Impact of Suburbanization on Water Quality at Multiple Spatial Scales

A study of water quality, land-use patterns, and population data is conducted at several watersheds in eastern Massachusetts to examine the impact of urban sprawl on water quality at three different spatial scales: watersheds, buffered streams, and buffered water sampling sites. GIS analysis is used to delineate the drainage areas using digital elevation models for the water flow passing the corresponding water sampling sites; to generate buffers of different distances for the streams and the sampling sites; and to derive the indicators of suburbanization such as developed land and population density for different scales. Statistical analyses are used to examine and quantify the relationships between water quality parameters and the indicators of suburbanization. Results from this study will contribute to a better understanding of not only the impact of urban sprawl on water quality but also the appropriate scale for effective management of watersheds.