WWaatteerr QQuuaalliittyy iinn tthhee CCoolllleeggee CCrreeeekk WWaatteerrsshheedd
Saji Perera Zack Hayden Dr. Randolph Chambers, Faculty Advisor
College of William & Mary Funded by the Virginia Environmental Endowment PPrreesseennttaattiioonn OOvveerrvviieeww
• Background • Methods • Results & Discussion • Summary NNuuttrriieenntt PPoolllluuttiioonn
NPS Residential areas
NPS Urban development
PS Sewage treatment Industries plants NP PS
Agriculture NPS N P Reduces sunlight Excess availability for SAV Nutrients PS: Point source runoff Depletes oxygen NPS: Non point source algal blooms runoff CCoolllleeggee CCrreeeekk WWaatteerrsshheedd
• 13.7 sq mile basin
• College Creek
James River
Chesapeake Bay
• College Creek Alliance (CCA) established 2003
Image courtesy of Tim Russell CCCCAA GGooaallss 1) Survey and document the water quality of the College Creek watershed. 2) Identify areas of impaired water quality. 3) Increase citizen accountability for land use by encouraging involvement in data collection. 4) Increase citizens’ knowledge of the CC watershed. 5) Influence decisions regarding watershed by working with planning groups. MMeetthhooddss
Image courtesy of Tim Russell Quarterly sampling in 23 stations TTyyppeess ooff WWaatteerr
B) STREAMS
College Creek
Image source: http://www.csc.noaa.gov Image courtesy of Tim Russell Kingspoint Pond C) TIDAL CREEKS A) PONDS TTeessttss
• Nutrients: DIP, total PP, NO3ˆ+NO2ˆ, NH4 • Conductivity • Salinity • Dissolved Oxygen • % Saturation of Oxygen • Fecal coliform bacteria • pH • Total suspended solids • Turbidity RReessuullttss Temperature
Ponds 30 Streams Tidal Creeks C
o 20
p m e
T 10
0
Oct 04 Jan 05 Apr 05 Jul 05 Oct 05 Jan 06 Apr 06 Jul 06
‹ Seasonal fluctuations. ‹ Streams are generally cooler than ponds or tidal creeks. CCoonndduuccttiivviittyy
8000 Ponds * Streams o Tidal Creeks h 6000 m µ
y t i
v 4000 i t c u
d 2000 n o C 0
Oct 04 Jan 05 Apr 05 Jul 05 Oct 05 Jan 06 Apr 06 July 06 *Not temperature compensated ‹ Conductivity is the measure of the amount of dissolved solids. ‹ Tidal creeks have the highest conductivity. 8000 200 m * Ponds
o Streams m
h Tidal Creeks
l
l 150 m 6000 a µ f
y n i t i
a 100
v 4000 i R t
c l u a
t 50 d 2000 o n T o C 0 0
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 r r y l t v c r r y l t v c r r n u g p c n b n u g p c n b a p a u u e o e a e a p a u u e o e a e a p Oct 04 Jan 05 Apr 05 Jul 05 Oct 05 Jan 06 Apr 06 July 06 A J O A J O A * Not temperature compensated M M J A S N D J F M M J A S N D J F M
‹Tidal creeks decrease conductivity in response to increased freshwater runoff from rain. 16 Ponds DDiissssoollvveedd OOxxyyggeenn Streams 14 Tidal Creeks Hypoxic Level L / 12 g
m ‹ 10 DO levels decrease n e
g 8 as temperature y x
O 6 increases.
4
Oct 04 Jan 05 Apr 05 Jul 05 Oct 05 Jan 06 Apr 06 Jul 06 ‹ July 2006 DO levels
Ponds in streams approach 30 Streams Tidal Creeks hypoxic levels while
C pond and tidal creeks o 20
p
m exceed expected e T 10 levels.
0
Oct 04 Jan 05 Apr 05 Jul 05 Oct 05 Jan 06 Apr 06 Jul 06 ppHH
Ponds Streams Tidal creeks Salt water level
8 * H p
7
Oct 04 Jan 05 Apr 05 Jul 05 Oct 05 Jan 06 Apr 06 Jul 06
*Not temperature corrected ‹ Basic water found in all 3 water types. PPhhoosspphhoorruuss
6 6 Ponds M Ponds Streams µ Streams Tidal Creeks 5 Tidal Creeks P 5 e t 4 4 a l M u µ
c 3 3 i P t I r D a 2 2 P l
a 1 1 t o
T 0 0
Oct 04 Jan 05 Apr 05 Jul 05 Oct 05 Jan 06 Apr 06 Jul 06 Oct 04 Jan 05 Apr 05 Jul 05 Oct 05 Jan 06 Apr 06 Jul 06 April 2005 data not available.
‹ P is highest in tidal creeks.
‹ P levels increasing NNiittrrooggeenn
80 Ponds Ponds Streams Streams Tidal Creeks Tidal Creeks 60
60 M µ
M µ m
u 40 e 40 i t n a o r t i m
N 20 20 m A
0 0
Oct 04 Jan 05 Apr 05 Jul 05 Oct 05 Jan 06 Apr 06 Jul 06 Oct 04 Jan 05 Apr 05 Jul 05 Oct 05 Jan 06 Apr 06 Jul 06
‹ NO3ˆ most common form of N.
‹ Streams have the highest [N].
‹ Increasing NO3ˆ in streams. FFeeccaall CCoolliiffoorrmmss
Ponds Ponds 600 Streams 600 Goose Pond Tidal Creeks Swimmable Level s Swimmable Level s m m r r o o f 400 f 400 i i l l o o C C l l a 200 a 200 c c e e F F
0 0
Oct 04 Jan 05 Apr 05 Jul 05 Oct 05 Jan 06 Apr 06 Jul 06 Oct 04 Jan 05 Apr 05 Jul 05 Oct 05 Jan 06 Apr 06 Jul 06
‹ Fecal coliforms are indicator bacteria that flag the presence of harmful bacteria.
‹ Decreasing trend SSuummmmaarryy PPooiinnttss
‹ Ponds, streams and tidal creeks have seasonal temperature fluctuations.
‹ Tidal creeks have higher conductivity than ponds or streams. ‹ Conductivity in tidal creeks influenced by freshwater runoff
‹ DO content in ponds, streams and tidal creeks are a response to temperature. ‹ DO in streams approaching hypoxic levels
‹ P levels increasing
‹ Nitrate is the main form of N discharging into waters. ‹ Streams have the highest [N]. ‹ [NO3ˆ] increasing in streams
‹ Fecal coliform bacteria decreasing AAcckknnoowwlleeddggeemmeennttss
• Advisor: Dr. Randolph Chambers • Virginia Environmental Endowment • Zack Hayden • Everyone at the Keck Lab and all the REU Students for their support and encouragement OOnnlliinnee SSoouurrcceess
• http://www.cbf.org • http://www.chesapeakebay.net • http://www.epa.gov • http://www.nrcs.usda.gov • http://www.protectedwithpride.org • http://www.wm.edu/environment/CCA/CCA.html