Recent progress in the development of a SPARROW model of sediment for the conterminous U.S.

Gregory Schwarz; Richard Smith; Richard Alexander; John Gray

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Recent progress in the development of a SPARROW model of sediment for the conterminous U.S.

Gregory Schwarz·Richard Smith·Richard Alexander·John Gray

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Abstract

Suspended sediment has long been recognized as an important contaminant affecting water resources. Besides its direct role in determining water clarity, bridge scour and reservoir storage, sediment serves as a vehicle for the transport of many binding contaminants, including nutrients, trace metals, semi- volatile organic compounds, and numerous pesticides (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2000a). Recent efforts to address water quality concerns through the TMDL process have identified sediment as the single most prevalent cause of impairment in the Nation’s streams and rivers (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2000b). Moreover, sediment has been identified as a medium for the transport and sequestration of organic carbon, playing a potentially important role in understanding sources and sinks in the global carbon budget (Stallard 1998).

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Source-reported bounding extent: 24.5° to 49.383333° latitude; -124.8° to -66.95° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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Gregory Schwarz, Richard Smith, Richard Alexander, John Gray. 2003. Recent progress in the development of a SPARROW model of sediment for the conterminous U.S.. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70120643

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