Water Quality
One of our primary functions at the MD-DE-DC Water Science Center is to collect and analyze water to assess human and natural impacts on aquatic environments. Automated continuous and distinct data collection methods are used to assess the quality of our water; whether conditions are getting better or worse over time; and how natural features and human activities affect those conditions.
Water quality is a measure of the suitability of water for a particular use based on selected physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. Water-quality monitoring is used to help water-resource managers understand and avert potential negative effects of man-made and natural stresses on water resources, evaluate trends, and compare to water-quality criteria.
One of our primary functions at the MD-DE-DC Water Science Center is to collect and analyze water to assess human and natural impacts on aquatic environments. Automated continuous and distinct data collection methods are used to assess the quality of our water; whether conditions are getting better or worse over time; and how natural features and human activities affect those conditions.
Related Content
Sediment and chemical contaminant loads in tributaries to the Anacostia River, Washington, District of Columbia, 2016–17
A study was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Washington, D.C., Department of Energy & Environment to estimate the loads of suspended-sediment-bound chemical compounds in five gaged tributaries and four ungaged tributaries of the Anacostia River (known locally as “Lower Anacostia River”) in Washington, D.C. Tributaries whose discharge is measured by the USGS ar
Authors
Timothy P. Wilson
Small ponds in headwater catchments are a dominant influence on regional nutrient and sediment budgets
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Noah Schmadel, Judson Harvey, Gregory E. Schwarz, Richard Alexander, Jesus D. Gomez-Velez, Durelle Scott, Scott W. Ator
Annual wastewater nutrient data preparation and load estimation using the Point Source Load Estimation Tool (PSLoadEsT)
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Lillian E. Gorman Sanisaca, Kenneth D. Skinner, Molly A. Maupin
Manure and fertilizer inputs to land in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, 1950–2012
Understanding changing nutrient concentrations in surface waters requires quantitative information on changing nutrient sources in contributing watersheds. For example, the proportion of nutrient inputs reaching streams and rivers is directly affected by when and where those nutrients enter the landscape. The goal of this report is to contribute to the U.S. Geological Survey’s efforts to describe
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Jennifer L. Keisman, Olivia H. Devereux, Andrew E. LaMotte, Andrew J. Sekellick, Joel D. Blomquist
Related Content
Sediment and chemical contaminant loads in tributaries to the Anacostia River, Washington, District of Columbia, 2016–17
A study was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Washington, D.C., Department of Energy & Environment to estimate the loads of suspended-sediment-bound chemical compounds in five gaged tributaries and four ungaged tributaries of the Anacostia River (known locally as “Lower Anacostia River”) in Washington, D.C. Tributaries whose discharge is measured by the USGS ar
Authors
Timothy P. Wilson
Small ponds in headwater catchments are a dominant influence on regional nutrient and sediment budgets
Small ponds—farm ponds, detention ponds, or impoundments below 0.01 km2—serve important human needs throughout most large river basins. Yet the role of small ponds in regional nutrient and sediment budgets is essentially unknown, currently making it impossible to evaluate their management potential to achieve water quality objectives. Here we used new hydrography data sets and found that small pon
Authors
Noah Schmadel, Judson Harvey, Gregory E. Schwarz, Richard Alexander, Jesus D. Gomez-Velez, Durelle Scott, Scott W. Ator
Annual wastewater nutrient data preparation and load estimation using the Point Source Load Estimation Tool (PSLoadEsT)
The Point-Source Load Estimation Tool (PSLoadEsT) provides a user-friendly interface for generating reproducible load calculations for point source dischargers while managing common data challenges including duplicates, incompatible input tables, and incomplete or missing nutrient concentration or effluent flow data. Maintaining a consistent method across an entire study area is important when est
Authors
Lillian E. Gorman Sanisaca, Kenneth D. Skinner, Molly A. Maupin
Manure and fertilizer inputs to land in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, 1950–2012
Understanding changing nutrient concentrations in surface waters requires quantitative information on changing nutrient sources in contributing watersheds. For example, the proportion of nutrient inputs reaching streams and rivers is directly affected by when and where those nutrients enter the landscape. The goal of this report is to contribute to the U.S. Geological Survey’s efforts to describe
Authors
Jennifer L. Keisman, Olivia H. Devereux, Andrew E. LaMotte, Andrew J. Sekellick, Joel D. Blomquist