Journal article
Increasing streamflow and baseflow in Mississippi River since the 1940s; effect of land use change
Journal of hydrology (Amsterdam), Vol.324(1-4), pp.412-422
06/15/2006
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2005.09.033
Abstract
A trend of increasing streamflow has been observed in the Mississippi River (MR) basin since the 1940s as a result of increased precipitation. Herein we show that increasing MR flow is mainly in its baseflow as a result of land use change and accompanying agricultural activities that occurred in the MR basin during the last 60 years. Agricultural land use change in the MR basin has affected the basin-scale hydrology: more precipitation is being routed into streams as baseflow than stormflow since 1940s. We explain that the conversion of perennial vegetation to seasonal row crops, especially soybeans, in the basin since 1940s may have reduced evapotranspiration, increased groundwater recharge, and thus increased baseflow and streamflow. This explanation is supported with a data analysis of the annually and monthly flow rates at various river stations in the MR basin. Results from this study will help to direct our effort in managing land use and in reducing nutrient levels in MR and other major rivers since nutrient concentrations and loads carried by storm water and baseflow are different. Abstract Copyright (2006) Elsevier, B.V.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Increasing streamflow and baseflow in Mississippi River since the 1940s; effect of land use change
- Creators
- Y. K. Zhang - University of IowaK. E. Schilling - United States Geological Survey
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of hydrology (Amsterdam), Vol.324(1-4), pp.412-422
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2005.09.033
- ISSN
- 0022-1694
- eISSN
- 1879-2707
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 06/15/2006
- Academic Unit
- Earth and Environmental Sciences; IIHR--Hydroscience and Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9984383896102771
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