WATER-QUALITY IN MIXED LAND-USE WATERSHED - PIEDMONT REGION IN MARYLAND

To assess the status, nature, and magnitude of nonpoint source polluti on in the Monocacy River Basin, a watershed scale monitoring project w as established in the Warner watershed located in Frederick County, Ma ryland The watershed is 346 ha in area with Piedmont geology and diver se land use. Both paired watershed and upstream-downstream monitoring designs (USEPA's national design guidelines) were established to measu re flow, sediment and nutrient constituents at different stations thro ughout the watershed. Monitoring results obtained for the period of Ja nuary 1993 until December 1995 were analyzed and are presented in this article. Data indicated that a major cause of pollution was mismanage ment of dairy manure. Results also showed that the lack of fencing aro und stream channels in the watershed with dairy operations may result in the direct deposit of animal waste into the stream, thus causing el evated concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorous. Data also indicated that subsurface lateral flow plays a major role in nitrate loadings t o the stream in Piedmont physiographic region, thus making nutrient ma nagement a priority in upland agricultural fields.