•Base cations increased in drinking water over ∼50 years coinciding with urbanization.
•DIC, cations, Si, SO42- and pH in streams increased with impervious surface cover.
•Road salts and weathering of impervious surfaces were major sources of ions.
•Base cations and pH contributed to alkalinization from headwaters to coastal waters.
•Increased ions impact drinking water, infrastructure, and coastal alkalinization.
This dataset is associated with the following publication:
Kaushal, S., S. Duan, T. Doody, S. Haq, R. Smith, T. Newcomer Johnson, K. Delany Newcomb, J. Gorman, N. Bowman, P. Mayer, K.L. Wood, K.T. Belt, and W.P. Sack. Human-accelerated weathering increases salinization, major ions, and alkalinization in fresh water across land use. APPLIED GEOCHEMISTRY. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, USA, 83: 121-135, (2017).