Correlations between land use and water quality: An assessment of the Aconcagua River basin, Chile (2008)

Undergraduate: Alana Wilson

Faculty Advisor: Larry Benninger
Department: Geology

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Large river basins have varying geological, topographical, biological and anthropological features and environments. Spatial and temporal variations in the hydrogeochemistry of a river basin are often accurate indicators of how various environmental factors have direct and indirect impacts on watersheds. Assessment of water quality has important implications for understanding how to most wisely utilize water resources, while maintaining standards that allow both the natural ecosystems and human populations which depend on a river system to survive.
This study examines the ways in which land use patterns impact the hydrogeochemistry of the Aconcagua River and its tributaries. Correlations are examined for a large-scale copper mine, a small-scale gravel mine, ore processing facilities and an agricultural basin. Concentrations of ions are compared to historical data, and the potential impacts of a proposed expansion of mining operations and construction of a dam are discussed.