An evaluation of landscapes, hydrology, and channel morphology of coastal plain drainages with different cranberry agriculture histories

Watersheds in the New Jersey Coastal Plain that drain active-cranberry bogs, abandoned-cranberry bogs, and forest land with no history of cranberry agriculture were compared to determine if alterations imposed by typical cranberry agriculture practices changed drainage patterns, wetland landscape composition, flow regimes, or channel morphology. Additionally, common drainage basin and channel dynamic relationships were evaluated to determine if their use was applicable to the study area. This also included the evaluation of basin area-discharge relationships and estimates of average annual runoff and basin area to estimate average annual flow. Finally, a transition analysis was completed for the period 1986-2002 to determine what cover types where removed and what soil types were utilized in the process of constructing new cranberry bogs.; Aside from subtle differences, drainage patterns and landscape composition did not differ significantly outside the footprint of the cranberry bogs. Flow regimes, and channel morphology also did not differ significantly between the three groups. Relationships between four drainage basins metrics (the number of streams, cumulative stream length, drainage area, and drainage density) were significantly related to stream order. Using power functions, relationships between discharge and stream width, stream depth, and velocity were significant and strong for all study sites and allowed for the estimation of regional curves for the estimation of channel dimensions, velocity or discharge. Two methods used to estimate average annual flow proved to be poor. Lastly, during the period 1986-2002 nearly 240 hectares of new bogs were created, primarily from the conversion of blueberry fields and other agricultural lands.