The land use assessment was used to complement our water quality and development data, in order to give a more complete view of the state of the watershed.  Different land use types influence the water quality of a lake in various ways, in that they each contribute different amounts and types of surface runoff, erosion, and inputs to the lake.  Assessing historical trends in land use can give insight into how the lake has arrived at its current state, and can also be helpful for predicting future development trends.