Responses of streamfiow and nutrient export to changing climate conditions should be investigated for effective water quality management and pollution control. Using downscaled climate projections and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), we projected future streamflow, sediment export, and riverine nutrient export in the St. Croix River Basin (SCRB) during 2020-2099. Results show substantial increases in riverine water, sediment, and nutrient load under future climate conditions, particularly under the high greenhouse gas emission scenario. Intensified water cycling and enhanced nutrient export will pose challenges to water quality management and affect multiple Best Management Practices (BMPs) efforts, which are aimed at reducing nutrient loads in SCRB. In addition to the physical impacts of climate change on terrestrial hydrology, our analyses demonstrate significant reductions in ET under elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Changes in plant physiology induced by climate change may markedly affect water cycling and associated sediment and nutrient export. Results of this study highlight the importance of examining climate change impacts on water and nutrient delivery for effective watershed management. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
1.Pacific Northwest Natl Lab, Joint Global Change Res Inst, College Pk, MD 20740 USA 2.Univ Maryland, Earth Syst Sci Interdisciplinary Ctr, College Pk, MD 20740 USA 3.Sci Museum Minnesota, St Croix Watershed Res Stn, 16910 152nd St N, Marine St Croix, MN 55082 USA 4.Pacific Northwest Natl Lab, Atmospher Sci & Global Change Div, Earth Syst Anal & Modeling Grp, Richland, WA 99354 USA 5.Pacific Northwest Natl Lab, Atmospher Sci & Global Change Div, Atmospher Measurement & Data Sci Grp, Richland, WA 99354 USA 6.Iowa State Univ, Dept Geol & Atmospher Sci, Ames, IA 50011 USA 7.Ohio State Univ, Sch Environm & Nat Resources, Wooster, OH 44691 USA 8.Univ Maryland, Dept Geog Sci, College Pk, MD 20742 USA
Recommended Citation:
Yang, Qichun,Zhang, Xuesong,Almendinger, James E.,et al. Climate change will pose challenges to water quality management in the st. Croix River basin[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION,2019-01-01,251:302-311