A framework linking urban park land use with pond water quality

In recent years there has been a decline in water quality in many urban lakes and ponds. We have developed a practical management and planning modelling framework, linking park land use with resulting pond water quality. This framework has a map-centric management structure, in which Geographic Information Systems (GIS) interact with the developed watershed and pond water quality models. The lakes of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens in London were used as a case study. A diagnostic study was conducted to quantify the hydrological and nutrient inputs to the lakes and a sediment-water quality model was applied to simulate the impact of different scenarios on the effect of reductions of phosphorus inputs to the lake on in-lake concentrations. As a result it is recommended that residence time of water in the lakes should be diminished, together with long-term reduction in the population of waterfowl. © 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd.