Water Quality Impacts From a Flood Control Reservoir

by T. Al Austin, Iowa State Univ, Ames, IA, USA,
E. Robert Baumann, Iowa State Univ, Ames, IA, USA,
Donna Schultz Lutz, Iowa State Univ, Ames, IA, USA,
Victor I. Okereke, Iowa State Univ, Ames, IA, USA,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Development and Management Aspects of Irrigation and Drainage Systems

Abstract:

Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to evaluate the impact of a flood control reservoir located on the Des Moines River in central Iowa on seven water quality parameters: BOD, COD, suspended solids, total phosphate, orthophosphate, ammonia, and nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen. Fourteen years of weekly sampling data were analyzed and the results showed that the reservoir had significant impact on the first four parameters and little impact on the last three. The difference in the degree of influence of the reservoir was related to the parameter solubility. Point source contributions to the annual pollutant loads were found to be insignificant for all parameters except ammonia. Non-point source contributions were found to be of primary importance in the deterioration of water quality in the Des Moines River basin.

Subject Headings: Water quality | Water pollution | Water resources | Water demand | Reservoirs | Quality control | Parameters (statistics) | Iowa | United States

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