ABSTRACT

Geospatial models for dissolved oxygen levels in stream networks are built using watershed level predictors that are computed using geographic information systems technology. Spatial correlation is modeled using both straight-line distance and in-stream, flow-dependent distance. The models with minimum spatial corrected Akaike’s Information Criterion (AICc) for each distance metric are compared to each other and to the minimum AICc nonspatial model. The spatial models generally outperform the nonspatial models, but the choice of distance metric does not make a substantial difference in the quality of the spatial models. The data were collected in the spring of 1997 during the Maryland Biological Stream Survey and a Montgomery County (Maryland) Department of Environmental Protection survey.