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Water Quality on Forest Lands

Although the quality of water draining forested watersheds is typically the best in the nation, some forest management practices can seriously impair stream water quality. Sediment is the main concern, although nitrate and water temperature impacts are also of concern in some locations. Best management practices can avoid most of these effects. This research aims to summarize the state of knowledge regarding the effects of forest management on water quality and the value to society of maintaining high quality runoff from forest lands.

Selected Publications

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• Litschert, S. E.; Theobald, D. M.; Brown, T. C. 2014. Effects of climate change and wildfire on soil loss in the Southern Rockies Ecoregion. CATENA. 118: 206-219.
  
  
• Litschert, S. E.; Theobald, D. M.; Brown, T. C. 2014. Effects of climate change and wildfire on soil loss in the Southern Rockies Ecoregion. CATENA. 118: 206-219.
  
  
• Brown, Thomas C. 2000. Economic Issues for Watersheds Supplying Drinking Water. Pages 42-51 in Drinking Water from Forests and Grasslands - A Synthesis of the Scientific Literature. George E. Dissmeyer, editor, General Technical Report SRS-39, Southern Research Station, U.S. Forest Service, Asheville, NC. 246 pages.
  
  
• Brown, Thomas C., and Dan Binkley.  1994.  Effect of Management on Water Quality in North American Forests.  USDA Forest Service General Technical Report RM-248, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO, 27 p.
  (1.6 MB PDF file)
  
  
• Binkley, Dan, and Thomas C. Brown. 1993. Forest Practices as Nonpoint Sources of Pollution in North America. Water Resources Bulletin 29(5):720-729.
  (647 KB PDF file)
  
  
• Binkley, Dan, and Thomas C. Brown.  1993.  Management Impacts on Water Quality of Forests and Rangelands. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report RM-239. Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO, 114 p.
  Management Impacts--Part One (3.6 MB PDF file)
  Management Impacts--Part Two (2.2 MB PDF file)
  
  
• Brown, Thomas C., Douglas Brown, and Dan Binkley.  1993.  Laws and Programs for Controlling Nonpoint Source Pollution in Forest Areas. Water Resources Bulletin 29(1):1-13.
  (889 KB PDF file)
  

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