a vacuum and then pressure to collect groundwater at depths of one, four, and eight feet. The eight foot tube are the most reliable samplers.
Methods (continued)
Automatic Runoff Sampler-used to collect eight samples of surface runoff over the first three hours of a storm.
GIS Overview
Computer system capable of holding and using data to describe places on the earth’s surface. Manipulate, analyze, store, and display spatial data.Links data to geographic locations
Monitoring Water Quality Using GIS
Monitoring Water Quality Using GIS
Monitoring Water Quality Using GIS
Monitoring Water Quality Using GIS
Monitoring Water Quality Using GIS
Results
1
10
100
1000
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Total Phosphorous in Groundwater at Eight FeetThree Locations on Farm 0ne: 1996-2000
Tota
l Pho
spho
rous
(ug/
L)
Sampling Event
Cluster312
.1
1
10
100
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Total Nitrogen in Groundwater at Eight FeetThree Locations on Farm 0ne: 1996-2000
Tota
l Nitr
ogen
(mg/
L)
Sampling Event
Cluster312
10
100
1000
10000
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10111213141516171819
Mean Total Phosphorous in Agricultural Surface RunoffFarm One: 1996-2000
Tota
l Pho
spho
rous
(ug/
L)
Sampling Event
Sampler1417
.1
1
10
100
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10111213141516171819
Mean Total Nitrogen in Agricultural Surface RunoffFarm One: 1996-2000
Tota
l Nitr
ogen
(mg/
L)
Sampling Event
Sampler1417
Sources of Variation
Seasonal Land ManagementTilling and PlantingHerbicide ApplicationCompost Spreading Crop Rotation
Rainfall Event Frequency, Intensity and Duration
Conclusions
GIS is a creative tool to help visualize and analyze the issues affecting water quality. There are many contributing factors in the overall water quality in agricultural landscapes. Groundwater concentrations of TP are more variable than TN over space and time.Need more time to identify and quantify the specific effects of land management on agricultural water quality.