Baltimore Ecosystem Study: Stream chemistry for core sites in Gwynns Falls

In the Baltimore urban long-term ecological research (LTER) project,
(Baltimore Ecosystem Study, BES) we use the watershed approach to
evaluate integrated ecosystem function.

The LTER research is centered on the Gwynns Falls watershed, a 17,150
ha catchment that traverses a gradient from the urban core of
Baltimore, through older urban residential (1900 - 1950) and suburban
(1950- 1980) zones, rapidly suburbanizing areas and a rural/suburban
fringe.

Our long-term sampling network includes four longitudinal sampling
sites along the Gwynns Falls as well as several small (40 - 100 ha)
watersheds located within or near to the Gwynns Falls. The
longitudinal sites provide data on water and nutrient fluxes in the
different land use zones of the watershed (rural/suburban, rapidly
suburbanizing, old suburban, urban core) and the small watersheds
provide more focused data on specific land use areas (forest,
agriculture, rural/suburban, urban). Each of the gaging sites is
continuously monitored for discharge and is sampled weekly for
chemistry. Additional chemical sampling is carried out in a
supplemental set of sites to provide a greater range of land use.
Weekly analyses includes nitrate, phosphate, total nitrogen, total
phosphorus, chloride and sulfate, turbidity, fecal coliforms,
temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH. Cations, dissolved organic
carbon and nitrogen and metals are measured on selected samples.

Streamflow data for this site are posted at:
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/md/nwis/nwisman?site_no=015835701