Sparrow Modeling to Understand Water-Quality Conditions in Major Regions of the United States: A Featured Collection Introduction1

Preston, Stephen D.; Alexander, Richard B.; Wolock, David M.

doi:10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00585.x

Cited by 33 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…The study area included most of the state of California and portions of adjacent Oregon and Nevada (Figure ). The boundary of the study area was defined by the USGS National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program as part of a “Major River Basins” study (Preston et al ., , b; http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/studies/mrb/). The study area is made up of 17 six‐digit hydrological unit (HUC6) regions (Seaber et al ., ).…”

Section: Study Area and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

SPARROW Modeling of Nitrogen Sources and Transport in Rivers and Streams of California and Adjacent States, U.S.

Saleh

Domagalski

2015

J American Water Resour Assoc

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The SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes) model was used to evaluate the spatial distribution of total nitrogen (TN) sources, loads, watershed yields, and factors affecting transport and decay in the stream network of California and portions of adjacent states for the year 2002. The two major TN sources to local catchments on a mass basis were fertilizers and manure (51.7%) and wastewater discharge (15.9%). Other sources contributed < 12%. Fertilizer use is widespread in the Central Valley region of California, and also important in several other regions because of the diversity of California agriculture. Precipitation, sand content of surficial soils, wetlands, and tile drains were important for TN movement to stream reaches. Median streamflow in the study area is about 0.04 m3/s. Aquatic losses of nitrogen were found to be most important in intermittent and small to medium sized streams (0.2‐14 m3/s), while larger streams showed less loss, and therefore are important for TN transport. Nitrogen loss in reservoirs was found to be insignificant, possibly because most of the larger ones are located upstream of nitrogen sources. The model was used to show loadings, sources, and tributary inputs to several major rivers. The information provided by the SPARROW model is useful for determining both the major sources contributing nitrogen to streams and the specific tributaries that transport the load.

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Section: Study Area and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

SPARROW Modeling of Nitrogen Sources and Transport in Rivers and Streams of California and Adjacent States, U.S.

Saleh

Domagalski

2015

J American Water Resour Assoc

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“…Furthermore, data for our analysis is available at this scale and it is comparable with Ribaudo and Nickerson () who first reported a lack of viable trading venues in a similar study. The contributions of annual TN and total phosphorus (TP) loads from various point and nonpoint sources to nutrient pollution in the impaired watersheds were obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey SPARROW (SPAtially‐Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes) model (Booth et al ., ; Preston et al ., ). We applied a demand/supply ratio between PS and NPS loadings to compare potential supply (NPS) to demand (PS).…”

Section: The Physical Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Policy Utopias for Nutrient Credit Trading Programs with Nonpoint Sources

Hoag

Arabi

Osmond

et al. 2017

J American Water Resour Assoc

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A promising program to address water contamination from nutrients is water quality trading (WQT), whereby entities with high abatement costs purchase credits from entities with lower abatement costs. The concept has found some success with point source water pollution, but very few trades have occurred in over 50 programs in the United States (U.S.) that have focused on nonpoint sources (NPSs). To understand why success has been slow, we identified three environments needed for programs to succeed: physical, economic, and institutional. We estimate that only 5% of watersheds in the U.S. currently listed as nutrient impaired provide a viable physical environment for trading nitrogen; 13% are suitable for phosphorus. Economic and institutional challenges would shrink that domain even further. Therefore, we find places with the ideal physical, economic, and institutional environments necessary for feasible WQT programs are virtual policy utopias -rare places with ideal environments. Fortunately, a growing literature provides the tools necessary to identify where these policy utopias are and to expand that domain through a better understanding about how to manage WQT programs more effectively.(KEY TERMS: agriculture; nutrient trading; policy utopia; water quality trading.)

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“…Smith and others (1997) developed the SPARROW modeling technique and applied it to build an understanding of nitrogen and phosphorus sources and transport in streams of the conterminous United States. Subsequent efforts that have developed SPARROW models include but are not limited to nitrogen and phosphorus sources and transport for streams in specific major river basins of the United States (Preston, Alexander, and Wolock, 2011;Preston, Alexander, Schwarz, and Crawford, 2011), dissolved-solids sources and transport in streams of the Upper Colorado River Basin (Kenney and others, 2009), and dissolved-solids sources and transport in streams of the southwestern United States (Anning and others, 2007;Anning, 2011). SPARROW models have been used to (1) extrapolate known water-quality conditions in monitored reaches to estimate conditions in unmonitored reaches; (2) establish links between water quality and constituent sources; (3) track the transport of constituents to streams and downstream receiving waters, such as estuaries; (4) assess the natural processes that attenuate constituents as they are transported from land and downstream; and (5) predict changes in water quality that may result from management actions or changes in land use.…”

Section: Modeling Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dissolved-solids sources, loads, yields, and concentrations in streams of the conterminous United States

Anning¹,

Flynn²

2014

Scientific Investigations Report

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For more information on the USGS-the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment, visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1-888-ASK-USGS.For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprodTo order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner.Suggested citation: Anning, D.W, and Flynn, M.E., 2014, Dissolved-solids sources, loads, yields, and concentrations in streams of the conterminous United States: U. S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5012, 101 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20145012. ISSN 2328-0328 (online) iii FOREWORDThe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is committed to providing the Nation with reliable scientific information that helps to enhance and protect the overall quality of life and that facilitates effective management of water, biological, energy, and mineral resources (http://www.usgs.gov/). Information on the Nation's water resources is critical to ensuring long-term availability of water that is safe for drinking and recreation and is suitable for industry, irrigation, and fish and wildlife. Population growth and increasing demands for water make the availability of that water, measured in terms of quantity and quality, even more essential to the long-term sustainability of our communities and ecosystems.The USGS implemented the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program in 1991 to support national, regional, State, and local information needs and decisions related to water-quality management and policy (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa). The NAWQA Program is designed to answer: What is the quality of our Nation's streams and groundwater? How are conditions changing over time? How do natural features and human activities affect the quality of streams and groundwater, and where are those effects most pronounced? By combining information on water chemistry, physical characteristics, stream habitat, and aquatic life, the NAWQA Program aims to provide science-based insights for current and emerging water issues and priorities. From 1991 to 2001, the NAWQA Program completed interdisciplinary assessments and established a baseline understanding of water-quality conditions in 51 of the Nation's river basins and aquifers, referred to as Study Units (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/studies/ study_units.html ).National and regional assessments are ongoing in the second decade (2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012) of the NAWQA Program as 42 of the 51 Study Units are selectively reassessed. These assessments extend the findings in the Study U...

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Sparrow Modeling to Understand Water-Quality Conditions in Major Regions of the United States: A Featured Collection Introduction1

Cited by 33 publications

References 22 publications

SPARROW Modeling of Nitrogen Sources and Transport in Rivers and Streams of California and Adjacent States, U.S.

SPARROW Modeling of Nitrogen Sources and Transport in Rivers and Streams of California and Adjacent States, U.S.

Policy Utopias for Nutrient Credit Trading Programs with Nonpoint Sources

Dissolved-solids sources, loads, yields, and concentrations in streams of the conterminous United States

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