charge and sediment yield at the outlet of the watershed.
In addition, the hydrologic effects are related to the types
of land use change and the locations of the changes. The
simulated land use change is in the northwest corner of
the La Grange township, adjacent to the city of Dowagiac.
If the land use changes were to occur in areas adjacent
to a waterbody such as a lake or river, a greater
impact on water quality might have produced. In simulating
the effect of urban land expansion on water quality,
this study assumed that the land cover and related
surface conditions and management practices were the
only variables to be changed and other factors such as
soil and topography remained same. In reality, urban
development often causes change in some related factors
such as topography and landscape irrigation. The simulated
magnitude of the land use change impact on water
quality should be evaluated using the field data in order
to support the informed land use decision-making process.
Resource planners and decision makers should also
realize that the location of the land use change such as
proximity to a waterbody has significant impact on water
quality and need to consider this factor in dealing with
the land use issues in the Dowagiac River watershed.