Historical Land Cover Impacts on Water Quality in the Provo River Watershed, 1975 - 2002

• Main Author: Donaldson, Fredric James
• Format: Others
• Published: BYU ScholarsArchive 2005
• Subjects: Provo River; land cover; water quality; remote sensing; Geography
• Online Access: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/665; https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1664&context=etd

The Provo River watershed has experienced land cover change over the past several decades. Land cover influences water quality inasmuch as land cover determines the type and quantity of non-point source (NPS) pollutants that may enter the water. This study examines the historical impacts of land cover changes on water quality in the Provo River using remote sensing and statistical analysis. Statistical correlations and linear regressions were used to study the relationship between various land cover types and water quality variables for six years between 1975 and 2002. This thesis supports research finding myriad impacts of urban land cover on water quality. The study also revealed that increasing pH, alkalinity, and bicarbonate levels in the Provo River are likely related to increasing urbanization of the watershed.