Effects of a Forested State Park on Suspended Solid and Dissolved Organic Carbon concentrations in an Agriculturally Impacted SW Ohio Watershed

Abstract:

Previous research has indicated that agricultural land use can reduce water quality in streams. This includes: 1) an increase in suspended solids due to elevated erosion and 2) shifts in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) particularly due to different C:N between agricultural crops and natural vegetation. We examine spatial and temporal dynamics of four rivers, located in an agriculturally impacted watershed in SW Ohio, as they flow from agricultural land cover through a naturally forested State Park. Water samples are collected bimonthly over one hydrological year from 19 surface water sites. Each sample is processed to quantify concentrations of total suspended solids (TSS), volatile suspended solids (VSS), non-volatile suspended solids (NVSS), and DOC. Preliminary results will be presented to determine if a forested state park improves the water quality in SW Ohio.