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The hydrologic bench-mark program; a standard to evaluate time-series trends in selected water-quality constituents for streams in Georgia

Water-Resources Investigations Report 84-4318
By:  and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/wri844318

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Abstract

Significant temporal trends in monthly pH, specific conductance, total alkalinity, hardness, total nitrite-plus-nitrite nitrogen, and total phosphorus measurements at five stream sites in Georgia were identified using a rank correlation technique, the seasonal Kendall test and slope estimator. These sites include a U.S. Geological Survey Hydrologic Bench-Mark site, Falling Creek near Juliette, and four periodic water-quality monitoring sites. Comparison of raw data trends with streamflow-residual trends and, where applicable, with chemical-discharge trends (instantaneous fluxes) shws that some of these trends are responses to factors other than changing streamflow. Percentages of forested, agricultural, and urban cover with each basin did not change much during the periods of water-quality record, and therefore these non-flow-related trends are not obviously related to changes in land cover or land use. Flow-residual water-quality trends at the Hydrologic Bench-Mark site and at the Chattooga River site probably indicate basin reponses to changes in the chemical quality of atmospheric deposition. These two basins are predominantly forested and have received little recent human use. Observed trends at the other three sites probably indicate basin responses to various land uses and water uses associated with agricultural and urban land or to changes in specific uses. (USGS)

Suggested Citation

Buell, G.R., Grams, S., 1985, The hydrologic bench-mark program; a standard to evaluate time-series trends in selected water-quality constituents for streams in Georgia: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 84-4318, v, 36 p. :ill., map ;28 cm., https://doi.org/10.3133/wri844318.

Study Area

Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title The hydrologic bench-mark program; a standard to evaluate time-series trends in selected water-quality constituents for streams in Georgia
Series title Water-Resources Investigations Report
Series number 84-4318
DOI 10.3133/wri844318
Year Published 1985
Language ENGLISH
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey,
Contributing office(s) South Atlantic Water Science Center
Description v, 36 p. :ill., map ;28 cm.
Country United States
State Georgia
Additional publication details