10-7 Comparative Water Quality Along An Urban Gradient

Session: Geochemistry and Mineralogy (Posters)

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Surface water monitoring provides insight into how land use influences recreational and drinking water quality. Worcester State University, in collaboration with the city of Worcester and the Tatnuck Brook Watershed Association, conducts long-term monitoring of local surface waters to support  recreational water resource management. This study focuses on a comparative assessment of two freshwater systems within the Tatnuck Brook watershed: Cooks Pond, primarily surrounded by conserved and undeveloped land, and Patch Reservoir, which is largely bordered by residential and developed areas. These contrasting land-use settings provide an opportunity to evaluate water quality patterns along an urbanization gradient. Regular monitoring of key physical and chemical parameters contributes to an expanding regional dataset and supports interpretation of watershed-scale influences on lake and stream conditions. Preliminary results from this project show lower levels of nitrate, total phosphorus, and a brief period of anoxic conditions at the bottom of Cooks Pond at the peak of the season. The bottom of Patch Reservoir remains anoxic all season and contains high levels of phosphorus.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 58, No. 2, 2026

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