Forested wetlands for water resource management in southern Illinois

Mitsch, William J.; Dorge, Carol L.; Wiemhoff, John R.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/89982 Copy

Description

Title

Forested wetlands for water resource management in southern Illinois

Author(s)

• Mitsch, William J.
• Dorge, Carol L.
• Wiemhoff, John R.

Contributor(s)

Illinois Institute of Technology

Issue Date

1977-11

Keyword(s)

• Water resources development
• Water resources development--Illinois
• Aquatic ecology
• Wetlands
• Cypress swamp
• Phosphorus cycle
• Taxodium
• Hydrology budget
• Sedimentation rates
• Flooding river
• Floodplain
• Water quality
• Swamps
• Primary productivity
• Ecosystem
• Southern Illinois
• Non-point source loading
• Duckweed
• Nutrients

Geographic Coverage

Illinois (state)

Abstract

A 30 ha cypress - tupelo (Taxodium distichum - Nyssa aquatics), floodplain swamp in Southern Illinois was studied for its hydrologic, biogeochemical and ecological characteristics. The hydrology, water chemistry, sediment dynamics and ecosystem productivity were described for the swamp and interactions with the adjacent Cache River were emphasized. A representative flood in the spring spilled water and sediments from the river to the swamp, temporarily reversing the normal flow of water from the swamp to the river. The annual hydrology budget for the swamp showed inflows of 7'4.4 cm throughfall, 63.9 cm runoff, and 21.9 cm groundwater; the outflows were 7'2.8 cm evapotranspiration, 54.9 cm surface outflow, and 21.0 cm groundwater, the latter two draining to the river. Loading rates for several chemical parameters were calculated from the swamp to the river and water chemistry of the swamp and river was contrasted. Primary productivity measurements showed high rates when the floating duckweed was included; cypress productivity was shown historically to be related to amount of flooding. A phosphorus budget was determined for the swamp and this indicated that the flooding river contributed over 10 times the phosphorus to the swamp as was discharged the rest of the year.

Publisher

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Water Resources Center

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/89982

Sponsor(s)/Grant Number(s)

• U.S. Department of the Interior
• U.S. Geological Survey

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 1977 held by William J. Mitsch, Carol L. Dorge, John R. Wiemhoff

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