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Data from: Using spatially rich datasets to assess the influence of channel characteristics on biogeochemical behavior in agricultural watersheds

Metadata Updated: July 11, 2025

This dataset represents water quality data collected from ditch and streams in a Minnesota Agricultural Watershed, High Island Creek. Data were collected from an inflatable raft with high spatial resolution resulting in water quality maps for selected portions of the watershed. These data were interpreted within the ecological context of spatial leverage to characterize watershed influences on nitrogen and carbon transport or removal from the stream. These data were used to prepare a manuscript for publication in the journal: Water Resources Research. The abstract and plain language summary from that paper is copied below.AbstractMany agricultural landscapes have undergone significant modifications to drain farmland and improve crop productivity. Subsurface field drainage, ditching and channelization of streams limit opportunities for biogeochemical processing of carbon and nutrients within the channel network. In this study, we used spatially rich water quality data collected from two contrasting regions of an agricultural watershed in south-central Minnesota, USA to assess how watershed features, such as channelization, tile drainage, and presence of lakes or wetlands, influence biogeochemical processing of nitrate (NO3-) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). In the channelized upstream region, land use is predominantly agricultural (> 92%) with subsurface tile drainage commonly discharging directly to the stream channel. Further downstream, the channel is more natural with increasing lakes and wetlands, including riparian wetlands. We used the concept of reach leverage to interpret biogeochemical behavior (i.e., source vs. sink) in each region of the watershed. Results indicate variability in biogeochemical behavior between the distinct watershed regions, suggesting that channel characteristics and the presence of lentic waters play a role in regulating biogeochemical processing. The upstream, channelized region acts primarily as a conservative transporter or small source of both NO3- and DOC across sampling dates. In contrast, the lentic-influenced region exhibited shifts between source and sink behavior over time, especially for NO3-, influenced by factors such as hydrologic connectivity and discharge. These findings highlight the value of collecting spatially resolved data to enhance our understanding of biogeochemical processing which may be useful to inform effective management and conservation strategies.Plain Language SummaryMany farmlands have been altered to drain water and increase crop production. These changes often involve straightening natural stream channels, which reduces their ability to use nutrients and carbon. In this study, we collected detailed water quality data from two different areas of an agricultural watershed in south-central Minnesota to see how features like straightened channels, drainage systems, and the presence of lakes or wetlands affect the processing of nitrate (NO3-) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The upstream area is mostly farmland with drainage systems that empty directly into the stream, while the downstream area has more lakes and wetlands, creating a more natural stream environment. We used a method called reach leverage to understand whether areas of the watershed were sources of NO3- and DOC, or if they removed them. Our results showed differences in nutrient processing between the two areas. The upstream, straightened region mainly transported or slightly increased NO3- and DOC, while the downstream, wetland-rich region alternated between acting as a source and a sink for NO3- depending on water flow and other factors. These findings highlight the importance of collecting detailed, location-specific data to understand nutrient processing and for developing better land and water management strategies.

Access & Use Information

Public: This dataset is intended for public access and use. License: Creative Commons CCZero

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Dates

Metadata Created Date December 5, 2024
Metadata Updated Date July 11, 2025
Data Update Frequency R/P0.5M

Metadata Source

Harvested from USDA JSON

Additional Metadata

Resource Type Dataset
Metadata Created Date December 5, 2024
Metadata Updated Date July 11, 2025
Publisher Agricultural Research Service
Maintainer
Identifier 10.15482/USDA.ADC/27638001.v1
Data Last Modified 2025-05-30
Category geospatial
Public Access Level public
Data Update Frequency R/P0.5M
Bureau Code 005:18
Metadata Context https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.jsonld
Schema Version https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema
Catalog Describedby https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.json
Harvest Object Id 9f981b28-d458-457c-9b4a-e3ae1a943271
Harvest Source Id d3fafa34-0cb9-48f1-ab1d-5b5fdc783806
Harvest Source Title USDA JSON
License https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
Metadata Type geospatial
Old Spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": -94.569, 44.572, -94.031, 44.572, -94.031, 44.713, -94.569, 44.713, -94.569, 44.572}
Program Code 005:040
Source Datajson Identifier True
Source Hash e6f02a6a72b87f8eba780d4cc4ad0529d2c13a6247cf6fce28dd9d2736af7212
Source Schema Version 1.1
Spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": -94.569, 44.572, -94.031, 44.572, -94.031, 44.713, -94.569, 44.713, -94.569, 44.572}
Temporal 2022-03-25/2022-07-12

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