A Spatially Distributed Investigation of Stream Water Temperature in a Contemporary Mixed-Land-Use Watershed

Stream water temperature (°C) is an important physical variable that influences many biological and abiotic water quality processes. The intermingled mosaic of land-use/land-cover (LULC) types and corresponding variability in stream water temperature (Tw) processes in contemporary mixed-land-use wat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inWater (Basel) Vol. 12; no. 6; p. 1756
Main Authors Horne, Jason P., Hubbart, Jason A.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.06.2020
Subjects
Agricultural land
Agricultural management
Aquatic ecosystems
Creeks & streams
E coli
experimental watershed
Floods
Freshwater ecosystems
Gaging
Heat
hydrology
Land cover
Land management
Land use
Riparian buffers
Spring (season)
Stormwater management
Stream water
stream water temperature
Studies
Summer
Variables
Water quality
water resources
Water temperature
Watersheds
Winter
West Virginia
Monongahela River
Appalachia
United States > US
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Summary:Stream water temperature (°C) is an important physical variable that influences many biological and abiotic water quality processes. The intermingled mosaic of land-use/land-cover (LULC) types and corresponding variability in stream water temperature (Tw) processes in contemporary mixed-land-use watersheds necessitate research to advance management and policy decisions. Water temperature was analyzed from 21 gauging sites using a nested-scale experimental watershed study design. Results showed that forested land use was negatively correlated (α = 0.05) with mean and maximum Tw. Agricultural land use was significantly positively correlated (α = 0.05) with maximum Tw except during the spring season. Mixed development and Tw were significantly correlated (α = 0.05) at quarterly and monthly timescales. Correlation trends in some reaches were reversed between the winter and summer seasons, contradicting previous research. During the winter season, mixed development showed a negative relationship with minimum Tw and mean Tw. During the summer season, higher minimum, maximum, and mean Tw correlations were observed. Advanced understanding generated through this high-resolution investigation improves land managers’ ability to improve conservation strategies in freshwater aquatic ecosystems of contemporary watersheds.
ISSN:2073-4441
2073-4441
DOI:10.3390/w12061756