U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Mahantango Creek Watershed, Pennsylvania, United States: Long-term water quality database

• Published in: Water resources research Vol. 47; no. 8
• Main Authors: Church, Clinton D., Veith, Tamie L., Folmar, Gordon J., Buda, Anthony R., Feyereisen, Gary W., Bryant, Ray B., Schmidt, John P., Dell, Curtis J., Kleinman, Peter J. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-08-2011; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subjects: Agricultural research; Agriculture; Ammonium; climate; Creeks; Freshwater; Geographic information systems; GIS; High density polyethylenes; Hydrology; Laboratories; long-term data; Nitrates; Pasture; Precipitation; Rain; ridge and valley; Runoff; Scientific apparatus & instruments; Water outflow; Water quality; watershed; Watershed management; Watersheds; USA, Pennsylvania; USA, Maryland, Susquehanna R
• ISSN: 0043-1397; 1944-7973
• DOI: 10.1029/2010WR010060

A long‐term water quality database has been developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit to support water quality research within WE‐38, a 7.3 km2 experimental subwatershed of Mahantango Creek Watershed located in east central Pennsylvania and draining to the Susquehanna River. Water quality data were collected at the outflow of WE‐38, with record lengths of 24 years (1983–2007) for nitrate‐N and ammonium‐N and 23 years (1984–2007) for orthophosphate‐P. Data are available on USDA ARS Sustaining the Earth's Watersheds—Agricultural Research Data System (STEWARDS) Web site.
Key Points
Documents long‐term water quality database
Identifies sample collection techniques
Describes analysis method