Changing Climatic Conditions Affect Surface Water Quality in Southwestern Louisiana in the United States
Climate change impacts on rising temperatures, changes on rainfall patterns, drought, flooding, sea level rise, glacier melts, and incidence of diseases and parasites are reported worldwide in recent decades. This study investigates the effects of changing climatic conditions – particularly air temperature and precipitation, on surface water temperatures and other water quality parameters, such as the conductivity, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, and turbidity. A statistical analysis was performed on air temperature and precipitation data from 1980 to 2005 to determine the changing climatic conditions. The water quality data for four waterbodies in southwestern Louisiana was also analyzed to examine trends between the air temperature and surface water temperatures, precipitation and surface water temperatures, and precipitation and water quality parameters. There was an unexpected increase in surface water temperature with an increase in precipitation. As the precipitation and air temperature increased, so did the surface water temperature. This increase in surface water temperature was correlated with decrease in DO levels. The increase in precipitation also correlated with an increase in pH and turbidity in Bayou Plaquemine Brule. This study’s findings could be utilized in a dynamic climate modeling system to provide more accurate predictions of climate change in southwestern Louisiana.