Climate Change and GSWA
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GRADING NEW JERSEY’S GREAT SWAMP Laura Kelm Director of Water Quality Programs September 19, 2015 Stream Monitoring Programs • Chemical • Visual • Macroinvertebrates • E. coli • Temperature Chemical Monitoring • 4 times per year, using handheld meters and lab analysis • Collecting baseline data on Primrose and Black Brooks by monitoring multiple sites • Re-visiting 1 site on each of the other 3 streams and Watershed outlet (already have baseline data here) Parameters • Nitrogen – Nitrate – Nitrite – Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen • Water Clarity – Ammonia – Turbidity – Total Suspended Solids • Phosphorus – Total Phosphorus • Road Salt – Soluble Reactive Phosphate – Total Dissolved Solids • pH – Sodium • Temperature – Chloride • Dissolved Oxygen – Conductivity • Flow Visual Stream Assessments • NJDEP protocol; training led by NJDEP Watershed Ambassadors • 22 sites assessed by 30 volunteers biannually (fall, spring) • Best to have consistent volunteers to spot problems High Gradient Monitoring Sheet Habitat Condition Category Parameter Optimal Suboptimal Marginal Poor Greater than 70% of substrate favorable 40-70% mix of stable habitat; well-suited 20-40% mix of stable habitat; habitat Less than 20% stable habitat; lack of habitat 1. Epifaunal Substrate/Available Cover for epifaunal colonization and fish cover; for full colonization potential; adequate availability less than desirable; substrate is obvious; substrate unstable or lacking. mix of snags, submerged logs, undercut habitat for maintenance of populations; frequently disturbed or removed. banks, cobble or other stable habitat and at presence of additional substrate in the stage to allow full colonization potential form of new fall, but not yet prepared for (i.e., logs/snags that are not new fall and colonization (may rate at high end of not transient). scale). SCORE 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Gravel, cobble and boulder particles are Gravel, cobble and boulder particles are Gravel, cobble and boulder particles are 50- Gravel, cobble and boulder particles are 2. Embeddedness 0-25% surrounded by fine sediment. 25-50% surrounded by fine sediment. 75% surrounded by fine sediment. more than 75% surrounded by fine sediment. Layering of cobble provides diversity of niche space. SCORE 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 All 4 velocity/depth regimes present Only 3 of the 4 regimes present (if fast- Only 2 of the 4 habitat regimes present (if Dominated by 1 velocity / depth regime 3. Velocity/Depth (slow-deep, slow-shallow, fast-deep, fast- shallow is missing, score lower than if fast-shallow or slow-shallow are missing, (usually slow-deep). Combinations shallow). missing other regimes). score low). (Slow is <0.3 m/s, deep is >0.5 m/s) SCORE 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Little or no enlargement of islands or Some new increase in bar formation, Moderate deposition of new gravel, sand or Heavy deposits of fine material, increased 4. Sediment Deposition point bars and less than 5% of the bottom mostly from gravel, sand or fine sediment; fine sediment on old and new bars; 30-50% bar development; more than 50% of the affected by sediment deposition. 5-30% of the bottom affected; slight of the bottom affected; sediment deposits at bottom changing frequently; pools almost deposition in pools. obstructions, constrictions and bends; absent due to substantial sediment moderate deposition of pools prevalent. deposition. SCORE 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Water reaches base of both lower banks, Water fills >75% of the available channel; Water fills 25-75% of the available channel, Very little water in channel and mostly 5. Channel Flow Status and minimal amount of channel substrate or <25% of channel substrate is exposed. and/or riffle substrates are mostly exposed. present as standing pools. is exposed. SCORE 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 TOTAL HABITAT SCORE FOR THIS PAGE Macroinvertebrate Assessments • Annual survey, since 2000 • Macros collected early June • Meter data informs results E. Coli Bacteria • Indicates fecal pollution • Implications for health • Monitor sites watershed-wide in summer • Sites are located where people or pets are likely in contact with water Credit: G. Finlay 6/24/2014 Communicating Monitoring Results • Pre-2013, monitoring reports limited in scope • 1 subwatershed or few parameters • Need big picture view • Technical audience 2013 State of the Streams • MIV, chemical, climate, precip, flow • General recommendations • 4 public presentations • Challenges: • Long, technical report • Analysis took 1 year Water Quality Report Card • Goals: • Answer “How’s the water?” • Understandable for non- technical audience • Short length • Recommend actions • Include ALL 2014 WQ data • To become an annual report How the Grades Were Created • Grades based on water quality standards set by NJDEP or U.S. EPA • Where no standards exist, grades based on ecological impact Excellent • 2 highest grades pass standard Good Poor • 2 lower grades fail standard Very Poor No Data • Lots of math! • Detailed info on grading scales and methods available at www.GreatSwamp.org 2014 Results • Some things stand out: what is good and where are there issues Macro- Visual Stream Dissolved Water Water Stream invertebrates Assessment Bacteria Oxygen Temperature pH Road Salt Clarity Nitrogen Phosphorus Black Brook Poor Poor Very Poor Poor Excellent Excellent Good Excellent Very Poor Poor Great Brook (main stem) Poor Good Very Poor Excellent Excellent Excellent Good Excellent Excellent Good Bayne Brook Poor Excellent Excellent Silver Brook Poor Very Poor Excellent Loantaka Brook Poor Good Very Poor Excellent Excellent Excellent Poor Excellent Very Poor Poor Passaic River (main stem) Good Excellent Good Poor Excellent Excellent Excellent Good Good Indian Grave Brook Excellent Good Good Poor Excellent Excellent Excellent Branta Pond Excellent Excellent Primrose Brook (main stem) Excellent Good Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Good Excellent Mount Kemble Lake Tributary Good Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Poor Excellent Great Swamp Watershed Outlet Very Poor Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Good 2014 Results Macro- Visual Stream Dissolved Water Water Stream invertebrates Assessment Bacteria Oxygen Temperature pH Road Salt Clarity Nitrogen Phosphorus Black Brook Poor Poor Very Poor Poor Excellent Excellent Good Excellent Very Poor Poor Great Brook (main stem) Poor Good Very Poor Excellent Excellent Excellent Good Excellent Excellent Good Bayne Brook Poor Excellent Excellent Silver Brook Poor Very Poor Excellent Loantaka Brook Poor Good Very Poor Excellent Excellent Excellent Poor Excellent Very Poor Poor Passaic River (main stem) Good Excellent Good Poor Excellent Excellent Excellent Good Good Indian Grave Brook Excellent Good Good Poor Excellent Excellent Excellent Branta Pond Excellent Excellent Primrose Brook (main stem) Excellent Good Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Good Excellent Mount Kemble Lake Tributary Good Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Poor Excellent Great Swamp Watershed Outlet Very Poor Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Good Primrose Brook • Healthiest stream in watershed • Large forested areas • Best macroinvertebrates Stonefly from PB2 Primrose Brook at PB2 looking downstream 6/2014 Primrose Brook Mount Kemble Category (main stem) Lake tributary Macro- invertebrates Excellent Primrose Brook Visual Stream Assessment Good Bacteria Excellent Dissolved Oxygen Excellent Good Water Temperature Excellent Excellent • Spring snowmelt increased pH Excellent Excellent Road Salt Excellent Excellent nitrogen levels in Primrose Water Clarity Excellent Excellent Nitrogen Good Poor and Mount Kemble Lake trib Phosphorus Excellent Excellent • Natural condition, not a concern • Also seen in Passaic River • Visual assessments note excess sediment, poor streambank vegetation Storm pipe downstream from Lees Hill Rd. Note pavement-colored sediment pile. 8/2014 Typical Primrose Brook? • Rocky bottom • Lots of riffles • Healthy streamside vegetation shading the stream, reducing erosion potential along streambanks Primrose Brook downstream from Tempe Wick Rd. 6/2015 The Lesser-Known Primrose Brook Bank erosion Incomplete buffer Sediment bars (few shrubs) Primrose Brook between Lees Hill Rd. and Baileys Mill Rd. Credit: M. Duffy, 7/10/2014 Great Brook • Developed headwaters, then suburban/rural with areas of protected lands • Water quality in the middle of main Watershed streams Foote’s Pond 5/2013 Great Brook Bayne Silver Category (main stem) Brook Brook Macro- Great Brook invertebrates Poor Visual Stream Assessment Good Poor Poor Bacteria Very Poor Excellent Very Poor • Higher road salt upstream Dissolved Oxygen Excellent Water • Stormwater impacts: Temperature Excellent Excellent Excellent pH Excellent • Decreased water clarity Road Salt Good Water Clarity Excellent • Higher phosphorus Nitrogen Excellent Phosphorus Good • High bacteria in Foote’s Pond and Bayne Pond • Foote’s Pond, Silver Lake raise water temperatures • Bayne Brook, Silver Brook: • Poor in-stream habitat, sedimentation • High E. coli in Silver Brook under Great Brook downstream from Silver Lake 6/6/2014 investigation by GSWA Loantaka Brook • Several potential land uses in developed headwaters contribute to impairment: • Condo/apartment complexes • Major roads • Mown fields • Woodland Water Pollution Control Utility