Surrogate Measures for Providing High-frequency Estimates of Total Suspended Solids and Phosphorus Concentrations
Location
ECC 303/305
Event Website
https://water.usu.edu/
Start Date
3-31-2008 4:15 PM
End Date
3-31-2008 4:30 PM
Description
Traditional water quality monitoring involves the collection and analysis of grab samples which typically are not collected with enough frequency to accurately characterize the concentrations of water quality constituents over time. Additionally, routine sampling does not often occur during storm events, which may represent the most important periods for quantifying the transport of sediment and nutrients. Surrogate measurements, such as turbidity, can be used to generate high-frequency estimates of total suspended solids and phosphorus concentrations. In the Little Bear River, a semi-arid, snowmelt driven, and irrigation regulated watershed in northern Utah, continuous, in situ water quality measurements (turbidity, pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and temperature) are recorded in conjunction with wet chemistry sampling conducted over a range of conditions. Site-specific relationships are developed between the surrogates and the chemistry data to construct continuous time series of total phosphorus and total suspended solids concentrations. Methods are presented for employing censored data in the regression and for investigating factors in addition to the surrogate variables such as season, flow conditions, and storm event. The resulting relationships show a marked difference between the upper and lower watersheds, reflecting the prevalence of anthropogenic influence.
Surrogate Measures for Providing High-frequency Estimates of Total Suspended Solids and Phosphorus Concentrations
ECC 303/305
Traditional water quality monitoring involves the collection and analysis of grab samples which typically are not collected with enough frequency to accurately characterize the concentrations of water quality constituents over time. Additionally, routine sampling does not often occur during storm events, which may represent the most important periods for quantifying the transport of sediment and nutrients. Surrogate measurements, such as turbidity, can be used to generate high-frequency estimates of total suspended solids and phosphorus concentrations. In the Little Bear River, a semi-arid, snowmelt driven, and irrigation regulated watershed in northern Utah, continuous, in situ water quality measurements (turbidity, pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and temperature) are recorded in conjunction with wet chemistry sampling conducted over a range of conditions. Site-specific relationships are developed between the surrogates and the chemistry data to construct continuous time series of total phosphorus and total suspended solids concentrations. Methods are presented for employing censored data in the regression and for investigating factors in addition to the surrogate variables such as season, flow conditions, and storm event. The resulting relationships show a marked difference between the upper and lower watersheds, reflecting the prevalence of anthropogenic influence.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/runoff/2008/AllAbstracts/24