Land Use Effects On Lake Water Quality In Central Florida

Land use affects the water quality of lakes. Different land use types yield different effects due to varying amounts and constituents of runoff. In this study, the effects of surrounding land use on the water quality of 50 lakes in Seminole County, Florida was assessed. Using GIS, I placed buffers of 100 and 500 m around each lake. The percentages of land use type were calculated within these buffers for 1990 and 1995. An ordination of lakes was done using Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) to determine if the surrounding land use patterns were adequate to describe the trophic status of the lakes. Correlations between land use and water quality were found to be significant for the 1990 100 and 500 m buffers. Inter-set correlations showed that among land use types: residential, urban, agriculture, hardwoods, and wetlands were the most influential in determining water quality in that they had the most positive or negative correlation with the WA scores depending on the year and buffer zone. Excessively drained and very poorly drained soils were the most influential of the soil types. A Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) was also performed to determine which land use and soil variables were effective in discriminating between oligotrophic, mesotrophic, and eutrophic lakes. Wetlands and very poorly drained soil were the most effective in discriminating between the groups of lakes. A multiple regression analysis was performed that determined correlations for 1990 and change in land use 100 m buffers contributed to our understanding of the relationship between land use and water quality. Effects of land use on water quality need to be considered when attempting to restore a lake or subjecting it to future land development.

Author dc:creator

• Seiler, Jonathan

Contributors dc:contributor

• Weishampel, John

• CCA
• Central Florida
• DFA
• Land use
• Water quality
• Biology
• Arts and Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic; Dissertations, Academic -- Arts and Sciences

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

CFE0000138

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:stars.library.ucf.edu:etd-1149