title: Developing nonpoint-source suspended solids control strategies using multimedia watershed management modeling.
abstract: Kaoping River Basin is the largest and most intensively used river basin in Taiwan. In this study, 14 types of land-use patterns in the basin are classified with the aid of the Erdas Imagine process (Erdas, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia) and ArcView geographic information system (GIS) (ESRI, Redlands, California). Results from GIS identification and field verification indicate that orchard gardens, rice paddies, and sugarcane fields dominate the farmland areas in the basin. Investigation results indicate that nonpoint-source (NPS) pollution has significant contributions to the suspended solids load to the Kaoping River during the wet season. The average suspended solids concentrations increased from below 64 mg/ L in dry seasons to more than 1700 mg/L in wet seasons. The Integrated Watershed Management Model (Systech Engineering, Inc., San Ramon, California) was applied to simulate the water quality and evaluate the NPS suspended solids load to the river. Modeling results show that forestation and land-use management are feasible best management practices for NPS suspended solids reduction.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: R Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Surampalli
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011891:Rain; D045483:Rivers; D012498:Sanitary Engineering; D012987:Soil; D013624:Taiwan; D013997:Time Factors; D014873:Water Pollutants; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D014873:Water Pollutants