1. Volunteer-collected data can provide important baseline information to assist with decision making and improve watershed management. In this study, data collected by the Upper Oconee Volunteer Monitoring Network (UOWN) for water chemistry, bacteria, nutrient, stream habitat assessment scores and biological macroinvertebrate index scores was examined and related to land cover within sample catchments, land cover within the riparian buffers located within catchments, and the number of roads that cross streams within catchments. Seventy catchments in the Upper Oconee Watershed were analyzed. Forest land uses had positive effects on water quality, while the effects of urban land uses were negative. For agricultural land uses, results were mixed, as correlations with visual, macroinvertebrate, and nutrient scores were all positive. Finally, this study demonstrates how volunteer- collected data can be linked with land use data to improve understanding of watersheds, encourage volunteer-monitoring, and enhance the information available to local decision makers. Frank Henning UGA Watershed Extension Agent, fhenning@uga.edu Linking Volunteer-collected Data with Land Use in Order to Improve Watershed Management in the Upper Oconee Watershed Abstract Based on the results of this study, it is evident that urban land uses had negative impacts on biological communities and stream habitat in Clarke County. These results also indicate that agricultural land uses can have positive effects on water quality, especially as measured by visual and biological indicators. Volunteer- collected data from studies like this one may help promote incentives for maintaining forest and agricultural land uses and build support more stringent urban stormwater BMPs. The usefulness of analyzing data at spatial scales was validated. Finally, this study demonstrates how volunteer-collected data can be linked with land use data to improve our understanding of watersheds, encourage volunteer-monitoring, and enhance the information available to local decision makers. Conclusions Figure 1. Sample collection points and land use (open water, urban, mixed forest, and agriculture) associated with subwatershed catchments in Clarke County, Georgia Upper Oconee Watershed, HUC 03070101 Variable 1Variable 2Correlations Visual% Forest0.21 (n=62) Macros% Forest0.53 (n=13) Total coliform% Forest-0.41* (n=33) H 2 O qualityForestPositive Variable 1Variable 2Correlations Visual% Urban-0.34 (n=62)* Macros% Urban-0.68 (n=13)* Total Coliform%Urban0.44 (n=33)* H 2 O QualityUrbanNegative Variable 1Variable 2Correlations Visual% Agriculture0.35 (n=62)* Macros% Agriculture0.64 (n=17)* Total Coliform % Agriculture-0.28 (n=33) NO 3 % Agriculture0.27 (n=24) SRP%Agriculture0.33 (n=23) Forest Land Uses Agricultural Land Uses Urban Land Uses Figure 2. 75 foot and 25 foot riparian stream buffers in Clarke County, Georgia Upper Oconee Watershed Variable 1Variable 275 and 25’ Visual% Urban-0.34*, -0.32 *(n=62) Macros% Urban-0.52, -0.19 (n=13) Total Coliform%Urban0.25, 0.28 (n=33) Turbidity%Urban0.13, 0.27* (n=70) Effects of urban land uses located within 75 and 25 foot riparian stream buffers VariableStream Crossings Macros-0.44 (n=9) E.coli0.55* (n=28) PO 4 0.47 (13) Figure 3. Roads that intersect streams in catchments associated with sample collection points, Clarke County, Georgia. Effects of stream crossings on water quality