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Research
Geomorphic and anthropogenic controls on stream baseflow in the southern Blue Ridge
This study addresses the influence of basin surface characteristics (topography, land use, and soils) on baseflow discharge in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and Georgia. Stream baseflow is fed by subsurface storage and maintains streamflow between precipitation events, and is of key importance in issues of water supply, aquatic biotic integrity, and contaminant dilution. Surface characteristics exert strong influence on the quantities and pathways of storage recharge, thereby influencing baseflow. Linking surface characteristics to baseflow will aid watershed management and protection by aiding the estimation of stream response to external change using readily available data sources. A multivariate statistical approach will be used to determine the relationships between surface characteristics and baseflow. Detailed land use, topography, and soils data will be collected for 35 stream basins (ranging in size from 3 to 60km2) within the Little Tennessee River watershed. These parameters will be tested for relationships to baseflow discharge. Additionally, GIS modeling will be used to explore stream response to various forecasted land use changes in this rapidly developing region. Preliminary analyses addressed the relationship between forest cover and baseflow using a paired-basin approach. Ten pairs were created by aligning basin physical properties (e.g. basin size, total relief., and aspect) while allowing forest cover to differ. Results indicate a positive relationship between forest cover and baseflow. Subsequent analyses will address a wider range of land use classes and include a thorough set of geomorphic parameters.