2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
5/21/2018 | 10:00 AM - 10:15 AM | THE FRESHWATER SALINIZATION SYNDROME IN SOUTHEASTERN URBAN STREAMS | 310 A
THE FRESHWATER SALINIZATION SYNDROME IN SOUTHEASTERN URBAN STREAMS
Urbanization increases non-point source loading of major ions into freshwater ecosystems due to the efficient routing of water over surfaces heavily modified by human activities. While this increase in mean concentrations is a commonly documented phenomenon that contributes to the “freshwater salinization syndrome”, the temporal dynamics of baseflow chemistry in urban streams and its relationship to development patterns is less well understood. We analyzed bi-monthly streamwater grab samples and monitored water level and specific conductance at 5-minute intervals at the outlet of 21 watersheds within a narrow range of development intensity (10-25% impervious cover) in the Piedmont Triangle, North Carolina. We calculated the coefficient of variation of specific conductance as a metric of “chemical flashiness” and found that 48% of the variation among catchments of similar development intensity could be explained by catchment road density. Specific conductance was strongly positively correlated with Cl- and the base cations Na+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ (r > 0.5), and weakest with total dissolved nitrogen concentrations. Ultimately, we show that increased temporal variability in specific conductance is primarily driven by road density in catchments, while baseflow solute chemistry strongly reflects underlying geology.
- Ecosystem
- Urban
- Non-point Source
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Presenters/Authors
Joanna Blaszczak
(), Global Water Center and Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, jblaszczak@unr.edu;
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Joseph Delesantro
(), University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, jmdelesantro@gmail.com;
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Dean Urban
(), Duke University, deanu@duke.edu;
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Emily Bernhardt
(), Duke University, ebernhar@duke.edu;
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