Files
Abstract
Urbanization and climate change are decreasing the overall water quality of streams, and urbanization is expected to increase with projected global population growth. Riparian vegetation can effectively mitigate many negative effects of agriculture and forestry, but its ability to ameliorate impacts of urbanization are not as well-studied. In particular, little is known about the effects of spatial arrangements of vegetated riparian corridors in urban stream networks. Here we examine whether parklands with healthy riparian zones located at the bottom of urban watersheds can improve certain aspects of water quality in urban streams. We analyzed summer stream temperatures and nitrogen concentrations in five urban Atlanta streams flowing through Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park (KEMO) and Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CHAT). We found consistent negative longitudinal trends in both temperature and total nitrogen across our studied stream reaches, but no correlations with total watershed area, developed area, or canopy cover.