LAND COVER CHANGE INFLUENCE ON FLORIDA STREAMFLOW

The State of Florida has experienced rapid land cover change in recent decades, and it is widely accepted this land cover change alters streamflow. Most of these flow impacts are associated with the conversion of pervious to impervious surfaces through urbanization, but impacts are also observed through the conversion of other land types such as forest to agriculture. Little is known to what degree different land cover changes influence streamflow at larger spatial scales. This study builds a regression model of historical land cover change (National Land Cover Database), precipitation (PRISM climate data), and streamflow (USGS water data) to identify how changes in land cover influence streamflow throughout Florida. Results identify the degree to which specific land cover impacts streamflow within individual watersheds and as a whole within the state. This work can be used to assist in flood mitigation planning, environmental land management, and urban sustainability and resiliency.