Water Quality in Three Local Bayous: Relationships Among Parameters with Spatial Visualization in GIS

Date

2003

Authors

Sage, Theron D. and Julie A Duane

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Galveston Bay Estuary Program

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationships among the parameters of temperature, nutrient levels, chlorophyll-a and dissolved oxygen. Each bayou was sampled monthly, from May through August, for 8 water quality parameters at 8 sites in each bayou. The data were analyzed by conducting correlations among the parameters. Interestingly, no significant, positive correlations were found among the four parameters of interest, nutrient levels, chlorophyll-a, temperature and dissolved oxygen (D.O.) was found. Increases in chlorophyll-a levels were not accompanied by increases in nutrient levels. Thus, the traditional view of nutrient loads increasing as rainfall carries fertilizer and other land based nutrients into the bayous was not supported by the results of the study. The study also focused on the relationship between temperature and dissolved oxygen levels . The traditional view of this relationship, that as waters warm, oxygen will be lost to the atmosphere was again, not supported by the data.

Description

pg. 85

Keywords

water quality, habitat, ecology, watershed management, gis, impaired waters, clean rivers list, halls bayou, armand bayou, double bayou, dissolved oxygen, temperature, nutrient levels, cholorphyll a, dissolved oxygen

Citation