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Water quality, geomorphology, and aquatic life assessments for the Olentangy River TMDL evaluation

Witter, Jonathan D
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1149015491

Abstract Details

2006, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering.
This dissertation is a series of studies related to the development of a TMDL for the Olentangy watershed. In the first study, a customized version of the SWAT model was used to predict hydrology and water chemistry for the Olentangy River watershed (1985-2002). This version of SWAT simulated a restrictive layer in the soil profile and its impact on subsurface drainage, watershed hydrology, and nutrient and sediment transport. Model parameterization and calibration are presented. Following model calibration all land use in the watershed was changed to forest, prairie, or wetlands to predict potential water quality of pre-European conditions. Results suggest that sediment, total phosphorus, and nitrate-nitrogen at the watershed outlet have increased by factors of approximately 50, 20, and 3, respectively, for most subwatersheds in the watershed. The calibrated SWAT model was used to predict the potential water quality benefits of alternative management scenarios. Alternative management scenarios that were evaluated include: 1) crop rotations, 2) fertilizer application rates, 3) types of tillage, 4) timing of tillage operations, and 5) buffer strips. A 33-meter buffer strip was predicted to provide the largest water quality benefits when compared to other alternative management scenarios. Another study was conducted to develop a geomorphology assessment index to provide a logical and minimally biased framework to evaluate dynamic equilibrium at study sites in the Olentangy River watershed. Regional curves were developed using geomorphology data from study sites impacted by a variety of disturbances. A diagnostic approach that integrated multiple lines of evidence was used to develop the index. In chapter 5 a statistical analysis was conducted to examine species-environment relationships between stream biology and environmental variables such as water quality, habitat, spatial location, and geomorphology. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was used to elucidate relationships between biology and environmental variability. Partial CCA techniques were used to partition variation among the groups of environmental variables. Environmental variables were grouped into three categories including geomorphology variables, habitat variables, and spatial location variables. The partial CCA technique was used to partition variation between each of these variable groups. Results suggest that geomorphology variables explained the most variation.
Andy Ward (Advisor)
430 p.
TMDL; Geomorphology; SWAT; Stream community structure

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Witter, J. D. (2006). Water quality, geomorphology, and aquatic life assessments for the Olentangy River TMDL evaluation [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1149015491

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Witter, Jonathan. Water quality, geomorphology, and aquatic life assessments for the Olentangy River TMDL evaluation. 2006. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1149015491.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Witter, Jonathan. "Water quality, geomorphology, and aquatic life assessments for the Olentangy River TMDL evaluation." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1149015491

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1149015491
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© 2006, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.