| Abstract: | Various approaches have been used to classify large geographical areas into smaller regions of similar water quality or extrapolate water-quality data from a few streams to other unmonitored streams. A combination of some of the strengths of existing techniques is used to develop a new approach for these purposes. In this new approach, referred to here as SPARTA (SPAtial Regression-Tree Analysis), environmental characteristics for each monitored stream are first quantified using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and then regression-tree analysis is used to determine which characteristics are most statistically important in describing the distribution of a specific water-quality constituent. GIS coverages of only the most statistically significant environmental characteristics are then used to subdivide the area of interest into relatively homogeneous environmental water-quality zones. Results from the regression-tree analysis not only define the most important environmental characteristics, but also describe how to subdivide the coverage of the specific characteristic (for example, areas with <26% or ???26% soil clay content). The resulting regionalization scheme is customized for each water-quality constituent based on the environmental characteristics most statistically related to that constituent. SPARTA was used to delineate areas of similar phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment concentrations (by including land-use characteristics) and areas of similar potential water quality (by excluding land-use characteristics). The SPARTA approach reduced the variability in water-quality concentrations (phosphorus, total nitrogen, Kjeldahl nitrogen, and suspended sediment) within similarly classified zones from that obtained using the US Environmental Protection Agency‘s nutrient ecoregions. |
| Genre: | Article |
| ProdID: | 70026026 |
| Citation Author: | Robertson, D. M.; Saad, D. A. |
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| Citation End Page: | 602 |
| Citation Issue: | 5 |
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| Citation Language: | English |
| Citation Larger Work Title: | Environmental Management |
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| Citation Number Of Pages: | 22 |
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| Citation Search Results Text: | Environmental water-quality zones for streams: A regional classification scheme; 2003; Article; Journal; Environmental Management; Robertson, D. M.; Saad, D. A. |
| Citation Start Page: | 581 |
| Citation Volume: | 31 |
| Citation Year: | 2003 |
| Type: | citation/reference |
| Text: | Environmental water-quality zones for streams: A regional classification scheme; 2003; Article; Journal; Environmental Management; Robertson, D. M.; Saad, D. A. |
| URL (THUMBNAIL): | http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/thumbnails/outside_thumb.jpg |
| URL (DIGITAL OBJECT IDENTIFIER): | http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00267-002-2955-5 |
| Date Other: | Wed, 1 Jan 2003 00:00 -0600 |
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