USGS-NAWQA: UII
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Title
| Urban Intensity Index (UII) |
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Author
| McMahon, G. and Cuffney, T.F |
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Abstract/Summary Statement
| Abstract from original reference of what became known as the Urban Intensity Index (UII): Three investigations are underway, as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program, to study the relation between varying levels of urban intensity in drainage basins and in-stream water quality, measured by physical, chemical, and biological factors. These studies are being conducted in the vicinities of Boston (Massachusetts), Salt Lake City (Utah), and Birmingham (Alabama), areas where rapid urbanization is occurring. For each study, water quality will be sampled in approximately 30 drainage basins that represent a gradient of urban intensity. This paper focuses on the methods used to characterize and select the basins used in the studies. It presents a methodology for limiting the variability of natural landscape characteristics in the potential study drainage basins and for ranking the magnitude of human influence, or urbanization, based on land cover, infrastructure, and socioeconomic data in potential study basins. Basin characterization efforts associated with the Boston study are described for illustrative purposes. |
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Table of Contents
| Sections include: Abstract Introduction An Evolving Perspective on Water-Quality Characterizing the Natural Landscape Characterizing the Anthropogenic Landscape Developing an Index of Urban Intensity Selecting Drainage Basins for the Gradient Studies Conclusions Acknowledgments Literature Cited |
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Citation
| McMahon, Gerard and Cuffney, T.F., 2000, Quantifying urban intensity in drainage basins for assessing stream ecological conditions: Journal of the American Water Resources Association, v. 36, p. 1247-1261. |
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Method Source
| USGS-NAWQA |
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Source Organization Country
| USA |
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Publication Year
| 2000 |
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Special Notes
| Project website: Effects of Urbanization on Stream Ecosystems Website at http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/urban/html/studydesign.html Report from investigation: Tate, C.M., Cuffney, T.F., McMahon, Gerard, Giddings, E.M.P., Coles, J.F., Zappia, Humbert, 2005, Use of an urban intensity index to assess urban effects on streams in three contrasting environmental settings, in Effects of urbanization on stream ecosystems: American Fisheries Society, Symposium 47, Bethesda, Maryland, p. 291-315., available at http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/urban/pdf/291-316_Tate_AFS.pdf |
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Item Type
| Journal Article |
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Publication Source Type
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Journal |
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Purpose
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Data analysis Monitoring program design |
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Design or Data Analysis Objectives
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Interpolate concentrations Revisit Spatial trends |
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Complexity
| Medium |
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Media Emphasized
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Surface Water |
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Media Subcategory
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Special Topics
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