North Carolina Water Science Center
CURRENT CONDITIONSCurrent streamflow conditions in North Carolina.
DATA CENTER
ABOUT THE NC WATER SCIENCE CENTERRaleigh Main Office ABOUT THE USGSUSGS IN YOUR STATEUSGS Water Science Centers are located in each state.
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Water Resources of North CarolinaWelcome to the USGS North Carolina Water Science Center. These pages are your source for water-resource information collected and interpreted by the U.S. Geological Survey in North Carolina. Click on a river basin to obtain real-time data. Of Current InterestUSGS Estimates Nitrogen Loading to Streams and Coastal Areas of North Carolina and the Southeast
SPARROW model predictions of total nitrogen yields delivered to local stream reaches in the southeastern United States The U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program assessed total nitrogen loads and yields in streams throughout the southeastern United States using the USGS watershed model SPARROW (Spatially Referenced Regression On Watershed Attributes). Results from the southeast regional total nitrogen SPARROW model indicate that atmospheric deposition is the largest source of nitrogen delivered annually to many estuaries along the South Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, such as Mobile and Apalachicola Bays. The regional model integrates Federal, State, and local agency monitoring data at 321 stations with geospatial data describing 2002 nitrogen sources (fertilizer, animal waste, and urban inputs, atmospheric deposition, and wastewater discharges) and watershed properties (soil characteristics, precipitation, and land cover). The combination of more calibration sites and refined geospatial data provides significant improvement over previous SPARROW models in prediction accuracy and the identification of regional nutrient sources and transport factors. Results of this study are described in the journal Hydrological Processes article and detailed supplemental tables with model predictions for instream load and yield for 8,028 stream reaches and 293 shoreline reaches and the fraction of instream load that is delivered to the basin outlet. Results from the southeast regional SPARROW model can be used to assess:
For more information on nitrogen loading and delivery to streams and coastal areas in North Carolina, contact Ana Maria Garcia (agarcia@usgs.gov); for questions about other areas of the southeast, contact Anne Hoos, (abhoos@usgs.gov)
Recent Publications
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