Title
Spring distributions and relationships with land cover and hydrogeologic strata in a karst landscape in Winona County, Minnesota, USA
Abstract
Karst aquifers are important groundwater
resources, but are vulnerable to contamination due to relatively
rapid subsurface transport. Springs, points where
the landscape and water table intersect and cold groundwater
discharges, link aquifer systems with land surfaces
and water bodies. As such, in many regions, they are
critical to the viability of lakes, streams and cold-water fish
communities. An understanding of where springs are
located is important to watershed, fishery and environmental
management efforts in karst regions. To better
understand spatial distribution of springs and as a potential
method for identifying variables that characterize locations
of springs for improved land and watershed management,
a nearest-neighbor analysis and a discriminant function
analysis (DFA) of springs were conducted in Winona
County, Minnesota, USA, a karst landscape. Nearestneighbor
analysis examined the spatial spring distribution.
Twenty-two variables describing the locations of springs
were analyzed to ascertain their ability to discriminate
correct aquifer unit or bedrock unit classification for each
spring. Springs were clumped with the highest densities in
the lowest elevations. Springs were correctly assigned to
aquifer units and bedrock units with eight and 11 landscape
variables, respectively. Forest land cover was the only land
cover type contributing to spring discrimination. Consideration
of upland human activities, particularly in forested
areas, on spring discharge along with a better understanding
of characteristics describing spring locations could lead
to better management activities that locate and protect
springs and their important contributions to regional
ecohydrology.
Suggested Citation
Williams, Mary, A.; Vondracek, Bruce.
(2010).
Spring distributions and relationships with land cover and hydrogeologic strata in a karst landscape in Winona County, Minnesota, USA.
Retrieved from the University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy,
https://hdl.handle.net/11299/183651.