Masters Thesis

Water quality and land use in western San Fernando Valley canyons and tributary streams

Very little is known about the surface water quality of the western San Fernando Valley tributary streams, located in the Santa Susana Mountains, the Santa Monica Mountains and the Simi Hills. As water demands grow, local surface waters require evaluation for their potential to enhance recharge of the San Fernando groundwater basin. Monthly water quality field measurements and water samples were collected within several watersheds, which contained types of land-usage such as horse ranching and urban development that could potentially impair local water quality. Observable water quality trends were compared with land usage patterns within each watershed. Uninfluenced streams exhibited low discharge rates, seasonal flow and high concentrations of dissolved constituents. Several urban-influenced streams exhibited high discharge rates, perennial flow and low concentrations of dissolved constituents, indicating a relatively large urban runoff component. Other urban-influenced streams exhibited high discharge rates, perennial flow and high concentrations of dissolved constituents, indicating that urban runoff had infiltrated local soils and sedimentary rock and accumulated a significant dissolved load before entering the stream. Streams with seasonal flow, low average discharge rates and high dissolve constituent loads should be removed from consideration for artifical recharge enhancement. The remaining streams should be further evaluated for additional urban-related contaminants and storm runoff water quality.

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