A Water Quality Monitoring Network Design Methodology for the Selection of Critical Sampling Points: Part I
- 1 January 2006
- journal article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
- Vol. 112 (1-3), 137-158
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-006-0774-5
Abstract
The principal instrument to temporally and spatially manage water resources is a water quality monitoring network. However, to date in most cases, there is a clear absence of a concise strategy or methodology for designing monitoring networks, especially when deciding upon the placement of sampling stations. Since water quality monitoring networks can be quite costly, it is very important to properly design the monitoring network so that maximum information extraction can be accomplished, which in turn is vital when informing decision-makers. This paper presents the development of a methodology for identifying the critical sampling locations within a watershed. Hence, it embodies the spatial component in the design of a water quality monitoring network by designating the critical stream locations that should ideally be sampled. For illustration purposes, the methodology focuses on a single contaminant, namely total phosphorus, and is applicable to small, upland, predominantly agricultural-forested watersheds. It takes a number of hydrologic, topographic, soils, vegetative, and land use factors into account. In addition, it includes an economic as well as logistical component in order to approximate the number of sampling points required for a given budget and to only consider the logistically accessible stream reaches in the analysis, respectively. The methodology utilizes a geographic information system (GIS), hydrologic simulation model, and fuzzy logic.Keywords
This publication has 37 references indexed in Scilit:
- Principles of Geographical Information Systems: Spatial Information Systems and GeostatisticsEconomic Geography, 1999
- Best management practices for water quality improvement in the Lake Okeechobee watershedEcological Engineering, 1995
- Fuzzy Sets, Fuzzy Logic, ApplicationsPublished by World Scientific Pub Co Pte Ltd ,1995
- A land evaluation project in Greece using GIS and based on Boolean and fuzzy set methodologiesInternational Journal of Geographical Information Science, 1994
- Fuzzy classification methods for determining land suitability from soil profile observations and topographyEuropean Journal of Soil Science, 1992
- Fuzzy mathematical methods for soil survey and land evaluationEuropean Journal of Soil Science, 1989
- Riparian Areas as Filters for Agricultural Sediment1Soil Science Society of America Journal, 1987
- NUTRIENT LOADS TO WISCONSIN LAKES: PART II. RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF NUTRIENT SOURCES1Jawra Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 1986
- NUTRIENT LOADS TO WISCONSIN LAKES: PART I. NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS EXPORT COEFFICIENTS1Jawra Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 1986
- AN EXAMINATION OF LAND USE ‐ NUTRIENT EXPORT RELATIONSHIPS1Jawra Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 1982