Relationship between quantity and quality of storm runoff and various watershed characteristics in Minnesota, USA

Watersheds are rural areas undergoing urbanization with current urban land use comprising 4 to 58 percent of the watershed area. The quantity and quality of storm runoff in the watersheds was tested for correlations (significance level of 0. 05) with various land-surface features and landuse characteristics. Quantity of storm runoff is not related to any single characteristic but is likely influenced by several watershed characteristics although this could not be substantiated statistically. Quality of runoff was determined by calculating the flow-weighted mean annual concentrations of four constituents - total suspended solids, total phosphorus, dissolved NO//2 plus NO//3 nitrogen, and total ammonia plus organic nitrogen.