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WATER QUALITY OF AN INTENSWE AGRICULTURAL WATERSHED IN QUEBEC 1
Author(s) -
Lapp Paul,
Madramootoo C. A.,
Enright P,
Papineau F,
Perrone J.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
jawra journal of the american water resources association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.957
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1752-1688
pISSN - 1093-474X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-1688.1998.tb04146.x
Subject(s) - watershed , pollutant , environmental science , water quality , hydrology (agriculture) , snowmelt , agriculture , sediment , water resource management , environmental engineering , surface runoff , geography , ecology , engineering , paleontology , geotechnical engineering , archaeology , machine learning , computer science , biology
. Under a watershed based approach being examined by the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture to accelerate the adoption of conservation practices, a study on the impacts of agricultural practices on the St. Esprit watershed was initiated in the fall of 1993. The water quality of this 26 km 2 intensive agricultural watershed was studied over an 18 month period. Water samples taken at the outlet of the watershed were analyzed for nitrate, phosphate, suspended sediment, and atrazine. Water quality data were analyzed to establish seasonal trends in pollutant concentration and load in the watercourse. Spring snowmelt was identified as a significant period of pollutant material export. All pollutant materials displayed seasonal variability in the export process. Peak pollutant concentrations were associated with high flow events. Mean observed pollutant concentrations did not exceed drinking water quality standards.