Environmental Data Analysis BC ENV 3017

Lab: Esopus Creek discharge and environmental change - Part 1

Environmental  change most likely will have an effect on the hydrologic cycle and this affect river discharge rates. We want to find out if the discharge rate of the esopus Creek is affected by this.
  1.  Download the Esopus Creek  data  measured at the Coldbrook Station. The sources of the data are given below. The unit of the discharge rate is ft3/s = cfs.
  2. Calculate the basic statistics of the min, max, and average discharge rate (mean, median, SD). Make a histogarm of the mean discharge data, do they appear to be normally distributed?
  3. Plot the min, max and average discharge  rate as a time series (line plot).
  4. Add a linear trend line curve to the data and display equation and r2 on the plot. Are the discharge rates increasing or decreasing with time?
  5. Focus on the average discharge rate like in the Hudson River example. Perform a t-test (use the LINEST function, calculate the t-statistic and use TDIST to calculate the P-value. Use the help files in EXCEL to help yourself if you have any problems).
  6. Determine the significance of the correlation also by using the REGRESSION function, now for all three parameters, min, max, and average. Make sure that the P-value is the same as the one obtained above.
  7. Is there a significant trend in the min, max, or average discharge rate of the Esopus Creek as a function of time? Can you explain the trends considering that a transition to a more naturally forested landscape has occured in the area?

Source of data:

Esopus Creek At Coldbrook Ny (01362500)
EPA: Watershed Information Middle Hudson