CUMULATIVE IMPACTS OF LANDUSE ON WATER QUALITY IN A SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN WATERSHED 1

ABSTRACT: Water quality variables were sampled over 109 weeks along Coweeta Creek, a fifth‐order stream located in the Appalachian mountains of western North Carolina. The purpose of this study was to observe any changes in water quality, over a range of flow conditions, with concomitant downstream changes in the mix of landuses. Variables sampled include pH, HCO32−, conductivity, NO3−−‐N, NH4+‐N, PO43−‐P, C1−‐, Na, K, Ca2+, Mg2+, SO42−, 5iO2, turbidity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, total and fecal coliform, and focal streptococcus. Landcover/landuse was interpreted from 1:20,000 aerial photographs and entered in a GIS, along with information on total and paved road length, building location and density, catchment boundaries, hydrography, and slope. Linear regressions were performed to relate basin and near‐stream landscape variables to water quality.

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