Assessing the impact of land use and land cover in water quality in the watershed of a reservoir

BONANSEA, MATIAS; LEDESMA, CLAUDIA; RODRIGUEZ, CLAUDIA

APPLIED ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH

CORVINUS UNIV BUDAPEST

Año: 2016 vol. 14 p. 447 - 456

1589-1623

Natural forest of Río Tercero watershed (Argentina) was replaced by urban expansion and agricultural activities causing negative impacts in water quality of Río Tercero reservoir. This paper classifies land use and land cover (LULC) in the watershed, trying to find a relationship with nutrient loads of the reservoir´s tributaries. Each tributary was analysed during 2006 bimonthly for physico-chemical variables. LULC was determined using a Landsat 5 TM image. Statistical analyses were carried out to identify relationships between water quality and LULC. Results suggest that urban and agricultural activities are the primary driving forces behind the variations in nutrient loads measured in tributaries. Sub-watershed most affected by human activities displayed the highest values of nutrient loads. If agricultural and urban activities continue to increase, water quality at watershed scale will decline. It is recommended the development of a global approach management plan at a watershed scale.