Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Sparrow Surface Water-Quality Model: Theory, Application And User Documentation, G. E. Schwarz, A. B. Hoos, R. B. Alexander, R. A. Smith

Publications of the US Geological Survey

SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes) is a watershed modeling technique for relating water-quality measurements made at a network of monitoring stations to attributes of the watersheds containing the stations. The core of the model consists of a nonlinear regression equation describing the non-conservative transport of contaminants from point and diffuse sources on land to rivers and through the stream and river network. The model predicts contaminant flux, concentration, and yield in streams and has been used to evaluate alternative hypotheses about the important contaminant sources and watershed properties that control transport over large spatial scales.

This report provides …