Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation
8-2023
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
M. Eng.
Department
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Committee Chair
French, Mark
Committee Co-Chair (if applicable)
Vickneswaran, Tharshikka
Committee Member
Vickneswaran, Tharshikka
Committee Member
Williams, Stuart
Author's Keywords
mill creek; louisville; specific conductance; dissolved oxygen; usgs gauge
Abstract
Mill Creek is the largest watershed in Southwest Jefferson County, where thousands of people live and work. Streams in the watershed have historically been channelized and altered to promote drainage, and stream health is of major concern. Louisville MSD is currently developing a watershed plan for Mill Creek by seeking understanding of current stream conditions. This paper will focus on historical trends in stream discharge and water quality. Peak and daily discharge, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, and temperature data from USGS gages at Mill Creek and the Mill Creek Cutoff was analyzed to understand how water quality and flow rates have changed in the watershed in the past 20 years, as well as between 1990 and today. Similarities in discharge trends were found between the two watersheds, but there were differences in trends for dissolved oxygen and specific conductance that impacts on water quality in either stream.
Recommended Citation
Henson, Karina, "Changes to water quality and discharge in an urban stream in Southwest Jefferson County." (2023). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4187.
https://doi.org/10.18297/etd/4187