Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Stream and Watershed Studies - Projects

Long-Term Study Sites

Figure 1. BES Stream Sampling sites.

Our long-term sampling network includes four longitudinal sampling sites along the Gwynns Falls as well as four small (40 - 100 ha) watersheds located within or near to the Gwynns Falls (Figure 1). The longitudinal sites provide data on water and nutrient fluxes in the different land use zones of the watershed (rural/suburban, rapidly suburbanizing, old suburban, urban core) and the small watersheds provide more focused data on specific land use areas (forest, agriculture, rural/suburban, urban).

Longitudinal sites along the Gwynns Falls

  1. Boundary Station 1. Gwynns Falls at Glyndon. This site samples drainage from approximately 96 ha of rural/old suburban land at the headwaters of our main study stream. [Site Location, Photographs, Equipment (USGS)] [Current Streamflow Data (USGS)]
  2. Boundary Station 2. Gwynns Falls at Gwynn Brook / Delight. This site samples drainage from approximately 1,000 ha of rural, old suburban, new suburban and suburbanizing land use. [Site Location, Photographs, Equipment (USGS)] [Current Streamflow Data (USGS)]
  3. Boundary Station 3. Gwynns Falls at Villa Nova. This site samples drainage from approximately 7,400 ha of rual, old suburban, new suburban and suburbanzing land use. Streamflow at this station has been monitored continuously by the USGS since 1957 (with a hiatus from 1988 - 1995). This station is the boundary between the urban and suburban portions of the Gwynns Falls. [Site Location, Photographs, Equipment (USGS)] [Current Streamflow Data With Real Time Data (USGS)]
  4. Boundary Station 4. Gwynns Falls at Route 1 / Carroll Park. This sites samples drainage from approximately 16,000 ha of mixed suburban and urban wateshed. The site has been monitored by USGS since 1994 and represents the boundary condition for entire Gwynns Falls above head of tidal influence. This station allows for evaluation of the urban portion of the Gwynns Falls watershed by comparison with the Gwynns Falls at Villa Nova station (station #1 above). [Site Location, Photographs, Equipment (USGS)] [Current Streamflow Data (USGS)]
Small watersheds

  1. Small Watershed 1. Pond Branch. This is a completely forested "reference" 41 ha watershed located in a county park. [Site Location, Photographs, Equipment (USGS)] [Current Streamflow Data (USGS)]
  2. Small Watershed 2. McDonogh School. This is a completely agricultural "reference" watershed located on the grounds of the McDonogh School. [Site Location, Photographs, Equipment (USGS)] [Current Streamflow Data (USGS)]
  3. Small Watershed 3. Rognel Heights. The site will samples approximately 8 ha of high density urban residential land use with vacant lots and a park and is located in a storm sewer outfall. [Site Location, Photographs, Equipment (USGS)] [Current Streamflow Data (USGS)]
  4. Small Watershed 4. Glyndon. Boundary station #1 (described above) also serves as a small watershed, draining approximately 96 ha of mixed rural and old suburban land use. [Site Location, Photographs, Equipment (USGS)] [Current Streamflow Data (USGS)]
Other sites A variety of other sites are sampled to provide spatial context for our long-term study sites. These are sampled for various periods of time, often in collaboration with other investigators or agencies in the Baltimore region.