Abstract
 Evaluating Water Quality Using Spatial Interpolation Methods, Pinellas County, Florida Track: Water Resources Author(s): Cynthia Meyer In 2003, Pinellas County instituted a stratified random sampling program for ambient water quality monitoring. Pinellas County is a peninsula bounded by Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico with 588 miles of coastline. Previously, water quality for each strata was determined by applying a mean calculation of water quality parameters to the entire area. To visualize the spatial trends of the data, spatial interpolation methods were applied to the chlorophyll and dissolved oxygen data. Investigation determined Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) as the best interpolation method for the data. The IDW surfaces displayed overall trends and hot spots for extreme high and low values. Comparison with the State Water Quality Scores revealed that only small areas within several of the strata violated the impaired waters rule. The county can use spatial data analysis techniques to develop more effective watershed management plans by targeting the areas in need of remediation. Cynthia Meyer Pinellas County Environmental Management WRMS 300 South Garden Ave Clearwater , FL 33756 US Phone: 727-464-4425 E-mail: cmeyer@pinellascounty.org |
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