Impact of urban sprawl on water quality in eastern Massachusetts, USA.
A study of water quality, land use, and population variations over the past three decades was conducted in eastern Massachusetts to examine the impact of urban sprawl on water quality using geographic information system and statistical analyses. Since 1970, eastern Massachusetts has experienced pronounced urban sprawl, which has a substantial impact on water quality. High spatial correlations are found between water quality indicators (especially specific conductance, dissolved ions, including Ca, Mg, Na, and Cl, and dissolved solid) and urban sprawl indicators. Urbanized watersheds with high population density, high percentage of developed land use, and low per capita developed land use tended to have high concentrations of water pollutants. The impact of urban sprawl also shows clear spatial difference between suburban areas and central cities: The central cities experienced lower increases over time in specific conductance concentration, compared to suburban and rural areas. The impact of urban sprawl on water quality is attributed to the combined effects of population and land-use change. Per capita developed land use is a very important indicator for studying the impact of urban sprawl and improving land use and watershed management, because inclusion of this indicator can better explain the temporal and spatial variations of more water quality parameters than using individual land use or/and population density.
Tu
Jun
J
Department of Environmental, Geographic and Geological Sciences, Lehman College, The City University of New York, 250 Bedford Park Blvd. West, Bronx, NY 10468, USA. jtu@gc.cuny.edu
Xia
Zong-Guo
ZG
Clarke
Keith C
KC
Frei
Allan
A
D000818:Animals; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D008404:Massachusetts; D011156:Population Density; D011786:Quality Control; D045483:Rivers; D014507:Urbanization; D018505:Waste Management; D014872:Water Movements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014881:Water Supply
D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical