Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Effects Of Changes In Population Density On Discharges For The Midwestern United States, Catherine Konieczny

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

River baseflow is the river discharge supported predominantly by groundwater, and can be greatly impacted by changes in land. Intuitively, the baseflow of a river would decrease with increased urbanization, as urbanization increases the amount of impervious surfaces, limiting the ability of precipitation to infiltrate into the ground and recharge the local groundwater. However, evidence suggests that the baseflow of rivers in urbanized areas can increase as a result of leaky subsurface water infrastructures that add water to groundwater and replenish baseflow. Another reason for the baseflow increase in urbanized watersheds is that water supply systems are over-pressurized by design …