Comparative Use of Hydrologic Indicators to Determine the Effects of Flow Regimes on Water Quality in Three Channels across Southern Florida, USA

This study determines the relationships between water flow and water quality in three types of channels in southern Florida, USA: Shark River Slough, Peace River, and Hillsboro Canal. Peace River most resembles a natural channel with floodplain connectivity, sinuosity, and uninhibited flow. Shark Ri...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water (Basel) 2021-08, Vol.13 (16), p.2184
Main Authors: Onwuka, Ikechukwu S., Scinto, Leonard J., Mahdavi Mazdeh, Ali
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture
Aquatic ecosystems
Biogeochemistry
Canals
Channels
Constituents
Dilution
Dredging
Environmental degradation
Floodplains
Floods
High flow
Hydrology
Laminar flow
Levees & battures
Morphology
National parks
Regulated flow
Rivers
Sharks
Sinuosity
Water discharge
Water flow
Water quality
Water quality management
Watersheds
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Summary:This study determines the relationships between water flow and water quality in three types of channels in southern Florida, USA: Shark River Slough, Peace River, and Hillsboro Canal. Peace River most resembles a natural channel with floodplain connectivity, sinuosity, and uninhibited flow. Shark River Slough has a natural, shallow channel with sheet flow, while the Hillsboro Canal is the most modified channel due to dredging, straightening, and regulated flow. Hydrologic indices for each channel were estimated to characterize flow regimes and flow variability, while concentration–discharge (C–Q) relationships were determined to quantify the impact of flow regime on water quality. The greatest variability in flow occurred at the Hillsboro Canal, followed by Peace River and Shark River Slough. Connectivity to floodplains and long durations of low and high flow pulses at Peace River and Shark River Slough contributed to the dilution of water quality constituent concentrations at higher flows. Conversely, the channelized characteristics of the Hillsboro Canal resulted in an enrichment of constituents, especially during high flows. This study suggests that C–Q relationships can be used in canal discharge management to prevent water quality degradation of sensitive downstream wetland and aquatic ecosystems.
ISSN:2073-4441
2073-4441
DOI:10.3390/w13162184