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Urban stream syndrome in a small, lightly developed watershed: a statistical analysis of water chemistry parameters, land use patterns, and natural sources

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Abstract

The relationships among land use patterns, geology, soil, and major solute concentrations in stream water for eight tributaries of the Kayaderosseras Creek watershed in Saratoga County, NY, were investigated using Pearson correlation coefficients and multivariate regression analysis. Sub-watersheds corresponding to each sampling site were delineated, and land use patterns were determined for each of the eight sub-watersheds using GIS. Four land use categories (urban development, agriculture, forests, and wetlands) constituted more than 99 % of the land in the sub-watersheds. Eleven water chemistry parameters were highly and positively correlated with each other and urban development. Multivariate regression models indicated urban development was the most powerful predictor for the same eleven parameters (conductivity, TN, TP, NO\(_{3}^-\), Cl−, HCO\(_{3}^-\), SO\(_{4}^{2-}\), Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+). Adjusted R 2 values, ranging from 19 to 91 %, indicated that these models explained an average of 64 % of the variance in these 11 parameters across the samples and 70 % when Mg2+ was omitted. The more common R 2, ranging from 29 to 92 %, averaged 68 % for these 11 parameters and 72 % when Mg2+ was omitted. Water quality improved most with forest coverage in stream watersheds. The strong associations between water quality variables and urban development indicated an urban source for these 11 water quality parameters at all eight sampling sites was likely, suggesting that urban stream syndrome can be detected even on a relatively small scale in a lightly developed area. Possible urban sources of Ca2+ and HCO\(_{3}^-\) are suggested.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Skidmore College Department of Chemistry, Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Skidmore College Environmental Studies Water Resource Initiative, Lake Lonely Improvement Association, and Saratoga County Water Quality Committee. The authors also thank Larry Eichler, the Darrin Freshwater Institute, Kristina Connolly, ChristopherThomas, Daniel de la Puente Ranea, Kimberly Marsella, Lukiana Anka-Lufford, Alexandra Furman, Tess Wendel, and Jennifer Harfmann who participated in sample collection, data analysis, or flow determination.

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  1. Department of Chemistry, Skidmore College, 815 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA

    Judith A. Halstead, Sabrina Kliman & Alicea Cock-Esteb

  2. Department of Sociology, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA

    Catherine White Berheide

  3. Academic Technologies, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA

    Alexander Chaucer

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  1. Judith A. Halstead
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  2. Sabrina Kliman
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Correspondence to Judith A. Halstead.

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Halstead, J.A., Kliman, S., Berheide, C.W. et al. Urban stream syndrome in a small, lightly developed watershed: a statistical analysis of water chemistry parameters, land use patterns, and natural sources. Environ Monit Assess 186, 3391–3414 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-3625-9

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