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Abstract
Yang, Z., M. Reiter. 2007. Land
use/cover changes within riparian buffers in the State of Delaware. JEMREST 4:39-52
Numerous studies show that land
development within riparian buffers leads to significant degradation of open water
bodies and groundwater, with an associated loss of aquatic life. Since the
State of Delaware has experienced increased
population growth and development pressure in recent years, this study used GIS to examine the change
in land use/cover within riparian buffers in the State of Delaware over a 10-year period from 1992
to 2002. We were particularly interested in studying the change in land
use/cover within riparian buffers and how forest and agricultural land was
converted to developed land. Variation in land use/cover changes in the three
Delaware
counties were also examined separately, since the counties exhibited
heterogeneity in their land use/cover and each had experienced different
population growth rates over the time period examined. Within riparian
buffers, there was an increase in developed land and decrease in both
agricultural land and forested land from 1992 to 2002, with land conversion
rates increasing over the ten year period. Compared to Kent
County, New
Castle and Sussex
Counties had more land
development within riparian buffers from 1992 to 2002. Given the strong
correlations between such changes and water quality, attention should be paid
to the trend in land development, especially housing development within
riparian buffers in order to protect Delaware’s
water resources.
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