Utility of LANDSAT-Derived Land Use Data for Estimating Storm-Water Pollutant Loads in an Urbanizing Area
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 133, Issue 2
Abstract
In many watersheds located in southern California, efforts are being focused on urban runoff because of its adverse impact on receiving water quality. The Sweetwater River watershed is a good example, where the drainage area is rapidly urbanizing and deteriorating reservoir water quality. Contaminated storm water is captured and diverted but as urbanization increases, additional runoff will be generated which will overload the existing infrastructure. To better manage the diversion systems and minimize future construction, storm-water volumes and pollutant loadings need to be estimated. Due to the lack of real-time storm-water runoff monitoring data, pollutant loadings must be estimated from land use information. We used satellite imagery to estimate selected storm-water pollutant loads and compared the results to predictions using land use information from public records. Satellite imagery was useful in estimating storm-water pollutant loads and identifying high loading areas. Satellite imagery with appropriate classification is a promising tool for watershed management and for prioritizing best management practices.
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Acknowledgments
The writers would like to thank the U.S. EPA Region IX and the Sweetwater Authority for their partial support of this work.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 133 • Issue 2 • February 2007
Pages: 203 - 210
Copyright
© 2007 ASCE.
History
Received: Jun 22, 2005
Accepted: Jan 12, 2006
Published online: Feb 1, 2007
Published in print: Feb 2007
Authors
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